Counselling Service

Valley House Counselling Service (VHCS), is offered by a professional team of volunteer counsellors who are either qualified or in training. Counselling takes place on site in one of five simply furnished rooms where a safe environment is created with someone who will listen, value and respect people in a non-judgemental way. All our counsellors are bound to the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) code of Ethics.

Who is it for?
We offer a free multicultural counselling service that can be accessed by anyone who is 16 years and over. We provide a generic service which can be accessed by a wide range of people, predominately people whose lives are in crises and/or are financially disadvantaged who are vulnerable in their personal circumstances who may experience issues such as homelessness, social exclusion, domestic violence, sexual abuse, lone or teenage parents with limited support.

Referrals
Many of our referrals come from Valley House Services which include resident, staff and service users. We also welcome self referrals, referrals from agencies and GP’s. We will not accept people referred with enduring mental health issues who do not have a pre-existing package of support in place.

How can counselling help?
Counselling sessions can be used in a variety of ways such as: to explore concerns, thoughts and feelings, to look and assist with choices and decisions, to develop personal and professional potential, to build confidence and self esteem, to identify and achieve life goals, to explore past or present issues, to explore change and how to function better.

Additional issues worked with
Some additional issues our counsellors work with are depression, anxiety, isolation, life stresses, bereavement/ loss, detachment and aloneness, self esteem, personal development and abuse.

Are you interested and a member of the community?
You can arrange to come in just for an exploratory chat. If you then decide to apply for counselling, we ask that before you meet with a counsellor you make an appointment which will assist you in deciding whether counselling is right for you, an intake appointment can then be arranged...

  • Intakes
    An intake is an initial appointment which helps the service gain relevant details from you before a counsellor is allocated. This meeting can take up to 90 minutes.
  • Meeting with your counsellor
    In the first meeting your counsellor will carry out their own assessment with you. This is an opportunity for both you and the counsellor to decide whether you can work together.
  • Sessions
    To get the most out of counselling, sessions usually take place once a week and last 60 minutes. If you need flexibility you can negotiate with your counsellor and agree to how many sessions you will need and how often you would like to meet. You can choose to have 6 sessions (short term counselling) or longer term counselling.

If you would like more information about counselling or would like an intake appointment you can contact us at VHCS directly by ringing the Counselling Coordinator, Carol Benson on 024 7658 4031