We aim to provide you with counselling at a day and time to suit you
There are 2 ways to request counselling
We will send you one of our counselling packs, if you've contacted our office directly and not via online we will also send you a short form to complete and return to us.
We will then contact you to arrange an initial appointment.
We aim to see you within 2 weeks of receiving your application. This appointment will be made for you to meet a senior member of the counselling team. This will be like a counselling session, you will have time to talk and explain what your needs are. The terms of counselling will be explained more fully and you will have the opportunity to ask questions.
A counselling session lasts for 50 minutes. How many sessions you require will depend largely on the presenting issues. You will be offered up to 12 sessions, within which you and your counsellor will review the work from time to time. You are free to discuss terminating your counselling at any point with your counsellor or a member or staff.
All our counsellors are qualified to a minimum of Diploma level or are in the final Diploma year of training. Senior counsellors are working towards accreditation with The British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and are here at HELP Counselling Services voluntarily. HELP Counselling Services is a member organisation of the BACP and follows its Ethical Framework.
Our aim is to provide you with counselling at a day and time that works for you. Our counsellors are here Monday to Friday, within the hours of 8:30am to 8:30pm. Your appointment will always be at the same time each week.
Following your initial assessment there will be a waiting period before you get your first counselling session. This can be cut down, depending on what preferences you gave for your availability. It is our aim to get you into counselling within twelve weeks from the time you first contacted the agency. During this wait the office staff, who are trained counsellors, are available to you for support.
The relationship between counsellor and client is unique and outside the family circle and friendships. It is based on the development of trust and confidentiality, and the ability and skill of the counsellor to listen and reflect. It aims to help you, the client towards making your own decisions and working through fears, stresses and anxieties that may be troubling you. Within counselling you will be encouraged to talk and the counsellor will listen, giving prompts if you get stuck and helping you look at your problem from different angles and depths. The aim is to help you find ways to explore, understand and cope better with your situation.
It is essential that you feel safe within counselling. Your counsellor is bound by The Ethical Framework laid down by The BACP and will not disclose any information about your work together. The exception is in the most serious cases, where we believe you or another person is at serious risk of harm. In these very rare instances, our aim is to provide as much support as is possible.
All counsellors take part in supervision which ensures the safety of the work and acts as professional mentorship. Initial notes are taken and your counsellor may take ongoing notes, for the use of your work together and for educational clinical work. Your privacy will be respected by using a carefully disguised form as well as storing them safely and securely.
You, your counsellor and the office team share the responsibility for making your agreement work.
You are required to give reasonable notice if you are unable to attend an appointment. If an emergency arises on the day of your appointment you should inform the office at the earliest possible time. The office will inform your counsellor of the cancellation
Your counsellor will keep the office informed of any changes to appointments they agree with you and will give the office sufficient notice of cancelling an appointment in order that you may be contacted.
You and the counsellor will be responsible for telling each other about holidays or anything else that will cause a break in appointments. At your last session before a break it will be the counsellors responsibility to confirm your first appointment after the break. Your counsellor will inform the office of breaks in appointments.
If you do not attend an appointment without giving notice of cancellation, you will be contacted, seeking confirmation that you will keep your next appointment. If you do not wish to continue with counselling, the office will offer a last appointment with your counsellor to bring counselling to a conclusion. If there is no response a final letter will be sent, formally ending your agreement with us.
HELP Counselling Services is a low cost service. We ask every client for a donation towards the cost of Counselling. Each session costs the service £40 and every penny you donate goes straight back into the charity.
If you are unable to regularly afford the minimum donation of £5 per session, please talk to your counsellor in your initial appointment. No one is turned away, because of lack of financial resources.
As a gentle guide we recommend:
| Family Income under £15,000 per year | £5 per session |
| Family Income £15,000 to £20,000 per year | £5 to £10 per session |
| Family Income £20,000 to £30,000 per year | £10 to £15 per session |
| Family Income £30,000 to £40,000 per year | £15 to £25 per session |
| Family Income £40,000 + | £25 to £50 per session |
