Online Counselling for Drinking Problems · Manchester

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Manchester

Online counselling for drinking problems for Manchester, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Manchester — from the city centre and the Northern Quarter to the streets around the canals — 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 Manchester

Counselling for Drinking Problems for Manchester, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Manchester: from the city centre and the Northern Quarter to Didsbury, Rusholme, Chorlton and Wythenshawe
Known for
The canals, the music venues and the two universities
Region
North West (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 Manchester

Why people in Manchester reach out

Manchester moves at speed, a young, creative, fast-growing city of music, sport and tech, and that energy can be as exhausting as it is exciting. Soaring rents, long hours and the loneliness that can hide inside a busy city all take a toll, and finding time and privacy for yourself is hard.

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

Manchester is home to the University of Manchester, one of the UK's largest single-site universities, and to Manchester Royal Infirmary.

The local picture

The local picture in Manchester

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

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

Manchester questions

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Manchester: common questions

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

Yes. I work with people right across Manchester, from the city centre and the Northern Quarter outwards, and anywhere else in North West, 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 Manchester, 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 North West: Bolton, Stockport, Oldham. See all of North West.

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