What is counselling?
Counselling involves a trained professional listening to you as you talk about your situation. They listen actively, impartially and without judgement to your situation, and help you explore what has happened and how it has impacted on your life. Counselling can help you to become more self-aware, clarify your thoughts and feelings and make beneficial, informed choices and decisions.
Your counsellor create a safe space for you to share your problems and any emotional pain. They will support you to explore other possible sources of help, should that be necessary and/or appropriate.
How can I access counselling?
Your support worker may suggest counselling to you or you can ask them about counselling yourself. To come to the decision that counselling is appropriate for you at that time, your support worker will discuss counselling with you, giving you a chance to explore what counselling is and what it isn’t. This process can really help with managing any expectations you may have and helps to give a clearer understanding of what is involved.
How long will I need to wait?
There are waiting lists for our counselling. Ask your support worker what the current waiting time is—it can be as little as four weeks, but up to five months at very busy times. The more flexible you can be about the date and time when you can meet with a counsellor, the quicker the process can be too.
How many sessions will I have?
You will initially be offered 12 weekly counselling sessions. Each session lasts between 50 minutes and 1 hour. It is recommended that you commit to attend the full course of counselling so that you can gain the full benefit.
Is everything I say confidential?
In your first session with the counsellor they will go over what is termed your ‘Counselling Contract’. The contract sets out the circumstances in which your counsellor would be bound by law to disclose what you have said to them. These circumstances include: anything that falls under Child Protection; a risk of serious harm to yourself or another; acts of terrorism, and other considerations.