More about Counselling Services
What is counselling?
People who are unhappy or in distress often feel a need to talk. Counselling provides an opportunity to share your problems in privacy and confidence with a person who is trained and skilled in the art of listening and who is not personally involved in your situation.
However, counselling is more than just talking. Counselling is also about change and can help you build on your strengths, while you discover new ways of managing the more problematic aspects of your life. This process can lead you to a deeper understanding of yourself and of the factors which have given rise to your problems in the first place.
Problems sometimes can be traced to childhood or they may be triggered by life events such as becoming unemployed, moving home or the ending of a relationship. Sometimes people may not understand why they experience changes in their mind, body or behaviour. For example, you may feel jumpy or have lost interest in things; you may have difficulty in sleeping or experience aches and pains; perhaps you are prone to angry outbursts, but you are unsure why this is so.
What are the different approaches used in counselling?
Just as there are different ways of using counselling, there are a variety of approaches used by counsellors. At Westminster Mind we offer integrative, psycho-dynamic, humanistic, cognitive-behavioural and existential approaches. However, clients often report that it is the quality of the relationship with the counsellor that matters rather than the details of the particular approach.
How will I know if counselling is helping me?
For some people counselling can bring about an immediate improvement, whilst for others, change happens more gradually. Your counsellor can help you to monitor your progress.
Cultural and Gender Sensitive Counselling
For some people it is important to be counselled by someone who comes from a similar or different background. Our counsellors come from a range of different cultures and some can offer counselling languages other than English. If you have any culture, gender or language preferences, please let us know.
Individual Counselling
Individual counselling is provided on either a short-term (6-12 sessions) or longer term basis (up to a year), depending on what would best meet your needs. People often are able to start counselling within two to four weeks after the assessment, but occasionally there may be a longer waiting period.
Individual counselling sessions take place once a week, between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm on a day and at a time that is mutually convenient for the client and the counsellor. Sessions last for 50 minutes. There may be occasions when due to public holidays the service will be closed. On these occasions, counselling will be deferred to the following week.
Group Counselling
Some people like group counselling because they find it helpful to hear how others manage their problems and they experience the group itself as a supportive and sharing environment.
Groups are set up to focus on dealing with particular issues such as anxiety, depression and other specific problems that people find useful to work on in a group setting.
Each group is generally made up of 8 clients and one or two facilitating counsellors. Most groups run for a maximum of 8 to 10 weeks
Order your greeting cards now!
Cards can be ordered through E-Bay or directly from the workshop by sending an email to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address),visit our website www.portugalprints.org.uk to see our full range of cards.
Sitra
Sitra is a membership organization promoting best practice and offering training, information and advice on all aspects of supported housing and community care. Visit their site: http://www.sitra.org/
