COUNSELLING SERVICE

Carers of Barking and Dagenham offer a professional Counselling Service for carers.

If you are carer or ex-carer, an adult or a child, providing care and support for someone who is ill, disabled, frail or elderly - then you may benefit from this service.

• Are you feeling isolated, depressed or unable to cope?
• Do you have low self esteem, suffer panic attacks, feel anxious or angry most of the time?
• Feel 'overwhelmed' or have relationship problems

Counselling can offer a carer time to be listened to in a confidential setting. It will give you time to talk about and reflect upon whatever issues or problems are causing you concern.

It will allow you to talk about your feelings with a professional person outside of your circle of family and friends.

To know that you are not being judged, blamed or criticised and that all that is said is treated in the strictest of confidence.

How do I request counselling?

• Contact your support worker at Carers who will pass on your request for counselling to the Service co-ordinator.
• A one-to-one assessment will be arranged to establish the benefits of counselling.
• The process of counselling will also be explained to you and you will have the opportunity to discuss your expectations of counselling.
• You will then be contacted as soon as a counsellor becomes available.

At the assessment stage, each person that receives counselling will be asked if they can contribute towards the cost, based on individual circumstances. There is no minimum amount as every little really does help.

No one will be refused counselling because they are unable to make a financial contribution

Although our counsellors give their time voluntarily, the support costs (training, clinical supervision and travelling expenses) means that each counselling session still costs £25 to provide.

We can offer counselling both at our Carers Centre or in your own home, during the daytime, evenings or weekends.

For more information contact your support worker or the Counselling Services Co-ordinator Maggie Walker on     020 8590 6544