Online Counselling for Drinking Problems · Edinburgh

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Edinburgh

Online counselling for drinking problems for Edinburgh, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Edinburgh — from the Old Town and New Town to the streets around the castle — 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 Edinburgh

Counselling for Drinking Problems for Edinburgh, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Edinburgh: from the Old Town and New Town to Leith, Morningside and Portobello
Known for
The castle, Arthur's Seat and the Royal Mile
Region
Scotland (Scotland)
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 Edinburgh

Why people in Edinburgh reach out

Edinburgh balances a historic capital with a high-pressure professional, financial and festival life, and behind the elegant facades sit some of the highest living costs in Scotland. The intensity of work, study and the city's seasonal crowds can make it hard to find space for yourself.

Capital-city life is exhilarating and exhausting at once, with time and privacy always short; an hour that comes to you is often what makes therapy possible.

Home to the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (NHS Lothian), Edinburgh is also one of the UK's largest financial centres, which shapes a high-pressure professional and student population.

The local picture

The local picture in Edinburgh

These figures are local context from official sources — not a description of you — but they show the scale of what people in and around Edinburgh 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 counselling for drinking problems itself

Counselling for drinking problems here looks beneath the habit at what drives it — you do not need to have hit rock bottom to begin — and signposts medical, detox and peer support where useful.

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 counselling for drinking problems 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 counselling for drinking problems in Edinburgh can help

Daily or binge drinking

Support whatever your pattern looks like.

The cause, not the habit

Looking beneath the drinking to what drives it.

Anxiety and low mood

Working with what the alcohol has been managing.

Privacy at home

Sensitive support without anyone needing to know.

Signposting

Links to medical, detox and peer support where useful.

Without the anaesthetic

Reconnecting with the person beneath the drinking.

Drug, alcohol & addiction support in Edinburgh

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Edinburgh, your GP can refer you to local NHS-funded drug and alcohol services, and you can find your nearest one via the NHS “find a service” directory.

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 24 on 111 for urgent mental health support. Breathing Space is free on 0800 83 85 87, and the Samaritans are on 116 123.

Edinburgh questions

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Edinburgh: common questions

Can I get online counselling for drinking problems if I live in Edinburgh?

Yes. I work with people right across Edinburgh, from the Old Town and New Town outwards, and anywhere else in Scotland, by secure video — no need to travel to Hove, and just as confidential as meeting in the room.

Do I have to stop drinking completely to start?

No, and you do not need to have hit rock bottom. We look at the role drinking plays and find a steadier way forward at your pace.

Can you help me cut down rather than quit?

For many people moderation is a valid goal, and we will be honest together about what is realistic for you.

What if I've tried before and relapsed?

Relapse is part of many people's recovery, not a failure. We learn from it rather than start the count again from zero.

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Edinburgh, 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 Scotland: Glasgow, Dunfermline, Falkirk. See all of Scotland.

Other online support from Edinburgh: Addiction, Substance Use, Anxiety, Depression, Relationship, Trauma.