We provide high quality one-to-one counselling to adults with a variety of mental health needs.
Who are we suitable for?
We can work with people who are experiencing anxiety, depression, loss, relationship issues, difficulties with anger, recovery from traumatic events or are struggling to cope with the pressures of life.
We can offer counselling to people over the age of 18. Our service may not be suitable for some people, but this will be decided between you and the counsellor during the initial appointment.
We can also work with organisations to provide counselling for employees. For more information, please contact our Adult Counselling Service Lead at [email protected]
Who we may not be suitable for
Please note, our counselling service offers short-term counselling only, which may not suitable for people who:
- Are currently being seen in other mental health services such as Primary Care Mental Health Hubs, AMHS, Early Intervention Services, Eating Disorder Clinics, Complex Needs Services or other Psychological Therapies.
- Are currently accessing ongoing private therapy/counselling.
- Have Drug or Alcohol (use/misuse) that would prevent engagement in counselling.
- Have severe physical health conditions requiring urgent medical intervention (such as a low BMI etc.)
- Have complex mental health needs/diagnosis/disorder/presentations that would benefit more from multi-disciplinary input and longer-term psychological care/counselling.
What can I expect?
Face-to-face and online appointments (using a secure link) are available.
You will be allocated a dedicated counsellor and offered weekly counselling sessions, each lasting 50 minutes.
Our counselling team includes volunteers on placement, either fully qualified or trainees in at least their second year of their counselling course.
Our service is an organisational member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and our counsellors adhere to and work within the BACP Ethical Framework for the counselling professions.
Fees
Buckinghamshire Mind’s Adult Counselling Service does not receive any grants or funding to operate. As a ‘self-funded’ service, it is necessary to charge a fee. To ensure the service is accessible as possible, the current fee is approximately 50% of the average cost of a counselling session.
- For Initial Assessment: £30
- Per counselling session: £30
How can I access this service?
If you would like to refer yourself to our Adult Counselling service, we’d love to hear from you. Please click on the button below or scan the QR code to complete an online referral form or call us on 01494 771131.
Online Referral Form
If you’d prefer to refer with a paper form, you can download, complete and return the self-referral form below.
What happens when I refer online?
The online self-referral form has been designed to be easy to understand. Once you have completed and submitted the form, a member of the Bucks Mind team will contact you.
Please note, we are not a priority service and may take up to 5 working days to get in touch. If you need urgent support, please use the ‘I Need Help Urgently’ tab at the top of this page.
What happens to my information?
Please be assured that this process is totally secure and complies with data protection and information governance requirements.
If you are experiencing any difficulties with this form, please contact the service at [email protected] or call 01494 771131.
Self-Referrals
Once you have completed the form, we will email you to confirm receipt and be in contact to check your eligibility for the service. As soon as we have an available Counselling space we will contact you to book an Assessment.
Professional Referrals
If you are a professional you can refer directly to us. Please ensure that you have the person’s consent and the individual meets the criteria of the service before making the referral.
What is an Assessment?
An Assessment is a one-to-one session with a member of the Counselling team who will listen to your needs and explore whether Counselling or another service is suitable for your needs. The Assessment takes place either face-to-face, online or over the telephone and usually lasts up to an hour.
On completion of the Assessment, if the Bucks Mind Counselling Service is the right service to support you, we will allocate you to one of our Counsellors as soon as we can for ongoing Counselling sessions. Please be aware that there may be a wait for this. The Counsellor will work with you for up to 10 weeks.
“My Counsellor has provided me with the tools I need to be able to better manage my mental health. He has always listened, empathised and make me feel worthy of my feelings.”
Do you need help urgently?
Please note, while our Counselling services are here to support you, we are not a crisis intervention service and unable to provide immediate support.
To talk to someone out of hours, the following services can offer listening support:
- Bucks Mind Safe Haven open 6.00pm – Midnight: 01296 453017 or 01494 218098
- Samaritans open 24 hours 7 days a week:Freephone 116 123
- CALM helpline from 5pm – Midnight via phone or WhatsApp: 0800 58 58 58
Counselling Services leaflet
If you feel you require any support to access this service, for example hearing loop, translator or mobility aids, please call 01494 463364 or email [email protected] and we will get back to you to discuss your individual needs.
Volunteer Counselling Placements with Buckinghamshire Mind
We welcome applications for Volunteer Counselling Placements. Counsellors seeking a voluntary placement must be at an advanced stage of training e.g. as a minimum you must have completed a foundation/certificate level counselling course (or equivalent) and be in the second year of a counselling diploma or equivalent. We do not consider applicants on a distance learning course. Applicants should have at least 50+ supervised hours of clinical experience.
We are also looking for trainees who have further training or experience of working specifically with younger people and/or adults.