Do you know what matters to you?
More information on counselling for individuals
Learn more about yourself and what's really important to you
How long does counselling take?
Counselling lasts for as long as you and your counsellor feel it is helpful, and your counsellor will help you to plan your sessions and identify what you want to achieve whilst you are with us.
Will my counselling sessions be confidential?
Yes, counselling sessions are confidential. However, there may be exceptions to this, for example, if your counsellor believes you, another person, or themselves to be at serious risk of harm, and particularly if there is a child at risk. In such an instance the counsellor will raise this with you, and discuss their obligation to take the matter further via their clinical supervisor and the Counselling Services manager. Other relevant professionals may need to be involved but this will be done carefully and with your knowledge.
What if I have to cancel?
If you can’t keep an appointment for any reason, please let us know. If you are paying, a charge will be made if less than 24 hours’ notice is given. If you are accessing our subsidised sessions all missed appointments will count as one of your free sessions. If you miss 2 appointments in a row and we can’t contact you, we will assume that you do not want to continue with your counselling right now.
How can I be assured of my counsellor's professionalism?
The majority our counsellors are fully qualified whilst a few are close to the end of their training. All our counsellors receive additional training and professional structured clinical support from our team of accredited and/or highly experienced and qualified clinical supervisors. We are Accredited Organisational members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and are bound by its ethical framework for good practice. If you have come due to addiction issues or those around pregnancy and birth, your allocated counsellor will be fully qualified and have had further professional training and ongoing support in this area.
Does my GP need to refer me for an appointment?
No. Simply phone, email or drop in to make an appointment. The only exception is if your insurers require you to have a GP referral in order to use your policy for treatment.
Will I be judged?
Your counsellor will not judge you, they are simply there to listen to you and support you to find solutions to your problems. No matter how difficult you are finding your situation the counsellor will not pass judgement or tell you what to do. Many of us experience problems during the course of our lives. It is particularly common during a time of change for people to question and find it difficult to understand their feelings, thoughts and behaviours. This process is completely normal.
Where do we offer appointments?
We offer our services at a number of locations around South Manchester.
More information on the Families and Addiction service
Who is it for?
For the dependant individual seeking counselling, we ask that you are in a stable recovery process. By that we mean you are abstinent from your drug/behaviour of choice and have support from either other professional bodies, such as dedicated drug and alcohol services or from mutual aid groups. It may also be that you have tried remaining dependence free on your own but are now experiencing difficult feelings which you think could be dangerous to your ongoing recovery if not addressed in a therapeutic setting.
For individual family members or the whole family affected by the addiction of a family member can access counselling.
It’s sometimes difficult to recognise that the family of an addicted person might need professional help as the focus is often on the person using. Some family members may say things like: “It’s not me with the problem, it’s his or her using that’s the issue”. Addiction can take over a person’s life. Unfortunately it is common for the family members of addicts to be overlooked in the rehabilitation process. Support for the family of addicts is crucial; not only for the individual family members, but for addicts themselves to give them a stable and caring base to rely on, enabling a quicker and more successful recovery and on-going treatment.
We understand that someone using substances can affect the whole family and how people behave and relate to each other. Often the family members suffering goes unnoticed or can be viewed as not as important as the ‘addicted persons’. We recognise that the family as a whole, or individual family members can start to become emotionally unwell due to the stress of caring for their loved one who is using.
We realise how stressful it is for you living with or being in relationship with someone who is using. It can be hard to know if what you’re doing is really helping and how much you are affected by someone else’s behaviour. We can help you identify and understand your role in the addict’s recovery, but even more crucially help you to bring emotional wellbeing back into your own and your family’s life. We will support you to maintain direction and control of your life.
Is there any other help?
Additionally to counselling support, we run a weekly online concerned others 'Affected by Addiction' Support Group.
More information on pregnancy and birth issues - the Perinatal service
What is it ?
Perinatal Counselling is counselling specifically around issues that may arise in relation to pregnancy, childbirth and the time after having a baby.
This is a time of change and challenge in many ways. At a time when we – or others – feel we should be happy and fulfilled we can find ourselves struggling in ways we had never expected. We may find it difficult to cope with these changes if there have been previous traumatic experiences around pregnancy and birth, or past experiences that make the prospect of pregnancy and delivery frightening. Managing the changes in body image as pregnancy progresses can be tough. Depression can be triggered for some of us in pregnancy as well as after the baby is born. Talking through these issues with an appropriately experienced counsellor can help create a positive way through pregnancy and the early stages of parenthood, while working on accepting and coming to terms with past difficulties.
Sadly not all pregnancies have a happy outcome, and the loss of a baby at any stage can be a devastating experience. While we all grieve in our own way, for some people coping alone and for others seeking support of family and friends, it can be useful to talk through our feelings with someone outside our immediate circle. This can give us the opportunity to say and express exactly what we are going through in a safe, secure, non-judgemental environment in which we and our experience are valued. Working through our feelings and experiences with the support of a counsellor can help us cope with the impact of the loss and improve our ability to move forward in our life.
Who is it for ?
The Perinatal Counselling Service at CFC is for women and men who would like support in coping with issues relating to pregnancy such as body image issues, acceptance and adjustment to pregnancy, birth experience, pregnancy loss (miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death), depression that is occurring in relation to pregnancy or postnatal depression and support in pregnancy following the loss of a baby. This list is not exhaustive and if you feel you would like to discuss your issues with the Perinatal Counsellor she will be happy to see you, take you through the assessment process and work out with you the best options to provide the support you need. Our Perinatal Counsellor has completed The Foundation for Infant Loss Accredited Provider Training Course.