Counselling practices and principles

What Is Counselling?

Counselling is a space to talk, reflect and be heard. It is a chance to explore your thoughts, feelings and experiences with a trained professional in a safe and confidential setting.

At its heart, counselling is about helping you understand yourself better, make sense of what is happening and find your own way forward. It is not about being told what to do. It is about being supported to make choices that feel right for you.

According to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), counselling is “a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to deal with emotional difficulties.” Counselling can help with many things such as anxiety, low mood, stress, loss, relationships or life changes, but it can also be a space for growth, reflection and self-discovery.

What You Can Expect from Counselling

A safe space to talk, be heard and explore your thoughts and feelings
A place to make sense of what’s happening in your life and work through challenges
A chance to figure out what feels right for you, without being told what to do
Support for things like stress, low mood, anxiety, relationships, loss, or big life changes
A space for reflection, understanding yourself better, and personal growth

What Counselling Is Not

We won’t tell you what to do or give you advice
It’s not a quick fix, it can take time to work through things
It’s not the same as youth work, mentoring, or just having a chat
We won’t judge you or your choices
It is not for immediate crisis support
What you share is private, except if there’s a serious risk to you or someone else, or the law says we have to share

The counselling Support We Offer

We provide a range of counselling opportunities designed to meet different needs and situations. Some of our counselling is short term, offering focused support, while other services are longer term, giving more space to explore experiences and build deeper understanding over time.

Our counsellors are trained professionals who work within the BACP Ethical Framework. Every session is confidential, respectful and person-centred, meaning we focus on what matters most to you. There are some exceptions to confidentiality, your counsellor will always explain this clearly and discuss it with you.

What a First Session May Look Like With Your Counsellor

Your first session is an assessment, which is simply a way for us to gather information to make sure our service is right for you and can meet your needs. Once counselling is agreed as suitable, you will be allocated a counsellor who will offer regular weekly sessions, each lasting around 50 minutes. We also offer support between the hours of 9-7pm Monday to Thursday with an earlier finish on a Friday.

two young women sat together wearing brightly coloured hats

A Holistic Approach to Wellbeing

We recognise that emotional well being is just one part of what helps people thrive. That is why, in some of our work, we take a holistic approach that brings together the skills of both counsellors and youth workers.
Sometimes a young person might start by meeting with a youth worker to focus on practical or social needs before beginning counselling when the time feels right. In other cases, counselling might highlight areas where a youth worker can offer additional support such as confidence building, developing life skills or connecting with the community.

By working together, we can make sure that each person receives the right support at the right time, whether that is emotional, practical or developmental.