Counselling

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We offer a free, confidential counselling service for Adult Carers in West Essex (Epping, Harlow and Uttlesford Districts) and Northeast Essex (Colchester & Tendring Districts)

NCPS Organisational Member

What is counselling?

Counselling is a confidential talking therapy which gives you the opportunity to talk about your concerns, and any emotional difficulties you are experiencing with a counsellor.

We can help you explore your situation, see things more clearly and gain more understanding of yourself. Counselling can provide extra support outside of your network of family and friends.

What can counselling help with?

Carers come to counselling to discuss all kinds of concerns, including:

    • Difficult transitions such as when your caring role begins, changes or ends
    • Challenging emotions such as anger or low self esteem
    • Bereavement or other loss, there are many losses which can affect our lives
    • Illness, accident or trauma
    • Depression, anxiety, worries or stress about the past, the present or the future
    • Isolation, loneliness or difficulties in a social setting

What will happen at counselling?

We will arrange an initial contact session to introduce you to your counsellor and help you get to know them. You will meet with your counsellor online or face-to-face. Any face-to-face sessions take place in a quiet, undisturbed and safe setting.

You will have up to 6, one-hour sessions where you’ll be encouraged to talk about your feelings and emotions with a therapist, who’ll listen and support you without judging or criticising.

The therapist can help you gain a better understanding of your feelings and thought processes and find your own solutions to problems. They will not usually give advice or tell you what to do.

Who are your counsellors?

All counsellors working with us are members of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or are a member of another recognised Professional Body, for example, the National Counselling Society NCS), and work within their ethical frameworks.

Our unique model of volunteer-led counselling utilises volunteer Counsellors with a minimum of 30 hours experience who want to increase their practice hours. This helps us keep the cost free for Carers and has the added benefit of providing placements so that Counsellors can fulfil counselling practice course requirements.

Volunteer with us as a Counsellor

Are you interested in working with us as a Volunteer Counsellor? If so, we would love to hear from you. Volunteering can be an excellent way to bank some counselling hours. 

We make all the arrangements for you and you will be fully supported by our experienced team. Your clinical supervision and venue hire costs will be covered by Action for Family Carers.

Click here Volunteer Counsellor and register your interest.

For more details please contact info@affc.org.uk

All our volunteering opportunities can be found here