Counselling

Crisis Support

Why Come For Counselling?

Our Counselling Service

If you are concerned about, or feel any of the following, you may benefit from counselling: 

  • Stress
  • Depression
  • Isolation, loneliness or rejection
  • Undergoing a personal crisis
  • Major life change
  • Worries about children, family or friends
  • Dissatisfaction with your relationship(s)
  • Aimlessness or hopelessness
  • Worries about work or redundancy
  • Bereavement or loss
  • Marital or relationship breakdown
  • Recollections of childhood experiences
  • A desire to understand yourself better

We’re here to help you.

Female friend consoling desperate young woman. Two sisters supporting each other. Unhappy young woman crying, wiping tears with handkerchief, her friend showing compassion and trying to appease.
Man holding a positive green emoji and a red one. Smile, satisfaction, anger.

What We Offer

The Aim Of Our Counselling

The aim of counselling is to enable you to lead a richer, more fulfilling, and resourceful life.

We offer you the opportunity to explore your experiences and feelings and work through difficulties in your life, in a safe, supportive and confidential environment.

Your counsellor will help you:

  • Gain a deeper understanding of your thoughts and feelings
  • Increase your awareness of the options you have for change
  • Increase your ability to take action to change where this is desired.

We will gently guide you on a journey, enabling you to see things from a new perspective, helping you to find new strength, and giving you the freedom to make your own choices. Counselling is based on listening and is not about giving you advice, telling you what to do, or judging you.

Please be aware we are not a crisis service. In the event you require emergency support (eg. you plan to hurt yourself or others), please contact Bracknell Forest Mental Health Crisis Team

Your Counselling Relationship

Our Counsellors

A counselling relationship is different from other relationships you may have experienced before. Your counsellor is trained to listen and respond in a non-judgmental way. This is integral to creating a safe space where you feel comfortable to share things that are on your mind. You will continue to see your counsellor for your regular weekly sessions and the relationship you build is an important part of your work together.

SCS is an organisational member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), membership No 221912. As a member, this means that Sandhurst Counselling Service is a regulated, professional organisation and our work is within an ethical framework for good practice.

All of our counsellors undergo a rigorous selection process and receive regular clinical supervision to ensure they are practicing safely and effectively.

At the root of our service since its foundation has been a heart of Compassion. We live this out through our Charter which you can read below.

Creative business team discussing at office
Modern hourglass on wooden background

Initial Consultaions and Ongoing Counselling

How It Works

Initial Consultation

Start with a 50-minute session with one of our senior practitioners. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you to counselling, explain how we work, and agree on a fee that fits your situation.

Ongoing Sessions

If you choose to continue, we’ll match you with a counsellor for weekly 50-minute sessions—usually at the same time each week. We typically begin with an 18 session commitment, which can be extended.

To get started please complete our online enquiry form, or call us on 07423 111947.

Counselling Is An Investment

What Is The Investment?

Counselling is an investment in yourself and your relationships with others.

It costs us about £50 to run each counselling session. We rely on your contributions to allow the service to be accessible and available to all in the community.

We ask for an fee of £25 for your initial consultation.

We ask that you make a financial investment in your counselling, and an affordable amount will be agreed at your initial consultation.

If you’re worried about cost, please get in touch—we’re happy to talk it through.

We can offer support funding for those struggling with severe financial pressures for which evidence of low income is required, and you will also be asked to make affordable donations to the Support Fund.

Selective focus of arranged golden coins with green leaves and soil, financial growth concept

What others have said about Sandhurst Counselling Service

“I am surprised how positive a change counselling has made to me”

“I was surprised how counselling made me feel much better after each session and I was able to reflect on the session all week.”

“My practitioner assisted me through a journey- always respectful, empathetic & professional. The practitioner’s prompts & insights have assisted me to self-realise that I am drained by the opinions of others. I now have a voice and am equipped to deal with conflict, separating emotional reaction from human reaction. I feel liberated & able to problem solve without feeling useless and doom filled. I found, not answers but a much clearer understanding of my life & why I dealt with things the way I do”

“I feel I am walking out today a different person to when I first started. I didn’t know about myself”

“Counselling helped with my perspective on life. I feel more confident in my ability to manage my life without more counselling.”

