Online Addiction Counselling · Leicester

Online Addiction Counselling in Leicester

Online addiction counselling for Leicester, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Leicester — from the centre and the Cultural Quarter to the streets around the market — 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 Leicester

Addiction Counselling for Leicester, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Leicester: from the centre and the Cultural Quarter to Belgrave, Highfields and Clarendon Park
Known for
The market, the King Richard III centre and the universities
Region
Midlands (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 Leicester

Why people in Leicester reach out

Leicester is one of the most diverse cities in the country, a place of many communities living closely together. The pressures of city life, money, housing and the work of holding family and tradition alongside modern life, can build quietly, and privacy can matter all the more in close-knit communities.

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

Leicester is home to the University of Leicester and De Montfort University, and Leicester Royal Infirmary is one of the busiest emergency departments in the country.

The local picture

The local picture in Leicester

These figures are local context from official sources — not a description of you — but they show the scale of what people in and around Leicester 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 Leicester 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 Leicester

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Leicester, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Leicester City Council's alcohol and drugs 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.

Leicester questions

Online Addiction Counselling in Leicester: common questions

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

Yes. I work with people right across Leicester, from the centre and the Cultural Quarter outwards, and anywhere else in Midlands, 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 Leicester, 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 Midlands: Nottingham, Coventry, Derby. See all of Midlands.

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