Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Substance Use Counselling · Portslade
Substance Use Counselling in Portslade
Substance Use Counselling for Portslade and the surrounding area, in person or online. Portslade, just west of Hove, blends the historic Old Village with Portslade-by-Sea and the harbour. 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 Portslade
Substance Use Counselling for Portslade, at a glance
- Known for
- Portslade Old Village, the harbour and Victoria Recreation Ground
- Area
- Brighton & Hove, East/West Sussex
- Getting to the Hove room
- Portslade is a short hop east along New Church Road or the coast road, around ten minutes by car or bus, or two stops on the train to Hove.
- 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.
Portslade adjoins Shoreham Port, a working harbour on the Portslade and Southwick coast with long-established quayside industry.
Life in Portslade
Substance Use Counselling for people in Portslade
Portslade holds two characters in one place. Up the hill, the Old Village keeps its flint cottages, the ancient church and the manor, while down towards the sea Portslade-by-Sea runs along the working edge of Shoreham Harbour. Mile Oak and Southern Cross fill in between, and Victoria Recreation Ground gives families a green heart to the town. It is a practical, down-to-earth community where people get on with things, and where reaching out for help is not always easy to talk about. A quiet, confidential counselling room a short way east in Hove keeps things private, and for those who would rather not travel at all, online sessions work just as well from home.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Portslade
Portslade Old VillagePortslade-by-SeaMile OakSouthern CrossBoundary RoadStation RoadAldringtonVictoria Recreation Ground area
Wherever you are in Portslade, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Portslade
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Portslade 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.
Portslade sits just west of Hove, so the room is close. The coast road and New Church Road lead east into central Hove in around ten minutes by car or bus, and the train from Portslade Station reaches Hove in a couple of stops, with a short walk on to Western Road at the other end. Online video sessions are always an option if getting across is difficult.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How substance use counselling in Portslade 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 Portslade
Why people in Portslade come for substance use counselling
Around Portslade's harbour and terraces, substance use can run alongside shift work and a get-on-with-it culture that does not always leave room to ask for help. Substance use counselling here is down-to-earth and one-to-one, working with what the drugs have been managing rather than judging the using. Because Hove is only minutes east along the coast, this is help close to home, and online sessions bend around unsociable hours when getting to Western Road does not fit the week.
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 Portslade
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 “Portslade”).
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.
Portslade questions
Substance Use Counselling in Portslade: common questions
Where do Portslade sessions take place, and can I meet online instead?
In a private room at Intergen House on Western Road in central Hove. Portslade is a short hop east along New Church Road or the coast road, around ten minutes by car or bus, or two stops on the train to Hove. Every service is also available by secure video across the UK, so you can meet from any private space in Portslade 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.
Can sessions fit around shift work?
Yes. I offer some flexibility on timing, and online sessions in particular can work around shifts and unsociable hours, so support fits your week rather than the other way round.
Is Portslade Station handy for substance use counselling in Hove?
Yes. Portslade Station is a couple of stops from Hove on the same line, a few minutes away, then a short walk or bus to Western Road. Buses along New Church Road are just as easy. Begin with a free fifteen-minute call on 07914 681995 or online.
Paid or free for substance use support in Portslade?
Both are open to you. Pavilions offers free NHS-commissioned substance help across Brighton and Hove with self-referral. Privately, I charge £80 for sixty minutes, £100 for ninety and £120 for two hours after a free call, and the two approaches can run together.
Do you offer evening or online substance use sessions for Portslade?
Yes. Portslade is minutes from the Hove room, so coming in is straightforward, and evening slots ease the fit around work. If travelling across feels hard, secure video works just as well, and you can move between in-person and online freely.
Is Portslade Station handy for getting to the Hove room?
Yes. Portslade Station is on the same line as Hove, just a couple of stops east, and the journey takes only a few minutes. From Hove Station it is a short walk or bus to Western Road. Buses along New Church Road are another easy option, and online sessions are there too.
Substance Use Counselling in Portslade, 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, Southwick, Hangleton. See all areas I cover.
All counselling & therapy in Portslade: 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.