Online Trauma Counselling · Exeter

Online Trauma Counselling in Exeter

Online trauma counselling for Exeter, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Exeter, from the cathedral quarter and the quay to the streets around the university, with the same BACP-registered, confidential support as an in-person session, and no journey.

Online across the UKSecure videoFree 15-min consultation
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
Bradley Riddell, BACP-registered counsellor offering online trauma counselling for Exeter, introducing his approach
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you

In and around Exeter

Trauma Counselling for Exeter, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Exeter: from the cathedral quarter and the quay to St Thomas, Heavitree and Pinhoe
Known for
The cathedral, the quay and the university
Region
South West (England)
Local NHS / support route
TALKWORKS, Devon's NHS Talking Therapies service
Format
Secure video, UK-wide. In-person also available on the Sussex coast.

Life in Exeter

Why people in Exeter reach out

Exeter pairs a historic cathedral core with a large and growing university, and the two can pull in different directions: the quiet expectations of a county city and the intense pressure of student and academic life. Rising costs and a sense of being the regional outlier in a rural county add to the strain people carry.

Exeter carries itself as a county capital. The cathedral green fills with lunch breaks and the restored quay draws walkers down to the canal, while up on the ridge the university keeps expanding and drawing students from across the country. The Met Office, headquartered here, and the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital anchor a steady professional class, yet housing costs push many out towards St Thomas and Pinhoe. Set among Devon's farms and moor, Exeter can feel like the one busy place for miles, which brings its own quiet loneliness for anyone who arrives without roots. Behind the settled, well-kept surface, the pressure to appear coping is real, and a confidential hour offers somewhere honest to set it down.

the University of Exeterthe Royal Devon and Exeter Hospitalthe Met Officethe cathedral and heritage sector

Beneath a calm, historic surface, struggle can be hard to voice; a confidential online hour asks nothing of appearances.

Exeter is home to the University of Exeter and the Met Office headquarters; its main hospital is the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, run by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Areas covered

Neighbourhoods in and around Exeter

St ThomasHeavitreePinhoeSt LeonardsExwickWhiptonAlphingtonWonfordTopsham

Wherever you are in Exeter, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.

The local picture

The local picture in Exeter

These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Exeter are living with, and why local support matters.

Local data last reviewed June 2026. Each figure shows the year and links to the official source it was read on.

The trauma counselling itself

Trauma counselling here is gentle and led by you, drawing on methods designed for trauma including the Human Givens Rewind Technique, so a difficult memory is returned to ordinary recall.

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 trauma 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.

Exeter has two central stations at St Davids and Central, the M5 close by and its own airport out to the east, but rural Devon spreads far beyond the city and journeys in can be long. Secure online sessions mean none of that matters, letting us meet from wherever you feel settled. The counselling room is in Hove, so Exeter is served online; in-person sessions suit only those able to travel to the Sussex coast.

Book a free 15-minute call

What I help with

How online trauma counselling in Exeter can help

Intrusive memories

Support for flashbacks, nightmares and re-experiencing.

Hypervigilance

Help when your nervous system is stuck on high alert.

Numbness and avoidance

For when you cope by shutting down.

Trauma behind addiction

Healing the wound that drives the habit.

Sub-threshold trauma

Reaching the quieter, accumulated hurts.

Feeling safe again

Working always at a pace that is led by you.

Trauma Counselling in Exeter

Why people in Exeter come for trauma counselling

When a painful past experience keeps returning, the settled, get-on-with-things feel of a county city like Exeter can make you feel you should simply cope. But difficult memories do not fade on command, and carrying them alone is wearing. Trauma counselling offers a steady, confidential space to work through what happened gently, at a pace you set, with no expectation to explain before you are ready. Sessions are held online by secure video wherever you are in Exeter or the surrounding countryside; the consulting room itself is in Hove.

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 call

Finding support in Exeter

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Exeter, you can refer yourself directly to TALKWORKS, Devon's NHS Talking Therapies service for free NHS talking therapy, with no GP referral needed.

Private sessions with me usually mean you can start sooner and stay with the same counsellor throughout; I am glad to work alongside any NHS or GP support you already have.

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.

Exeter questions

Online Trauma Counselling in Exeter: common questions

Can I get online trauma counselling if I live in Exeter?

Yes. I work with people right across Exeter, from the cathedral quarter and the quay 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.

Do I have to describe what happened in detail?

No. Methods like the Human Givens Rewind let us process a memory without you reliving it or even speaking the detail aloud.

Is it safe to do trauma work online?

Yes, when it is paced carefully. We go slowly, keep you grounded, and you stay in control of what we approach and when.

What if I get overwhelmed during a session?

We build in ways to settle and pause, and never move faster than feels safe. Being in your own space online can make that easier.

I'm a student at Exeter carrying something difficult. Can we meet online privately?

Yes. Online sessions fit around lectures and can be taken from your accommodation, at a pace you set and never rushed. Trauma work moves only as fast as you want. We meet by secure video; the room is in Hove.

How do I start trauma counselling online from Exeter?

Trauma counselling for Exeter is provided online, so support is not delayed by long rural journeys. After a free 15-minute consultation we agree a gentle pace, and secure video sessions can usually begin within a week or so. The consulting room is in Hove; Exeter is served by video.

What are the fees for trauma counselling, and how does the NHS compare in Exeter?

NHS trauma support in Exeter comes through TALKWORKS and is free, though the wait can be difficult. Privately, I charge £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for 120, with a free 15-minute consultation. The longer sessions often suit careful trauma work.

Is online right for trauma, and can Exeter clients have evening times?

For trauma, many Exeter clients prefer staying in a familiar, private room rather than travelling. We work by secure video at a pace you set, with evening slots where possible. In-person appointments are only for those able to reach Hove on the Sussex coast.

I'm a student at the University of Exeter. Can we work together online?

Yes. Online sessions fit around lectures and deadlines and can be taken from your accommodation without travelling across the city. The counselling room is in Hove, so we would meet by secure video wherever you are in Exeter.

I work at the Met Office or the hospital and keep irregular hours. Does that fit?

It does. Online sessions can be arranged around shifts and long days, so you are not tied to a set commute. We meet by secure video; the room is in Hove, meaning Exeter is served online rather than in person.

Online Trauma Counselling in Exeter, 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: Plymouth, Torquay, Taunton. See all of South West.

All counselling & therapy in Exeter: Addiction · Substance Use · Drinking Problems · Anxiety · Depression · Relationship · Counselling & Therapy · Psychotherapy.

Closer to the Sussex coast? The same trauma counselling is available in person in Brighton & Hove, or see all in-person areas.