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
- NHS drug & alcohol service finder (see below)
- Format
- In person at my private Hove room, or by secure video UK-wide.
Life in Brighton
Why do people in Brighton reach out?
Drug use in Brighton is rarely tucked away. It sits inside the ordinary rhythm of a Friday in Hanover or a late gathering in a Round Hill flat, and for a long stretch it can look like nothing more than the way this city enjoys itself. What shifts quietly is the frequency. A weekend thing spreads into a Wednesday, then into the hours before work. When plenty of people around you use something too, there is little to measure yourself against and almost no honest conversation to be had. Shared houses off London Road make privacy thin. You may be functioning perfectly well, holding down a job and paying the rent, while the thing you would least like to explain has become the fixed point of your week.
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
Official figures for Brighton, for context rather than as a description of you.
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).
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).
Reviewed June 2026.
What is substance use counselling, in practice?
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 does not change with the postcode, so rather than repeat it on every page you can read it in full, the methods and what each session covers, on the substance use counselling page, alongside session lengths and fees and how to check my registration.
How do sessions work, 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.
The counselling takes place in Hove, a quarter of an hour or so west of the centre by bus or car along the seafront, and quicker again by train from Brighton. Nobody is asked to arrive sober or to stop before the first appointment. If travelling on a difficult day is more than you want to manage, secure video works just as well, and plenty of people mix the two according to how the week has gone.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
Which difficulties does substance use counselling address?
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
This is drug-focused work, and it starts from where you actually are rather than where you think you should be. Cocaine, ketamine, cannabis, prescription tablets bought outside a prescription, stimulants used to get through a shift: the substance matters less than the job it has been doing. You will not be asked to commit to stopping in order to be seen, and you will not be lectured. What we look at instead is the pattern around use, what it takes the edge off, what it costs, and what would have to be in place before change felt survivable rather than punishing. Around 7.6 adults per 1,000 were in treatment at specialist drug-misuse services here in 2020/21, above the England average of 4.5, so the local picture is not unusual. For prescribing, testing and structured treatment, the NHS 'find a service' directory is the route worth knowing.
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.
If you drink heavily or use drugs daily, do not stop suddenly on your own. Withdrawal can cause seizures and can be dangerous. Speak to your GP or a local drug and alcohol service first, and they can arrange a safe, medically supported withdrawal. Counselling works alongside that, not instead of it.
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.
Do I have to have stopped using before I book a session?
No. Turning up while still using is normal and expected, and there is no sobriety test at the door. Being honest about what you took and when is far more useful than presenting a tidy version. The only ask is that you are able to talk and take things in.
Will you tell my GP or anyone else what I use?
Not without your agreement. Counselling is confidential, and the limits to that, which concern serious risk to life, are explained in the first session so nothing is a surprise. Notes are minimal and kept securely. Many people never involve their GP at all.
Is this the same as the NHS drug service, or something different?
Different, and complementary. Structured treatment through the NHS 'find a service' directory can offer prescribing, testing and medical oversight, none of which counselling does. What happens in the Hove room is the talking side: why use started, what keeps it going, and what changes.
I live in a shared house near Preston Circus. How do I keep this private?
Coming to Hove in person solves it neatly, since nothing about the appointment happens where you live. Where video is easier, people sit in a car, take the session outdoors with headphones, or book a daytime hour when the house is empty. Both options stay open.
What are the fees for drug counselling?
A first 15-minute conversation is free and carries no obligation. Sessions after that are £80 / 60 min, £100 / 90 min and £120 / 120 min, paid one at a time. Longer appointments suit weeks where a lot has happened and an hour would feel rushed.
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.
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.
Related work in Brighton: addiction counselling, counselling for drinking problems and anxiety counselling.
If you would like to read more first, I have written about calming a craving as it rises and once an addict, always an addict?.
Prefer to meet remotely? The same substance use counselling is available online by secure video across the UK, or see online counselling by region.