COUNSELLING
Watford Women’s Centre is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all women in our community aged 18 and above. As part of this commitment, we provide low-cost counselling for up to one year with female counsellors in a safe and supportive environment.
What is counselling?
Counselling is having a safe and confidential space to talk through your difficulties with a trained professional. All women experience difficulties at some points in their lives. Talking to a counsellor can help you to see things more clearly, find different ways of coping with situations, or support you through a period of crisis difficult period of your life. Perhaps you need help to make decisions or life changes or to evaluate your relationships. You can explore many issues with your counsellor, such as depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties and bereavement.
Our counsellors
Our service is staffed mainly by trainee therapists who are working towards their British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Registration
Our services is not suitable for everyone
We are a women only counselling service, working with adults aged 18 and above.
Our service is not suitable for anyone who presents with a high degree of complexity, has a current serious mental illness, or whose needs could be met more fully by a specialist agency or within the statutory services (NHS). If we feel we are not the right service for you, we would talk to you about other options.
What we offer
We offer weekly face-to-face counselling for up to one year.
A weekly committment
We offer counselling on the basis that you attend every week, apart from emergencies and agreed holidays. Your allocated slot will be at the same time and day each week. At your assessment you will be asked what days/times you are available for the long-term.
I am interested. What do I do now?
If you are interested in counselling, please complete this REGISTRATION FORM . Once completed, we aim to respond within ten working days to let you know if we are able to offer you a counselling assessment. If we do not believe we are the right service for you, we will try to signpost you to more suitable support.
Assessments cost £20 payable in advance
As there is a high demand for our service, you may have to wait several weeks for an assessment.
In some cases, the assessor may feel that our service is not the most appropriate service for you. If this is the case, she would discuss alternatives/tell you that she may have to consult with the Service Manager.
Fees
Weekly counselling sessions range from £15 to £40 depending on income. As we receive no outside funding for the service, we rely on these fees to keep the service going.
In the meantime, you may be interested in our wellbeing and personal development courses: https://wwcplus.org.uk/personal-development-courses.php
The NHS is encouraging anyone struggling with their mental health to seek help through the NHS Talking Therapies services. Your GP can refer you, or you can refer yourself online at nhs.uk/talk or you can click here: www.hpft-talkingtherapies.nhs.uk . To see their lates newsletter, please click here: Publications | Mental Health Foundation
Other local low cost counselling services may have spaces available
Confidentiality
We take confidentiality very seriously and ALL client information is treated in confidence. We do not disclose verbal or written information without your consent. The exception is when we would be legally compelled to do so, or when a member of the service believes you or someone you know is at serous risk of harm.
