Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Substance Use Counselling · Shoreham-by-Sea
Substance Use Counselling in Shoreham-by-Sea
Substance Use Counselling for Shoreham-by-Sea and the surrounding area, in person or online. Shoreham-by-Sea, on the river Adur, is known for its houseboats, beach, airport and lively high street. 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 Shoreham-by-Sea
Substance Use Counselling for Shoreham-by-Sea, at a glance
- Known for
- Shoreham Beach, the houseboats, the Adur ferry footbridge and Shoreham Airport
- Area
- Adur & Worthing, East/West Sussex
- Getting to the Hove room
- From Shoreham the coast road or a short train ride brings you east through Southwick and Portslade to Hove in around fifteen to twenty minutes.
- Local NHS / support route
- West Sussex County Council's drug and alcohol support
- Format
- In person at my private Hove room, or by secure video UK-wide.
Life in Shoreham-by-Sea
What is going on for people in Shoreham-by-Sea?
Drug use around here does not look like anything in particular. Some of it is functional, keeping a body going through hours that do not suit it, and some of it is social, attached to weekends that stretch further than they used to. Cocaine is the one people most often describe as ordinary. Cannabis is the one they describe as necessary, usually for sleep. Around Southlands and Kingston Buci and out on the beach side it happens indoors, quietly, in houses that look no different from their neighbours. The gap between how normal it feels and how difficult it is becoming is where most people get stuck.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham BeachEast StreetThe High StreetRopetackleOld ShorehamSouthlandsKingston Buci
Wherever you are in Shoreham-by-Sea, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Shoreham-by-Sea
Official figures for Shoreham-by-Sea, for context rather than as a description of you.
3 adults per 1,000 were in treatment at specialist drug-misuse services in 2020/21, below 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 3.9 per 100,000 in 2022 - 24, below the England average of 5.8 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Deaths from drug misuse (2022 - 24).
Reviewed June 2026.
What actually happens in substance use counselling?
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 method travels; only the geography changes. everything on substance use counselling explains it properly, session lengths and fees answers the practical questions, and my BACP registration shows how the practice is held to account.
What does a session actually involve?
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 Hove room is a fifteen to twenty minute run east, or a couple of stops by train, so in-person work is genuinely practical from this side of the county. Some people want that separation from home; others need an appointment that leaves no trace in a shared house, and secure video does that. The hour is the same, and mixing the two is fine.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
What can substance use counselling in Shoreham-by-Sea help with?
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 Shoreham-by-Sea
Why people in Shoreham-by-Sea come for substance use counselling
You will not be asked to stop before you are allowed to start. Coming while you are still using is normal, and being uncertain about whether you want to change is not a reason to stay away. What we do is look properly at what the drug handles for you, whether that is exhaustion from the hours you keep, anxiety, boredom, or something you have never said out loud. Then at what it takes: money, mornings, memory, and the friendships that quietly narrowed. No advice on cutting down or coming off is given here, because that belongs with medical people. In 2020/21, 3 adults per 1,000 in West Sussex were in specialist drug treatment, below the England average of 4.5. West Sussex County Council's drug and alcohol support and DAWN, the wellbeing network Change Grow Live runs in the county, are where that sits, with the Sussex Mental Healthline available overnight.
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 Shoreham-by-Sea
My counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Shoreham-by-Sea, free local drug and alcohol support is available through West Sussex County Council's drug and alcohol support.
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.
Shoreham-by-Sea questions
Substance Use Counselling in Shoreham-by-Sea: common questions
Where do Shoreham-by-Sea sessions take place, and can I meet online instead?
In a private room at Intergen House on Western Road in central Hove. From Shoreham the coast road or a short train ride brings you east through Southwick and Portslade to Hove in around fifteen to twenty minutes. Every service is also available by secure video across the UK, so you can meet from any private space in Shoreham-by-Sea or blend the two.
Will you report my drug use to anyone?
No. This is private and confidential work and nothing goes to your GP, your employer or the council without your agreement. The single exception is the standard one about serious risk to life, which any BACP counsellor holds and which would be discussed with you.
What are the fees and can I stop whenever?
You can stop whenever you like; there is no contract and no block to buy. Sessions are £80 an hour, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for two hours. The 15-minute consultation at the outset is free of charge. It is a short call and it commits you to nothing at all.
Should I use DAWN instead of counselling?
It is not either or. DAWN, the West Sussex drug and alcohol wellbeing network provided by Change Grow Live, offers specialist support and anything medical, while counselling works on what sits underneath. A lot of people have both running at once.
Can we meet in person if I would rather not do this at home?
Yes, and that is a good reason to choose it. A short journey east puts you in a room where the conversation cannot be overheard and cannot be interrupted by anyone in your household. Weekly in-person slots are available alongside video ones.
My use is tied to the hours I work. Does that change anything?
It changes what the work focuses on. When a substance is holding up a body against an unnatural schedule, willpower is not really the issue, so we look at what else could do that job and at what the current arrangement is quietly costing you.
Will this be confidential in a close town like Shoreham?
Completely. Sessions are held in central Hove away from Shoreham, with no shared waiting area, and online is an option too. Nothing is shared without your consent, under the BACP framework.
Is the train from Shoreham to Hove handy for substance use counselling?
Yes. Shoreham-by-Sea Station is on the main coastal line, with direct trains east through Portslade to Hove in a few minutes and a short walk to Western Road. The coast road is just as easy. Start with a free fifteen-minute call on 07914 681995 or online.
Free or paid for substance use support in Shoreham?
Both. In West Sussex you can self-refer to Change Grow Live for free substance help with no GP needed. Privately, fees are £80 for sixty minutes, £100 for ninety and £120 for two hours after a free call, and the two can run alongside each other.
Do you offer evening or online substance use sessions for Shoreham?
Yes. With a quick train or coast road to Hove, coming in is easy, and evening appointments help around work. Secure video is equally available if you prefer home, and you can move between in-person and online as the weeks fall.
Substance Use Counselling in Shoreham-by-Sea, 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: Southwick, Lancing, Portslade. See all areas I cover.
Related work in Shoreham-by-Sea: addiction counselling, counselling for drinking problems and anxiety counselling.
You may also find it useful to read 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.