“I was surprised how having the freedom to talk and not be judged has helped me navigate several aspects of my life that were making me feel so very sad”

Frequently Asked Questions

 

For urgent mental health support in Bracknell Forest, contact the Mental Health Crisis Team at 0300 365 0300 or 0300 365 9999.

Key Resources:

  • Mental Health Crisis Team: For urgent support, call 0300 365 0300 or 0300 365 9999.
  • Talking Therapies 0300 365 0200 – NHS Talking Therapies Common Point of Entry (CPE) team who will direct you to the right service, including support from the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team.
  • Samaritans: Call 116 123 for support with stress, suicide, or bereavement.
  • CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): Call 0800 58 58 58 (5pm-midnight) for support related to suicide or suicidal thoughts.

If it’s a medical emergency, call 999 or go to A&E.

For non-urgent support, NHS Talking Therapies can be reached at 0300 365 2000.

The number of counselling sessions required varies depending on individual needs and circumstances. Some clients may find that a few sessions are sufficient to address their concerns, while others may benefit from longer-term therapy. Your counsellor will work collaboratively with you to regularly review how counselling is going for you and discuss the anticipated duration of your counselling.

We understand the importance of finding the right fit with a counsellor and with you starting counselling as soon as possible. Our Clinical Manager matches your availability with a counsellor’s availability and this works well. All our counsellors are compassionate professionals committed to providing high-quality care.

After explaining about confidentiality and how sessions will run (for example, same time on the same day each week, the importance of letting us know in advance if you are unable to attend a session) your counsellor will invite you to take the time you need, and tell us why it is that you are here for counselling. The Counsellor will listen and may ask clarifying questions, to help them understand. The counsellor may ask you what it is that you hope to get out of counselling. This is really important as then you will both know where you are aiming for!

The sessions are yours to use how you would like each week. We are client-led and not usually directive. As time goes on, your counsellor may ask you questions to better understand your situation and feelings. These questions may invite you to explore your current challenges, past experiences, family history, relationships, and any symptoms or emotions you are experiencing. The purpose is to gain insight into your unique circumstances and guide you on the journey to the outcomes you want.

The waiting time for an appointment can vary depending on demand and availability. We strive to schedule appointments as promptly as possible. There is usually a wait, both for an initial appointment and for ongoing sessions, but we make every effort to accommodate clients in a timely manner. The greater your availability for sessions, the easier it is to match with a counsellor, where counselling is deemed an appropriate way forward.

To get the most from your sessions, continuity is important. Once your weekly counselling sessions have begun, a commitment is made by both your counsellor and you to attend on a regular basis. To reflect this, payment is required for all sessions, whether or not you are able to attend.

In the unlikely event that unforeseen circumstances arise and we have to cancel your initial consultation, a full refund will be given. In the event of cancellation by you, the following will apply.

More than 2 calendar days: Full refund (less a £10 admin fee)

2 calendar days or less: No refund given

All requests for cancellations must be received in an email or text in writing, with changes becoming effective at the point at which written confirmation is received from us.

We are a registered charity and do not receive any Public Sector funding, so we rely on the fees our clients pay to continue providing this valuable service and helping us to deliver counselling in Sandhurst to as many people as we can.

You could try:

  • Calm – Meditation and sleep stories
  • Hub of Hope – means of finding local support to talk to
  • #StayAlive – an app for those at risk of suicide and those worried about someone
  • Stop, Breathe, Think – guided meditation and mindfulness
  • Headspace – mindfulness for sleep and anxiety

These can all be downloaded from your usual App store

SCS is your convenient local counselling provider for Sandhurst, Bracknell Forest and surrounding area. Further afield there are:

If you want to find a different counsellor, then see the Counselling Directory.

There are certain issues we are not qualified to assist with. These include:

  • Supporting individuals under the age of 18
  • Addiction (including alcohol, drugs, and sex)
  • Eating disorders
  • Gender identity transition
  • Adoption-related matters
  • Marriage/couple counselling
  • Psychiatric disorders