Primrose Lodge

Primrose Lodge | Private Addiction Rehab & Detox Clinic near Guildford, Surrey

18-Bed Residential Centre | Psychiatrist-Led Detox Planning | 12-Step & Therapeutic Community Programme | Family Support | 12 Months’ Aftercare for Eligible Clients

Set in the village of Worplesdon, just outside Guildford, Primrose Lodge is a 18-bedroom private rehab offering residential detox and addiction treatment for adults aged 18 and over.

Our centre is small, and that shapes everything about it. Fewer clients means therapists and support staff get to know each person well. Everyone who stays becomes part of a close therapeutic community, where recovery is shared, encouraged and worked on together. Primrose Lodge sits around 28 miles from central London, so it suits people who want to leave the pressures of city life behind without travelling far. Clients come from London, Surrey, the South East and across the UK.

Primrose Lodge is one of ten treatment centres run by UK Addiction Treatment (UKAT Group Limited), which together provide more than 250 residential beds across the UK.

Who is Primrose Lodge for?

Primrose Lodge helps adults who have reached the point where addiction is affecting their health, relationships, work or sense of self, and who are ready to commit to a structured residential programme. Many people arrive after trying to stop on their own. Others come because a family member or employer has raised concerns. Some aren’t yet sure whether inpatient treatment is right for them.

Addiction rarely exists on its own. Our team at Primrose Lodge works with people who also live with anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD and personality disorders, among other co-occurring conditions. This applies where the condition has been professionally diagnosed and is currently stable on medication.

To take part fully, clients need to be able to look after themselves and move around independently. Anyone with complex physical health needs, or who requires round-the-clock nursing, may be better supported elsewhere. The admissions team will always talk this through openly, and every client is assessed before admission.

What can Primrose Lodge help with?

Treatment covers both the physical grip of addiction and the emotional and behavioural patterns that keep it going. Primrose Lodge supports recovery from:

• Alcohol addiction: from heavy, problematic drinking to long-term physical dependency, with alcohol detox where needed.
• Illicit drug addiction: including cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, ketamine, cannabis, MDMA, GHB, amphetamines, methamphetamine and synthetic substances.
• Prescription drug addictions: such as benzodiazepines, opioid painkillers, codeine, sleeping tablets and stimulant medications, subject to medical assessment.
• Behavioural and process addictions: including gambling, sex and love addiction, compulsive spending and compulsive exercise.
• Codependencies: unhealthy relationship patterns that often develop alongside addiction.

How is detox managed?

For many clients, treatment starts with a medically managed detox. Before you arrive, Primrose Lodge’s psychiatrist-led clinical team reviews your medical history and substance use, then builds a withdrawal plan around you.

A nurse is on site Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and a doctor visits the centre every Thursday. The care team is on hand 24 hours a day to support you through withdrawal.

Detox is available for alcohol, opiates and opioids (including heroin, methadone and buprenorphine), cocaine and crack cocaine, benzodiazepines, ketamine, GHB/GBL, amphetamines and methamphetamine, Spice and other synthetic drugs, and prescription and over-the-counter medications. A nurse is on site Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and a doctor visits the centre every Thursday. The care team is on hand 24 hours a day to support you through withdrawal. Primrose Lodge does not provide 24-hour nursing or medical cover. That’s why the pre-admission assessment matters: it confirms the centre is a safe setting for your detox.

Detox is always completed within your stay. Some withdrawal regimes, especially from benzodiazepines or methadone, can take 28 days or more. Your recommended programme length takes this into account.

What does treatment involve day to day?

A stay at Primrose Lodge follow a full timetable. It is built around group process, 12-step work, one-to-one sessions, educational workshops and activities that support physical and emotional wellbeing.

Group therapy and the therapeutic community

Group therapy sits at the heart of the programme. Sharing experiences with peers from different backgrounds helps break the isolation that addiction creates. It also offers honest feedback and new perspectives. Seeing others make progress builds hope and belief that change is possible. Living and recovering alongside others helps clients rebuild social skills and trust that they can take home with them.

One-to-one counselling

Every client works with a therapist in regular individual sessions. These sessions give space to explore experiences that may feel too difficult to raise in a group, including past events, relationships, self-esteem, anxiety or low mood. You set the pace, and your therapist helps you understand the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that have fuelled your addiction.

