Why Choose Start Recovery | Specialist Addiction Counsellor Leeds | Mark Franklin

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If you are looking for private addiction counselling in Leeds, you have come to the right place. Start Recovery is a specialist, award-winning addiction counselling practice founded and led by Mark Franklin — a qualified addiction counsellor based in Adel, North Leeds (LS16), who has been working in addiction services since 2012.

This page explains why hundreds of people across Leeds and West Yorkshire have chosen Start Recovery for help with alcohol problems, drug misuse, ketamine use, gambling addiction, and other addictive behaviours — and why that choice has made a lasting difference to their lives.

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Specialist Addiction Counselling — Not General Therapy

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Start Recovery specialises exclusively in addiction. Not depression, not anxiety, not bereavement — addiction, in all its forms. That focus matters. Addiction is a complex, neurologically embedded condition that requires specialist knowledge, specialist training, and specialist experience to treat effectively.

When you work with Mark at Start Recovery, every session is built around your specific addiction, your triggers, your history, and your goals. There is no generalised talking therapy, no one-size-fits-all approach, and no waiting weeks to be seen by someone who treats addiction as one item on a long list of presentations.

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Lived Experience of Recovery

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Mark Franklin is in recovery from alcohol problems himself — and is proud of it. That personal experience is not incidental to the work; it is central to it.

There is no substitute for having lived through addiction — the shame, the secrecy, the failed attempts to stop, the impact on relationships, career, and self-worth. Mark brings that understanding to every client he works with, alongside his formal qualifications and clinical training. When a client senses that their counsellor genuinely understands what they are going through, the therapeutic relationship deepens, trust builds faster, and the work becomes more honest and more effective.

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Qualifications and Professional Experience

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Mark holds a Level 4 Diploma in Alcohol and Substance Misuse Counselling — the national benchmark qualification for practising addiction counsellors in the UK — alongside a BSc (Hons) 2:1. He has been working in addiction services since 2012, gaining experience across some of the most challenging environments in London and Leeds, including:

• Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) keyworker, Ealing, London

• Residential rehab and detox units, Yorkshire

• Psychiatric wards — primarily drug and alcohol-induced psychosis

• Secure units for male prisoners with severe mental health problems

He is also a published author of Sober Days: How to Train Your Earworm and Stop Drinking Alcohol, a BBC Radio Leeds guest specialist on addiction and ketamine misuse, and a qualified SMART Recovery group facilitator and Kundalini Yoga teacher.

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Award-Winning Practice

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Start Recovery has been recognised with multiple awards for the quality of its addiction counselling services in Leeds and West Yorkshire:

• Best Counselling Services — Leeds & West Yorkshire 2020 (Counselling Award)

• ThreeBestRated — Top 3 Addiction Counsellors Leeds 2021 and 2022

These awards are assessed independently and reflect the consistent standard of care delivered to clients across North Leeds and beyond.

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Clinical Supervision — Going Above and Beyond

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Mark works with a dedicated clinical supervisor who provides combined clinical and CPD supervision — covering both regular reflection on counselling techniques and client work, and keeping Mark current with the latest developments across neuroscience, neuropsychotherapy, and multidisciplinary counselling approaches.

This ongoing supervision structure ensures that every client benefits not just from Mark's experience and formal training, but from a continuous process of professional reflection and development that is built into the practice at Start Recovery — something that distinguishes a committed specialist practitioner from someone simply working in isolation.

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A Holistic, Evidence-Based Approach

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Mark's approach to addiction counselling draws on a range of evidence-based therapeutic models, tailored to each individual client:

• REBT (Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy) — challenging the irrational beliefs that drive addictive behaviour

• Motivational Interviewing — resolving ambivalence and building genuine commitment to change

• Neuropsychotherapy and neuroscience — helping clients understand the brain science behind their addiction

• Polyvagal Theory — regulating the nervous system's response to stress and craving

• Mindfulness and Breathwork — practical, body-based tools for managing urges in real time

• Shame and Trauma-informed practice — addressing the root causes that sustain addiction

Mark believes that people recover more fully and more durably when they remain in their own environment, supported by a consistent therapeutic relationship — rather than being removed from their lives for a period and then returned without ongoing support.

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Aftercare and Relapse Prevention

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If you or a loved one is coming out of a residential rehab or detox programme, an aftercare plan is not optional — it is essential. The period immediately following residential treatment is one of the highest-risk times for relapse, and having specialist support in place during that transition can make the difference between lasting recovery and returning to old patterns.

Start Recovery offers specialist addiction aftercare in Leeds for people leaving rehab or detox, providing continuity of support, relapse prevention planning, and the ongoing therapeutic relationship that protects long-term sobriety.

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What Clients Say

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Understandably, due to the discreet nature of addiction counselling, many clients prefer not to leave public reviews. Those who have felt comfortable doing so have left positive Google reviews here — and a selection of anonymous testimonials can be found on the homepage.

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Transparent Pricing

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• Initial consultation — £59 for 30 minutes

• Full sessions — £85 for 50 minutes

• Package rates — £425 for 6 sessions / £765 for 12 sessions

Initial consultations are typically available within two weeks of first contact. Mark aims to respond to all enquiries within 48 hours.

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Book an Initial Consultation

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Based at 10 Holt Ave, Adel, North Leeds, LS16 8DH. Serving clients across Leeds and West Yorkshire.

Get in touch here — or call 0113 328 0211.