Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Online Substance Use Counselling · Swindon
Online Substance Use Counselling in Swindon
Online substance use counselling for Swindon, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Swindon, from the Old Town and the centre to the streets around the railway heritage, 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 Swindon
Substance Use Counselling for Swindon, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Swindon: from the Old Town and the centre to Old Walcot, Stratton and West Swindon
- Known for
- The railway heritage, the Magic Roundabout and the Old Town
- Region
- South West (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 Swindon
Why people in Swindon reach out
Swindon grew on the railway and now runs largely on commuting and distribution work, sitting on the fast line between Bristol and London. Long hours, target-driven jobs and a town many people moved to for work rather than roots can leave wellbeing low on the list until something gives.
Swindon runs on movement. The town grew around the Great Western Railway works, and though the great sheds now house the STEAM museum and the designer outlet, the fast line still carries commuters towards Bristol and Paddington each morning. Around the M4 junctions, distribution parks and offices, including Nationwide's headquarters, set the pace, and much of the workforce moved here for the jobs and the housing rather than any family tie. The Old Town keeps a quieter, older character above the newer estates spreading west. It is a practical, unpretentious place that keeps its head down and gets on, but the commute-and-target routine can wear people thin, and a confidential space to stop and think is worth having.
Where the old industries have gone and there is a strong culture of just getting on with things, online keeps support discreet and within reach however stretched the week.
Swindon is the headquarters of Nationwide Building Society and the National Trust; its acute hospital is the Great Western Hospital, and the town grew around the Great Western Railway works.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Swindon
Old TownOld WalcotStrattonWest SwindonGorse HillRodbourneFreshbrookToothillPark NorthWroughton
Wherever you are in Swindon, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Swindon
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Swindon are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of deaths from drug misuse was 2.9 per 100,000 in 2022 - 24, below the England average of 5.8 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Deaths from drug misuse (2022 - 24).
4.3 adults per 1,000 were in treatment at specialist drug-misuse services in 2020/21, below 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.
Swindon sits on the fast Great Western line, with quick trains to Bristol and London Paddington and the M4 running along its edge, so a great deal of life here is spent travelling. Secure online sessions give that time back, letting us meet without any journey at all. The room itself is in Hove, meaning Swindon is served online; in-person appointments are only practical for those able to reach the Sussex coast.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online substance use counselling in Swindon 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 Swindon
Why people in Swindon come for substance use counselling
Around Swindon's distribution parks and offices, shift patterns and target-driven days can leave people reaching for something to stay sharp or to switch off, and a town built on movement rarely pauses to notice. What starts as a way to manage a relentless routine can slowly take hold. Counselling gives you a calm, non-judgemental space to understand the pattern and what drives it. We meet by secure video, so there is no extra journey. The room is in Hove, so Swindon is served online, with in-person sessions only for those able to reach the Sussex coast.
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 Swindon
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Swindon, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Swindon Borough Council's drug and alcohol support services.
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.
Swindon questions
Online Substance Use Counselling in Swindon: common questions
Can I get online substance use counselling if I live in Swindon?
Yes. I work with people right across Swindon, from the Old Town and the centre outwards, and anywhere else in South West, 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.
I commute out of Swindon most days. Can substance counselling fit around that?
Yes. Online sessions remove any extra travel, so they can slot into an evening or a gap in the day without a further journey. We meet by secure video. The counselling room is in Hove, so Swindon is served online rather than in person.
Can I begin substance use counselling online in Swindon this week?
Often yes. After a short message we set up a free 15-minute call, then arrange your first session, frequently within the same week. Because we meet online, you can talk from home anywhere in Swindon, whether that is Stratton, West Swindon or Gorse Hill, with no waiting list to join.
How much does private substance use counselling cost compared with NHS options in Swindon?
I charge £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for two hours, and the initial 15-minute consultation is free. NHS drug services and GP referrals in Swindon are free of charge but often have waits, while private sessions can start quickly and stay flexible around you.
Do you offer evening online sessions for substance use counselling in Swindon?
I hold some appointments later in the day, which helps if you work shifts or long hours around Swindon. Sessions are online, so you join from wherever feels private, from Rodbourne to Freshbrook. In-person work is only at my Hove room, for those who can reach the Sussex coast.
I commute out of Swindon most days. Can counselling fit around that?
Yes. Online sessions remove any extra travel, so they can slot into an evening or a gap in the day without a further journey. We meet by secure video. The counselling room is in Hove, so Swindon is served online rather than in person.
I moved to Swindon for work and don't have family nearby. Can that be part of the work?
Absolutely. Feeling unrooted in a town you came to for a job is common here, and it is something we can talk through. Sessions are held online by secure video, from wherever you are living. The counselling room is in Hove, on the Sussex coast.
Online Substance Use Counselling in Swindon, 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 South West: Bristol, Bath, Reading. See all of South West.
All counselling & therapy in Swindon: 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.