Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Substance Use Counselling · Brighton
Substance Use Counselling in Brighton
Substance Use Counselling for Brighton and the surrounding area, in person or online. Brighton is the buzzing heart of the city, from the Lanes and North Laine to the seafront, the Palace Pier and the Royal Pavilion. From my room in nearby Hove I offer a calm, confidential space to do this work.
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you
In and around Brighton
Substance Use Counselling for Brighton, at a glance
- Known for
- The Lanes, North Laine, the Royal Pavilion and Preston Park
- Area
- Brighton & Hove, East/West Sussex
- Getting to the Hove room
- The counselling room is a short ride west from central Brighton along the seafront or Western Road, roughly ten to fifteen minutes by bus, taxi or car, and walkable from Brighton Station.
- Local NHS / support route
- Local council drug & alcohol service (see below)
- Format
- In person at my private Hove room, or by secure video UK-wide.
Brighton hosts the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton, the Royal Sussex County Hospital, and American Express's large European headquarters in the city centre.
Life in Brighton
Substance Use Counselling for people in Brighton
Brighton moves at its own pace, a city where the creative industries, the universities and the tourist crowds all overlap within a few busy streets. People pack the cafes around North Laine, drift between the independent shops of the Lanes, and gather on the pebbles whenever the weather turns. Behind that energy, though, the pressures are real: high rents, long hours in hospitality and the arts, and the particular loneliness a lively place can hide. Many who live here value somewhere calm and private to think, away from a scene where faces are quickly recognised. Sitting down with a counsellor a short way along the coast in Hove offers exactly that kind of discretion, whether you come in person or meet online from a flat near the seafront.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Brighton
North LaineThe LanesSeven DialsHanoverRound HillLondon RoadPreston CircusElm Grove
Wherever you are in Brighton, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Brighton
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Brighton are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of deaths from drug misuse was 11.1 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).
7.6 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 come from, 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.
Sessions in person or online
Sessions take place in a private, comfortable room at Intergen House on Western Road in central Hove, held to the strict BACP confidentiality you would expect. We begin with a free fifteen-minute call to check we are a good fit, and the same sessions are available by secure video if travelling is difficult or you would simply prefer it.
From central Brighton the Hove room is a straightforward journey west. The 1, 6 and 7 buses run along Western Road towards Palmeira Square, and a taxi or drive takes roughly ten to fifteen minutes along the seafront. Trains from Brighton Station reach Hove in a few minutes, leaving a short walk to Intergen House. When travelling in is awkward, the same sessions run online by secure video.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How substance use counselling in Brighton 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 Brighton
Why people in Brighton come for substance use counselling
In a city where a big night is almost part of the furniture, it can take a while to notice that substances have stopped being a choice and started being a crutch. Brighton's openness is one of its gifts, but it can also make it harder to admit you are struggling. Substance use counselling here is non-judgemental and one-to-one: we look at what the drugs have been managing, the anxiety, the comedown, the sense of not quite belonging, and find steadier ground. My room is in nearby Hove, with online sessions across the city too.
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 Brighton
My 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 “Brighton”).
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.
Brighton questions
Substance Use Counselling in Brighton: common questions
Where do Brighton sessions take place, and can I meet online instead?
In a private room at Intergen House on Western Road in central Hove. The counselling room is a short ride west from central Brighton along the seafront or Western Road, roughly ten to fifteen minutes by bus, taxi or car, and walkable from Brighton Station. Every service is also available by secure video across the UK, so you can meet from any private space in Brighton or blend the two.
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 this be confidential in a city where I might know people?
Completely. Sessions are private at my Hove room with no shared waiting area, and everything is held under the BACP framework. Many Brighton clients also choose online for an extra layer of privacy.
How do I arrange substance use counselling and reach Hove from Brighton?
The simplest first step is a free fifteen-minute call, booked online or on 07914 681995. From central Brighton the room on Western Road is ten to fifteen minutes by taxi along the seafront, or a short hop on the 1, 6 or 7 bus.
Are substance use sessions private, and what about free Brighton services?
Privately I charge £80 for sixty minutes, £100 for ninety and £120 for two hours; the first call is free. Alongside this, you can self-refer to Pavilions in Brighton and Hove without a GP, and the two can run together.
Is online substance use counselling as good as coming in from Brighton?
For most people, yes. Online video is just as confidential and effective, which suits busy Brighton lives, though the Hove room is only minutes away if you prefer face to face. Evening appointments help sessions fit around work in hospitality or the arts.
Is the Hove counselling room easy to reach from central Brighton?
Yes. It sits on Western Road, the same road that runs west out of the city centre, so the 1, 6 and 7 buses drop you close by and the train from Brighton Station takes only a few minutes to Hove. Prefer to stay put? Sessions also run online.
Will I bump into people I know if I come from Brighton?
The room is in central Hove, a short distance from the busiest Brighton streets, which many clients find reassuringly discreet. You arrive straight to your appointment with no waiting room. If you would still rather not travel, online video sessions keep things entirely private.
Substance Use Counselling in Brighton, 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 nearby: Hove, Kemp Town, Preston Park, Patcham. See all areas I cover.
All counselling & therapy in Brighton: Addiction · Drinking Problems · Anxiety · Depression · Relationship · Trauma · Counselling & Therapy · Psychotherapy.
Prefer to meet remotely? The same substance use counselling is available online by secure video across the UK, or see online counselling by region.