Psychodynamic Counselling Service

SIHR Counselling Service

Counselling is a process of supported reflection that can ease stresses and worries. It often leads to greater self understanding which enables decisions in the best interests of the person to be made. At times of personal change, distress, challenge and loss many people have found counselling to be of great help.

The Service
At SIHR we want our clients to feel heard, held in mind and valued. If you telephone or email SIHR we respond to enquiries within three days; a member of the counselling team will telephone and have a preliminary discussion with you. If counselling at SIHR seems a helpful option, an appointment will be arranged at a time to suit you within two weeks. This initial consultation allows each party, the counsellor and you, to see if SIHR’s approach is one that suits. Working with integrity and carefully considering what is in your best interests is of paramount importance to us. If we feel that you would be better helped elsewhere we will discuss this and recommend the more suitable alternative. You are then matched with a counsellor who may, but not necessarily, be the counsellor you met at the initial consultation: considerations of time suitability for both come into play here. Counselling sessions last for fifty minutes and are, as far as possible, at the same time each week.

The fee for the initial consultation is payable on that occasion, thereafter billing is on a monthly basis. Fees are £45 a session and are reviewed annually. Cancellations with less that two days notice are charged as with short notice the counsellor cannot then arrange to see anyone else at that time. If you have problems paying the fees we can give advice on ways to obtain financial assistance

Counselling
Counselling is open ended: you may choose to have six consultations, or to work with an SIHR counsellor for a much longer period of time. We are all psychodynamically trained which means that we think that the past is a powerful influence on the present and we are aware of unconscious as well as conscious aspects of behaviour. We believe too that the relationship between the client and counsellor is very significant and we give this a lot of thought. Endings are discussed between the counsellor and client and are carefully managed. As we are very interested your experience at SIHR, a questionnaire is sent out after counselling has ended and we continually review our practice in the light of those comments.

Our Counsellors
Our counsellors have wide ranges of experience and special areas of interest, e.g. couple work, work with younger people, loss and bereavement, depression. Most are accredited with professional counselling and psychotherapy organisations and all meet the rigorous standards of SIHR membership. We are committed to continuous learning and professional development and to giving the best quality of care. We work to the SIHR Code of Ethics and in many cases to those of other professional bodies to which we belong. There is a Complaints Procedure that covers all SIHR services.

We are always pleased to discuss whether and how we can be of help. Our service offers a quick but considered and confidential response. We want to help you do what you can to enjoy your life and your relationships and find personal fulfilment.

CONTACT by post or telephone or email to either office (click here for details).

For Bursary/Funding possibilities - click here.

Here are some comments from former clients:

“My counsellor was one of the most insightful, careful people I have known. She was remarkable in her recall of the details of my life/circumstances, which made me feel very honoured.”
“I feel much more at ease with with myself and who I am. I have a much greater understanding and awareness of my life and how my past still influences the present.”
“I am more calm, less reactive, kinder on myself, more knowing of my own limits and capacities. A nicer person to live with!”
“I appreciated having the space to talk, to think, to explore. Having a counsellor that I trusted and could work with. Being given the opportunity to take as long as I needed.”