Online Addiction Counselling · Cambridge

Online Addiction Counselling in Cambridge

Online addiction counselling for Cambridge, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Cambridge — from the colleges and the centre to the streets around the Backs — with the same BACP-registered, confidential support as an in-person session, and no journey.

Online across the UKSecure videoFree 15-min consultation
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
Bradley Riddell, counsellor in Brighton & Hove, introducing his approach to therapy
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you

In and around Cambridge

Addiction Counselling for Cambridge, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Cambridge: from the colleges and the centre to Mill Road, Cherry Hinton and Chesterton
Known for
The colleges, the Backs and the river Cam
Region
East of England (England)
Local NHS / support route
Local council drug & alcohol service (see below)
Format
Secure video, UK-wide. In-person also available on the Sussex coast.

Life in Cambridge

Why people in Cambridge reach out

Cambridge carries an extraordinary concentration of academic and professional high achievement, and with it some of the highest living costs in the country. The pressure to perform, whether you are a student, a researcher or working in its booming science and tech sector, can leave little room to admit you are struggling.

With the academic year setting a relentless pace, online sessions flex around terms, deadlines and shift work rather than fighting them.

Cambridge is home to the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke's Hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust); NHS mental health services are provided by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

The local picture

The local picture in Cambridge

These figures are local context from official sources — not a description of you — but they show the scale of what people in and around Cambridge are living with, and why local support matters.

Local data last reviewed June 2026. Each figure shows the year and links to the official source it was read on.

The addiction counselling itself

Addiction counselling here treats the pain beneath the habit, not just the symptom — alcohol, drugs, gambling, food or behavioural — so recovery is something you grow into rather than force.

The approach is the same wherever you live, 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 addiction counselling page and on how I work.

How online sessions work

Sessions run over a secure, encrypted video link held to the same strict BACP confidentiality as meeting in person. After a free fifteen-minute call to check we are a good fit, you join each session from any private space using a phone, tablet or laptop — no software to install, no waiting room and no journey at either end.

Book a free 15-minute call

What I help with

How online addiction counselling in Cambridge can help

Alcohol

For when drinking has stopped feeling like a choice.

Drugs and substances

Compassionate, confidential help with substance use.

Gambling

Breaking the cycle of compulsive gambling, guilt and debt.

Food and behavioural

Support for food and process addictions.

Affected by a loved one

Help for those living alongside someone's addiction.

The pain underneath

We treat the cause, not just the symptom.

Drug, alcohol & addiction support in Cambridge

My online 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 “Cambridge”).

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.

Cambridge questions

Online Addiction Counselling in Cambridge: common questions

Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Cambridge?

Yes. I work with people right across Cambridge, from the colleges and the centre outwards, and anywhere else in East of England, by secure video — no need to travel to Hove, and just as confidential as meeting in the room.

Do I have to be abstinent before we start?

No. We begin wherever you are. The work is about understanding the need the behaviour has been meeting, not passing a test first.

Can you help with gambling or behavioural addictions, not just substances?

Yes. The same approach applies to gambling, food and other compulsive behaviours, because we work with the underlying pattern rather than only the substance.

Is it really confidential if I'm worried about people finding out?

Completely. Sessions are private, online means no waiting room, and everything is held under the BACP Ethical Framework.

Online Addiction Counselling in Cambridge, 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 online across East of England: Peterborough, Norwich. See all of East of England.

Other online support from Cambridge: Substance Use, Drinking, Anxiety, Depression, Relationship, Trauma.