Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Online Substance Use Counselling · Wigan
Online Substance Use Counselling in Wigan
Online substance use counselling for Wigan, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Wigan, from the town centre and the pier to the streets around the rugby league 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 Wigan
Substance Use Counselling for Wigan, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Wigan: from the town centre and the pier to Ince, Pemberton and Hindley
- Known for
- Wigan Pier, the rugby league heritage and the flashes
- Region
- North 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 Wigan
Why people in Wigan reach out
Wigan is a proud former mining and mill town between Manchester and Liverpool, with a strong identity and the lasting marks of industrial decline. Insecure work and money worries are part of daily life for many, and the local pride in coping can make it hard to admit when things are difficult.
Wigan stands between Manchester and Liverpool with a fierce identity all its own. The Pier on the Leeds–Liverpool Canal made its name, immortalised by Orwell, and the rugby league at the Brick Community Stadium runs in the blood. This was mining and mill country, and the character it left is proud, warm and quick to laugh. Beyond the centre, Ince, Pemberton, Hindley and Standish each have their own feel, and the flashes, those flooded old workings turned to wetland, bring water and birdlife close to town. Haigh Hall crowns the hill above. People here are known for getting on with it, and that same toughness can make it harder to admit when things weigh heavy.
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.
Wigan is served by Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and the Heinz factory at Kitt Green is one of the largest food production sites in Europe.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Wigan
the town centreIncePembertonHindleyStandishAspullOrrellAshton-in-Makerfield
Wherever you are in Wigan, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Wigan
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Wigan are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of deaths from drug misuse was 6 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).
5.9 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.
I'm based in Hove and work with people in Wigan online, by video or phone. Wherever you are, in Pemberton, Hindley, Standish or nearer the centre, the session reaches you, with no trip to the station or into town to arrange. Many people find the comfort of home makes it easier to speak plainly. We'd fix a regular time that suits your week, around work or family, and keep it steady from there.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online substance use counselling in Wigan 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 Wigan
Why people in Wigan come for substance use counselling
Insecure work and money worries are part of daily life for many in Wigan, and substances can become a way of taking the edge off pressures that never fully lift. In a town that prizes getting on with it, that often goes unspoken. I'm Bradley Riddell, a Hove-based counsellor working with people across Wigan online. We talk honestly about what you're using and why, without judgement or labels, and work out what would genuinely help. Sessions are by secure video or phone from Standish, Orrell or wherever you feel safe, so you can be open without anyone locally needing to know.
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 Wigan
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 “Wigan”).
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.
Wigan questions
Online Substance Use Counselling in Wigan: common questions
Can I get online substance use counselling if I live in Wigan?
Yes. I work with people right across Wigan, from the town centre and the pier outwards, and anywhere else in North 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.
Do you only work with people who want to stop for good?
No. Some people want to stop, others want to cut down or just understand what's going on first. Wherever you are with it, we start there. In Wigan as anywhere, the work is guided by what you want, not by a fixed goal I set for you.
How quickly can I begin substance use counselling in Wigan?
Quickly. After a free 15-minute consultation to check we suit each other, we would usually hold your first session within a week. It runs online from my Hove base, so whether you are in Ince, Hindley or Ashton-in-Makerfield, there is nothing to travel to.
Is substance use counselling cheaper on the NHS in Wigan than privately?
Wigan's NHS drug and alcohol services are free, though they can carry a wait. My fees are fixed and clear: a free 15-minute consultation, then GBP 80 for an hour, GBP 100 for 90 minutes and GBP 120 for two hours.
Can we do evening online sessions rather than travelling across Wigan?
Yes. I only work online, so there is no Wigan office to reach; my room is in Hove. Evening or lunchtime sessions are straightforward, which many people in the town's shift and manual jobs find fits their working week far better.
Is this different from Wigan Talking Therapies?
Yes. I'm an independent counsellor working online from Hove, separate from Wigan Talking Therapies on the NHS. Some people see me while waiting for NHS support, others prefer private sessions from the outset. I'm happy to help you weigh up which might suit you best, with no pressure.
Online Substance Use Counselling in Wigan, 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 North West: Bolton, Manchester, Warrington. See all of North West.
All counselling & therapy in Wigan: 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.