Counselling

Sometimes in life it helps to talk through our issues with an independent person to enable us to gain a different perspective on things.  Counsellors are trained to listen without criticising you. It’s good to talk, and counselling offers a space to talk in a way that may be difficult elsewhere. Together you will be able to explore what is going on for you, and what you might do to achieve the changes you would like to make. The conversation may help new ideas emerge. 

Our counselling service 

About 40 GP surgeries in the borough have in-house counsellors or have a contract with an organisation to provide counselling for their patients. If your GP is one of these you can ask to be referred. Even if your GP does not have an in-house service you can still ask to be referred to someone to talk to about what is troubling you.

The sort of issues do people bring to counselling

These range from anxiety, stress, depression, low self-esteem, coping with a crisis in life like bereavement, unemployment, or physical illness, family and relationship problems, eating problems, childhood abuse, and many other issues. Some counsellors, although not all, will be happy to talk to couples about their relationship.

Issues not appropriate for counselling

Drug and alcohol services in Southwark are able to offer specialist advice. Housing, welfare benefit and financial problems are best dealt with by the local Citizen’s Advice.

Counselling in Southwark - an overview

The number of patients referred for counselling appears to be increasing year on year. It is estimated that about 3,600 were referred in 2005/6. Anxiety, panic attacks and depression account for 57% of referrals.

The average time between referral and first offered appointment is 4 weeks. Women outnumber men among those referred by over two to one. 63% of those referred are aged between 26 and 45; very few are under 16 or over 65.

The ethnicity of those seen for counselling broadly reflects the ethnic composition of the borough. 29% of people are seen only for an assessment or a single session; 59% are seen for between two and nine sessions. There is a trend for more clients to be seen for an assessment and referred elsewhere and for fewer people to be seen for ten or more sessions. 25% are referred on to other sources of counselling. The most common destination was a not for profit counselling agency followed by an NHS agency.