The 12-step approach

The 12-step programme runs throughout treatment through step groups and Big Book studies. Three fellowship meetings (AA, NA and CA) are held on site each week. This lets clients build connections with mutual-aid groups they can keep attending after they leave.

Psychological therapies

Alongside 12-step work, therapists draw on a range of approaches matched to each client:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Motivational interviewing
• Psychodynamic, humanistic and person-centred counselling
• Relapse prevention planning

Workshops and holistic sessions

Workshops cover DBT skills, mindfulness, self-esteem, assertiveness, detox, cross-addiction and psychosocial skills, plus an educational session on understanding addiction and its solutions.  Wellbeing sessions may include yoga, a yoga-and-mindfulness class called Mindful Health, meditation, gong baths, art groups and fortnightly breathwork.

How long will I stay?

Various programme lengths are available; 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 week programmes are provided as well as a 10-day detox programme. One-week extensions are also offered where clinically appropriate. Longer stays give more time to address underlying causes and practise new ways of coping before returning home. The 4-week programme is the most popular choice.

The 90-day programme and the UKAT 90-Day Promise

Primrose Lodge also offers a 90-day residential programme, which comes with the UKAT 90-Day Promise. If you complete the programme and relapse within 30 days of leaving, UKAT will offer a further 28 days of residential treatment at no additional treatment cost. This is subject to eligibility terms and clinical assessment.

What is it like to stay at Primrose Lodge?

Days are shaped by routine, but there is also time to rest, reflect and connect with others.

• Comfortable lounges for TV evenings, board games and downtime
• Dedicated rooms for group and one-to-one therapy
• An on-site gym, available for up to an hour a day outside group times once you’ve completed your first week and received medical clearance
• Gardens and outdoor space, with daily group recovery walks
• Fortnightly Saturday outings to nearby attractions
• Home-cooked meals from the in-house chef, with dietary needs catered for
• Laundry facilities and a housekeeping team
• En-suite bedrooms with televisions for use outside therapy times available.

You can take a look around before you arrive with the 360° virtual tour.

How are families involved?

Addiction creates what Primrose Lodge calls a “parallel process”: partners, parents, children and friends are often caught in their own cycle of worry, conflict and exhaustion. Supporting them is part of supporting the client.

Through the family programme, loved ones can join a fortnightly online family group and a weekly in-house family session. These sessions help families separate the person from the illness, understand what drives addiction and learn how to respond if relapse happens. Weekly visits can be arranged after your first week, with your therapist’s agreement. Where relationships are particularly strained, a counsellor can guide a family conference before discharge, either in person or online. Families can also read our guide for families dealing with addiction.

What support is there after I leave?

Leaving residential care is a big step, and support continues long after discharge. Clients receive 12 months of free aftercare after graduating rehab, with a weekly in-person group at Primrose Lodge and a weekly online group. Former clients can also join the UKAT Alumni Network for life, staying connected with peers through check-ins, events and ongoing recovery support.

Regulation and accountability

Primrose Lodge is registered with and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England. As part of UKAT, the centre follows group-wide clinical governance, safeguarding and quality procedures.

How do I get started?

Making the first call is often the hardest part. When you contact Primrose Lodge, an admissions adviser will listen to what’s happening and explain your options. They will also talk you through costs and programme lengths, and arrange the clinical assessment that confirms whether the centre is right for you.

Admissions take place seven days a week, in slots at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Treatment can often begin within 24 to 48 hours of your first enquiry, depending on assessment, bed availability and your circumstances. You don’t need a GP referral to get in touch. Primrose Lodge accepts self-funding clients and can discuss private health insurance options with you. While phone use is limited during treatment, the team can arrange daytime calls to GPs, solicitors, courts, probation and social services where needed. To help you plan, there’s also a guide on how to prepare for rehab.

Speak to the Primrose Lodge team today. Every conversation is free and confidential, whether you’re asking for yourself or someone you love.

Telephone: 0203 985 9007
Email: help@primroselodge.com
Website: www.primroselodge.com | Contact us | Meet the team