Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Online Substance Use Counselling · Chester
Online Substance Use Counselling in Chester
Online substance use counselling for Chester, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Chester — from the Rows and the walls to the streets around the river Dee — with the same BACP-registered, confidential support as an in-person session, and no journey.
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you
In and around Chester
Substance Use Counselling for Chester, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Chester: from the Rows and the walls to Hoole, Boughton and Blacon
- Known for
- The city walls, the Rows and the river Dee
- 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 Chester
Why people in Chester reach out
Chester's Roman walls and prosperous image draw visitors all year, but the polished surface can make personal struggle feel out of place, and the city holds real contrasts of wealth and hardship. The pressure to keep up appearances in a smart, sociable city can leave people slow to reach out.
Beneath a calm, historic surface, struggle can be hard to voice; a confidential online hour asks nothing of appearances.
Chester is home to the University of Chester, the Countess of Chester Hospital, and Chester Zoo, one of the UK's most visited attractions and a major local employer.
The local picture
The local picture in Chester
These figures are local context from official sources — not a description of you — but they show the scale of what people in and around Chester are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of deaths from drug misuse was 5 per 100,000 in 2022 - 24, below the England average of 5.8 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Deaths from drug misuse (2022 - 24).
4.3 adults per 1,000 were in treatment at specialist drug-misuse services in 2020/21, below the England average of 4.5 per 1,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Adults in treatment at specialist drug misuse services (2020/21).
Local data last reviewed June 2026. Each figure shows the year and links to the official source it was read on.
The substance use counselling itself
Substance use counselling here is non-judgemental and one-to-one, working with the pain, fear or loneliness the substance has been managing, at a pace that protects your sense of safety.
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 substance use 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 callWhat I help with
How online substance use counselling in Chester can help
The false self
Letting go of the protective self that no longer serves you.
Specialised attention
One-to-one sessions shaped entirely around you.
Self-discovery
Rediscovering the authentic self beneath the coping.
Anxiety and low mood
Treating what the substance has been masking.
Sustainable change
Growing into recovery rather than forcing it.
Drug, alcohol & addiction support in Chester
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Chester, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Cheshire West and Chester Council's drug and alcohol services.
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.
Chester questions
Online Substance Use Counselling in Chester: common questions
Can I get online substance use counselling if I live in Chester?
Yes. I work with people right across Chester, from the Rows and the walls 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.
Can I get support while I'm still using?
Yes. This is non-judgemental, one-to-one work that meets you where you are, and it can run alongside any medical or detox support you have.
How is this different from a group or 12-step programme?
It is individual and shaped entirely around you. Some people use it instead of groups, others alongside them.
Will you tell my GP or employer?
No. What you share is confidential within the BACP framework; nothing goes to anyone else without your consent.
Online Substance Use Counselling in Chester, 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: Warrington, Liverpool, Crewe. See all of North West.
Other online support from Chester: Addiction, Drinking, Anxiety, Depression, Relationship, Trauma.