Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Substance Use Counselling · Kemp Town
Substance Use Counselling in Kemp Town
Substance Use Counselling for Kemp Town and the surrounding area, in person or online. Kemp Town, on Brighton's eastern side, runs from St James's Street down to the Marina, with its Regency crescents and village atmosphere. 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 Kemp Town
Substance Use Counselling for Kemp Town, at a glance
- Known for
- St James's Street, Brighton Marina and the Kemp Town Enclosures
- Area
- Brighton & Hove, East/West Sussex
- Getting to the Hove room
- From Kemp Town the room is about fifteen to twenty minutes away, heading west along the seafront through Brighton into Hove by bus, taxi or car.
- 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.
Kemp Town is home to the Royal Sussex County Hospital on Eastern Road, the city's main acute NHS hospital and a large local employer.
Life in Kemp Town
Substance Use Counselling for people in Kemp Town
Kemp Town keeps a village feel on Brighton's eastern edge. St James's Street bustles with independent cafes, delis and a proudly open, inclusive community, while the grand Regency sweep of Sussex Square and Lewes Crescent leads down to the sea and the Enclosures. Nearby sit the Royal Sussex County Hospital and Queen's Park, and the Marina lies just beyond the cliff. It is a close-knit, characterful place where people often know one another, which can make privacy feel precious when you are going through something difficult. A confidential room a little further west in Hove gives that distance, somewhere you are unlikely to see a familiar face, and online sessions offer the same discretion from home.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Kemp Town
St James's StreetSussex SquareLewes CrescentQueen's ParkSt George's RoadMarine ParadeUpper Rock GardensBristol Estate
Wherever you are in Kemp Town, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Kemp Town
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Kemp Town 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 Kemp Town the journey west runs through the city and on into Hove. The 7 bus along the seafront and St James's Street heads towards Brighton centre, where you can change or continue by taxi to Western Road, roughly fifteen to twenty minutes in all. Driving follows the seafront the same way. When crossing town feels like too much, the same sessions are available online by secure video.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How substance use counselling in Kemp Town 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 Kemp Town
Why people in Kemp Town come for substance use counselling
Around St James's Street and the Kemp Town scene, drug use can be bound up with community, nightlife and identity in ways that make it complicated to untangle alone. Substance use counselling here is non-judgemental and one-to-one, holding your whole context, the scene, the relationships, the reasons the substance helped, without lecturing. It can sit alongside any sexual-health or peer support you use. My Hove room is a ride west across Brighton, and online sessions keep the work private and close.
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 Kemp Town
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 “Kemp Town”).
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.
Kemp Town questions
Substance Use Counselling in Kemp Town: common questions
Where do Kemp Town sessions take place, and can I meet online instead?
In a private room at Intergen House on Western Road in central Hove. From Kemp Town the room is about fifteen to twenty minutes away, heading west along the seafront through Brighton into Hove by bus, taxi or car. Every service is also available by secure video across the UK, so you can meet from any private space in Kemp Town 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.
Do you understand chemsex or scene-related substance use?
Yes, and without judgement. We work with the substance in the context of your life and relationships, at your pace, and it can run alongside any medical or community support you already have.
Is the cross-city journey from Kemp Town to Hove manageable for sessions?
Yes. The seafront route west through Brighton into Hove takes fifteen to twenty minutes by the 7 bus, taxi or car, ending near Western Road. If crossing town feels like too much on a given week, we can meet online instead. Start with a free fifteen-minute call.
How does paying privately compare with free substance services in Kemp Town?
Free NHS-commissioned help is available through Pavilions, which covers Kemp Town as part of Brighton and Hove and takes self-referrals. Privately I charge £80 for sixty minutes, £100 for ninety and £120 for two hours after a free call, and both can run together.
Do you offer evening or online substance use counselling for Kemp Town?
Yes. With the Royal Sussex and a close-knit village feel nearby, many Kemp Town clients like the privacy of online video, though the Hove room is a short ride west. Evening appointments are available, and mixing in-person and online is entirely fine.
How long does it take to reach the Hove room from Kemp Town?
Allow around fifteen to twenty minutes. The seafront route west through Brighton into Hove is the simplest by bus, taxi or car, with the 7 bus running along St James's Street towards the centre. If the cross-city trip feels like too much on a given week, we can meet online instead.
Substance Use Counselling in Kemp Town, 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: Brighton, Woodingdean, Rottingdean. See all areas I cover.
All counselling & therapy in Kemp Town: 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.