Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Online Substance Use Counselling · Nottingham
Online Substance Use Counselling in Nottingham
Online substance use counselling for Nottingham, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Nottingham, from the centre and the Lace Market to the streets around the castle, with the same BACP-registered, confidential support as an in-person session, and no journey.
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you
In and around Nottingham
Substance Use Counselling for Nottingham, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Nottingham: from the centre and the Lace Market to Hyson Green, Sneinton and Beeston
- Known for
- The castle, the Old Market Square and the two universities
- Region
- Midlands (England)
- Local NHS / support route
- Local council drug & alcohol service (see below)
- Format
- Secure video, UK-wide. In-person also available on the Sussex coast.
Life in Nottingham
Why people in Nottingham reach out
Nottingham is a lively city with two big universities and a strong creative streak, but it also carries real inequality and a reputation for hardship in parts. Student pressure, insecure work and money worries sit side by side here, and the busy centre can mask a good deal of private struggle.
Nottingham is a lively, creative city with two large universities in the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent, and a long history you can still read in the castle, the caves and the Lace Market's old warehouses. The Old Market Square is the heart of it, Goose Fair returns each autumn, and names like Boots and Raleigh speak to an industrial past. Neighbourhoods from Hyson Green and Sneinton to Beeston each have their own feel. Alongside all that energy sit insecure work, student pressure and money worries. Having somewhere steady and confidential to talk, without needing to explain yourself to anyone nearby, can make a difficult stretch easier to carry.
With the academic year setting a relentless pace, online sessions flex around terms, deadlines and shift work rather than fighting them.
Nottingham hosts the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, the Queen's Medical Centre, and Boots has its UK headquarters and historic campus in nearby Beeston.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Nottingham
Lace MarketHyson GreenSneintonBeestonThe ParkSherwoodMapperleyWest BridgfordRadfordWollatonLenton
Wherever you are in Nottingham, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Nottingham
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Nottingham are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of deaths from drug misuse was 7.8 per 100,000 in 2022 - 24, above the England average of 5.8 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Deaths from drug misuse (2022 - 24).
7.1 adults per 1,000 were in treatment at specialist drug-misuse services in 2020/21, above the England average of 4.5 per 1,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Adults in treatment at specialist drug misuse services (2020/21).
Local data last reviewed June 2026. Each figure shows the year and links to the official source it was read on.
The substance use counselling itself
Substance use counselling here is non-judgemental and one-to-one, working with the pain, fear or loneliness the substance has been managing, at a pace that protects your sense of safety.
The approach is the same wherever you live, so rather than repeat it on every page you can read it in full, the methods, what each session covers and fees, on the main substance use counselling page and on how I work.
How online sessions work
Sessions run over a secure, encrypted video link held to the same strict BACP confidentiality as meeting in person. After a free fifteen-minute call to check we are a good fit, you join each session from any private space using a phone, tablet or laptop, no software to install, no waiting room and no journey at either end.
Nottingham is well served by rail, with the station on the Midland Main Line and around an hour and three-quarters from London St Pancras, plus the NET tram running out to Beeston, Hucknall and Clifton. The ring road and the M1 sit to the west. For sessions held online, though, none of that matters. The room is in Hove and Nottingham is served by video, so you can meet from home without a tram ride or a drive into the centre.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online substance use counselling in Nottingham can help
The false self
Letting go of the protective self that no longer serves you.
Specialised attention
One-to-one sessions shaped entirely around you.
Self-discovery
Rediscovering the authentic self beneath the coping.
Anxiety and low mood
Treating what the substance has been masking.
Sustainable change
Growing into recovery rather than forcing it.
Substance Use Counselling in Nottingham
Why people in Nottingham come for substance use counselling
In a city with a big student population and plenty of insecure, shift-based work, substances can slip from something social into something that shapes your week. Whether it started at university, at work, or as a way to manage stress and low mood, using can quietly take up more room than you meant. Bradley Riddell offers a confidential, non-judgemental space to look at your substance use and what sits beneath it. He works from Hove and sees Nottingham online, so from Hyson Green to Sneinton to West Bridgford, you meet by video from wherever feels private, without a tram ride or a drive into the centre.
A free, unhurried first step
Not sure if it is right for you? A free fifteen-minute call is a no-obligation way to talk it through.
Book a free 15-minute callDrug, alcohol & addiction support in Nottingham
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. You can find your nearest free NHS-funded drug and alcohol service via the NHS “find a service” directory (search “Nottingham”).
For confidential information and advice, FRANK (on 0300 123 6600) and Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 are free, and Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery run peer-support meetings you can find online.
Other local and national support verified for this area includes:
If you need urgent help now
This is not a crisis service. If anyone is in immediate danger call 999. For urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. The Samaritans are free, day or night, on 116 123, or text SHOUT to 85258.
Nottingham questions
Online Substance Use Counselling in Nottingham: common questions
Can I get online substance use counselling if I live in Nottingham?
Yes. I work with people right across Nottingham, from the centre and the Lace Market outwards, and anywhere else in Midlands, by secure video, no need to travel to Hove, and just as confidential as meeting in the room.
Can I get support while I'm still using?
Yes. This is non-judgemental, one-to-one work that meets you where you are, and it can run alongside any medical or detox support you have.
How is this different from a group or 12-step programme?
It is individual and shaped entirely around you. Some people use it instead of groups, others alongside them.
Will you tell my GP or employer?
No. What you share is confidential within the BACP framework; nothing goes to anyone else without your consent.
Will you report me for using drugs?
No. Counselling is confidential and it is not about judging or reporting you. It is a space to understand what is going on and what you want to change. Because sessions are online, you can also join from wherever feels most private to you.
How quickly can I begin substance use counselling in Nottingham?
Usually within a week. Substance use counselling for Nottingham is delivered online from Hove, so there is no local queue. A free 15-minute consultation comes first, then your first session is booked when it fits, whether you are in halls or working across the city.
What does substance use counselling cost compared with NHS drug services in Nottingham?
Fees are £80 an hour, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for two hours, after a free 15-minute consultation. Nottingham's NHS drug services are free but often busy, whereas private sessions offer earlier appointments and the same counsellor each time for continuity.
Is substance use counselling online, and can it fit student life in Nottingham?
Yes. The consulting room is in Hove and Nottingham is served by video, so you meet from your room or a quiet corner in Lenton or Hyson Green. Appointments can often be arranged for evenings or around lectures and deadlines at either university.
Can students at the universities have sessions?
Yes. Online counselling suits student life well, since you can meet from your room or a quiet corner without travelling, and appointments can often be arranged around lectures and deadlines. Whether you are at the University of Nottingham or Trent, all you need is a private spot and a connection.
Online Substance Use Counselling in Nottingham, whenever you are ready
A free fifteen-minute call is the simplest place to start, no obligation, just a chance to see if we are the right fit.
Also available online across Midlands: Leicester, Derby, Sheffield. See all of Midlands.
All counselling & therapy in Nottingham: Addiction · Drinking Problems · Anxiety · Depression · Relationship · Trauma · Counselling & Therapy · Psychotherapy.
Closer to the Sussex coast? The same substance use counselling is available in person in Brighton & Hove, or see all in-person areas.