Trauma Counselling · Lewes

Trauma Counselling in Lewes

Trauma Counselling for Lewes and the surrounding area, in person or online. Lewes, the historic county town of East Sussex, is famous for its castle, steep twittens, Harveys Brewery and Bonfire night. From my room in nearby Hove I offer a calm, confidential space to do this work.

In person in HoveOnline tooFree 15-min consultation
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
Bradley Riddell, BACP-registered counsellor near Lewes at his Hove room, introducing his approach to trauma counselling
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you

In and around Lewes

Trauma Counselling for Lewes, at a glance

Known for
Lewes Castle, the Harveys Brewery and the South Downs Way
Area
Lewes & Mid Sussex, East/West Sussex
Getting to the Hove room
From Lewes the office is around twenty minutes by car on the A27, or a short direct train to Brighton and on to Hove.
Local NHS / support route
Health in Mind, the East Sussex NHS Talking Therapies service
Format
In person at my private Hove room, or by secure video UK-wide.

Life in Lewes

What is going on for people in Lewes?

A town with a long memory can hold difficult personal history very quietly. People come for trauma counselling in Lewes after accidents on the A27, after childhood experiences never mentioned since, after assaults, medical emergencies, or work that involved repeated exposure to other people's worst days. The pattern that brings them in is familiar enough: sleep that will not go deep, a startle response set far too high, anger that arrives out of nowhere, and particular routes or dates carefully avoided. Living somewhere you are well known adds an extra layer, because keeping the whole thing invisible becomes a daily piece of work in itself.

Lewes CastleHarveys BreweryAnne of Cleves HouseLewes Priory

Areas covered

Neighbourhoods in and around Lewes

Cliffe High StreetSchool HillKeere StreetSouthoverThe WallandsLandportNevillSt Anne's

Wherever you are in Lewes, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.

The local picture

The local picture in Lewes

Official figures for Lewes, for context rather than as a description of you.

Reviewed June 2026.

What actually happens in trauma counselling?

Trauma counselling here is gentle and led by you, drawing on methods designed for trauma including the Human Givens Rewind Technique, so a difficult memory is returned to ordinary recall.

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 everything on trauma counselling, alongside how I work and my BACP registration.

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.

Trauma sessions happen in a private room in central Hove, twenty minutes along the A27 or a short train journey through Brighton, and equally by secure video. In this work the arrangements are part of the treatment, so the choice is genuinely yours and can change. A drive home gives some people the transition they need. Others would much rather close a laptop and already be in their own house.

Book a free 15-minute call

What I help with

What sort of things do people bring?

Intrusive memories

Support for flashbacks, nightmares and re-experiencing.

Hypervigilance

Help when your nervous system is stuck on high alert.

Numbness and avoidance

For when you cope by shutting down.

Trauma behind addiction

Healing the wound that drives the habit.

Sub-threshold trauma

Reaching the quieter, accumulated hurts.

Feeling safe again

Working always at a pace that is led by you.

Trauma Counselling in Lewes

Why people in Lewes come for trauma counselling

The most important thing to say first is that you will not be asked to describe what happened. There is no requirement to give an account, in the first session or any that follow. Work here draws on the Human Givens Rewind Technique, which addresses the way a memory is stored rather than its contents, so the details stay with you. Everything before that is preparation: steadying sleep, understanding your own reactions, and agreeing clearly how we pause or stop. You hold the pace throughout, and stopping is always available without any need to explain yourself. Emergency hospital admissions for self-harm in East Sussex reached 192.7 per 100,000 in 2023/24, far above the England average of 117 per 100,000. Health in Mind, the East Sussex NHS Talking Therapies service, offers a free route by self-referral, and the Sussex Mental Healthline is answered at any hour of the night.

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 call

Finding support in Lewes

My counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Lewes, you can refer yourself directly to Health in Mind, the East Sussex NHS Talking Therapies service for free NHS talking therapy, with no GP referral needed.

Seeing me privately usually means you can start sooner and stay with the same counsellor throughout, working at greater depth and pace; the two can run side by side, and I am glad to work alongside any NHS or GP support you already have.

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.

Lewes questions

Trauma Counselling in Lewes: common questions

Where do Lewes sessions take place, and can I meet online instead?

In a private room at Intergen House on Western Road in central Hove. From Lewes the office is around twenty minutes by car on the A27, or a short direct train to Brighton and on to Hove. Every service is also available by secure video across the UK, so you can meet from any private space in Lewes or blend the two.

Will you push me to talk about the worst part?

No. There is no pressure to disclose anything, and the pace is checked with you as we go rather than assumed. If a session starts to feel like too much, we stop or slow down. That is a normal part of the work, not a setback.

What do trauma sessions cost, and is the longer one worth the trip from Lewes?

The rate is £80 for sixty minutes, £100 for ninety and £120 for two hours. Given the journey from Lewes, some people prefer a longer session less often. A free 15-minute consultation comes first, with nothing to pay and no obligation to continue.

Does Health in Mind cover trauma?

It does. Health in Mind is the East Sussex NHS Talking Therapies service, takes self-referrals and includes trauma-focused therapy free of charge. With 24.1% of adults in the county reporting a high anxiety score in 2022/23, waits vary, so people often start privately alongside.

Would video sessions be safe enough for this?

They are, given a private room and an hour that will not be interrupted. A great deal of trauma work is done online. We would plan what happens immediately afterwards, since there is no journey home to provide that natural gap when you are already there.

It happened on a road I drive most days. Can that be worked on?

Yes, and it is a common situation where the same routes are unavoidable. Once the memory has been processed the road usually loses much of its charge. Until then we can agree, at your pace, how you want to handle driving it in the meantime.

Can trauma counselling be discreet coming from Lewes?

Yes. My room is over the Downs in central Hove, well away from Lewes, and you arrive straight to your session with no waiting room. Should you prefer not to travel, secure online sessions keep the work entirely private, always at your pace.

How do I book trauma counselling and travel to Hove from Lewes?

We begin with a free fifteen-minute call, with no need to share detail, then a first session. Frequent trains reach Brighton in about fifteen minutes, then a couple of stops to Hove, or the A27 takes twenty. If travelling feels too much, online video is always available.

What are your fees for trauma counselling, and what about NHS trauma support in Lewes?

Private sessions are £80 for sixty minutes, £100 for ninety and £120 for two hours, after a free consultation. You can self-refer to free NHS Talking Therapies for East Sussex; waits vary, and seeing me privately means gentle, sooner trauma work at a pace you set.

For trauma, in person in Hove or online from Lewes, and can we meet in the evening?

In a close community, some value a room set over the Downs for privacy, while others feel safer on video at home; both suit the gentle Rewind Technique. You lead the pace throughout, and evening and weekend slots keep sessions separate from town life.

Trauma Counselling in Lewes, 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: Newhaven, Ditchling, Brighton. See all areas I cover.

Close to this in Lewes, there is anxiety counselling, addiction counselling and psychotherapy.

Prefer to meet remotely? The same trauma counselling is available online by secure video across the UK, or see online counselling by region.