Online Counselling for Drinking Problems · Reading

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Reading

Online counselling for drinking problems for Reading, by secure video, wherever you are. The hardest part is often just starting. Online counselling for drinking problems keeps that first step small for people in Reading: a private hour from your own space, with no journey and nobody to bump into.

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
Online counselling for drinking problems by secure video for clients in Reading

Counselling for Drinking Problems for Reading, without the journey

From the heart of Reading, near the Thames, the Oracle and the Kennet, out to its edges, from the centre and the university quarter to Caversham, Tilehurst and Earley, online sessions make it possible to get the right support without rearranging your whole day around a single appointment.

Hove is where my room is, but the support is not tied to Sussex. Over a secure link I work with people in Reading and far beyond, with the same depth and confidentiality as meeting face to face.

I also work online with people elsewhere in London & South East, including Slough, Oxford, Basingstoke.

If you would still prefer to meet in person and can travel to the Sussex coast, you are welcome to, but for most clients in Reading online counselling for drinking problems is the natural and effective choice.

Life in Reading

Why people in Reading reach out

Reading sits at the heart of the Thames Valley tech corridor, and with that comes a particular kind of pressure: demanding jobs, a long daily commute into London or along the M4, and a cost of living that keeps the foot on the accelerator. It is easy here for the days to blur together and for stress to harden quietly into something heavier.

Student and academic life can be intense and surprisingly lonely, even surrounded by people your own age. Working online keeps support steady through term and vacation alike, wherever you are.

What I help with

How online counselling for drinking problems 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.

Why online works in Reading

Why people in Reading choose online counselling

Around terms and deadlines

Sessions flex around the academic calendar and shift work, so support holds steady through the busiest weeks.

Gentle when leaving home is hard

If anxiety, low mood or avoidance make leaving the house feel like too much right now, starting online from Reading can be the gentlest possible way in.

Less time lost from work

An online hour rarely costs you a half-day, which is what makes regular sessions realistic for busy lives in Reading.

Support that travels

If you move, travel for work or split your time between places, online counselling carries on uninterrupted wherever you happen to be.

A calm space for online counselling for drinking problems in Reading

How online sessions work

Once the practical side is sorted, this is what the work looks like. In our sessions we take an integrative approach, viewing your difficulties from an existential and humanistic perspective. Because you are the one who knows yourself best, my role is to walk alongside you as you build genuine alternatives to drinking.

Sessions run over a secure video link. All you need is a private space where you won't be interrupted, a laptop, tablet or phone, and a reasonable connection. We begin with a free fifteen-minute call, then I send a simple link you click at the agreed time.

Read more about online counselling, about counselling for drinking problems, or about my methods, sessions and fees.

Start the conversation

Finding support in Reading

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally, and it can be worth knowing what else is there. In Reading, you can refer yourself directly to NHS Talking Therapies Berkshire for free NHS talking therapy, with no GP referral needed. You can also find your nearest service through the NHS Talking Therapies finder.

Private sessions with me usually mean you can start sooner, stay with the same counsellor throughout, and work at greater depth and pace; the two can run side by side, and I'm glad to work alongside any NHS or GP support you already have.

If you need urgent help now

This practice is not a crisis service. If you or someone else 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.

Reading questions

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Reading: common questions

Can I have online counselling for drinking problems if I live in Reading?

Absolutely. Reading is well within reach, because we meet by secure video rather than in person. You'll get exactly the same specialist support as someone sitting in my Hove room.

How does online counselling for drinking problems work from Reading?

We meet over a secure, private video link at a time that suits you. You'll need a quiet space, a device with a camera and a steady connection. We always begin with a free fifteen-minute call so you can ask questions and check the fit.

Does online therapy really work?

Online and in-person therapy are similarly effective for most people, and clients usually settle quickly once the screen fades into the background and the conversation takes over.

Is online counselling private and confidential?

Yes. Sessions run on a secure, encrypted video link, and everything we discuss is held to the same strict BACP confidentiality as work done in person. All you need at your end is a private space.

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Reading, whenever you are ready

The simplest first step from Reading is a free fifteen-minute call. There's no obligation, just a chance to ask anything and see how it feels.