Counselling Services
What is counselling?
Counselling is a safe space where you can talk about anything that is worrying you. A space where you can express and explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with a trained professional who will listen without judgement.
Life can feel overwhelming at times, and you might be dealing with difficult thoughts or emotions. Counselling gives you space to talk through these feelings, understand yourself better, and find ways to manage these challenges.
Your counsellor will support you in exploring your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, at your own pace to build insight and develop coping strategies in a supportive environment. There is no pressure to share more than you are comfortable with.
Counselling is not always the best support for every situation. If another service would better meet your needs, your counsellor will guide you and help you access the most appropriate support.
We usually offer up to 8 sessions. These happen at the same time each week with the same counsellor, so you can build trust and feel comfortable. If needed, sessions may be extended on clinical need.
Our counselling is delivered by BACP qualified practitioners and final-year student counsellors on placement from our trusted university partners, who specialise in working with young people. All our counsellors are working to professional standards and supported through regular clinical supervision.
Is counselling right for you?
Before making a referral, it is a good idea to ask the young person to read the following information and understand that having counselling always needs to be their choice.
Counselling can be helpful for anyone who wants to better understand themselves and explore new ways to manage stress or difficult situations. It offers tools and support to navigate challenges and build resilience, but the young person needs to feel ready to engage with the process.
At YES, we understand that coming to counselling can bring up lots of feelings, nervousness, uncertainty, or even relief. All these emotions are completely normal. Taking the first step into something new can feel uncomfortable, and that is okay.
Our counsellors are here to support you through these moments. By choosing to seek help, you are putting yourself first, maybe for the very first time, and that is a brave and positive step.
Free Counselling Services
Our free counselling service is available for 11-25 year olds. We offer face-to-face sessions in our centres in Colchester and Holland-on-Sea or online through Teams or Zoom. Sessions are tailored to individual needs and are usually offered for 8 consecutive weeks.
Depending on demand, there is likely to be a waiting time for this service but we strive to keep referrers and young people informed of the timescales and progress of their referral.
GP Supported Counselling
If the young person has been signposted to counselling by their GP, it may be possible for YES to pull down some additional funding which could enable earlier access to support.
To access this service please complete the standard referral form above AND ask your GP to complete the GP Support Form below. Please send a completed copy to [email protected] for processing. (We MUST have this form alongside your completed self-referral for you to be seen via this route)
Paid-for Counselling Service
We offer an additional, paid counselling option for young people aged 11-25. This option is designed for those who are able to fund their sessions and would like quicker access to professional support.
We offer face to face sessions in our centres in Colchester and Holland-on-Sea or online through Teams or Zoom.
Costs are £50 per session and tailored to individual needs, and are usually offered for 8 consecutive weeks. This does not replace our free service, but offers an alternative route. We reinvest all fees into delivering and expanding our service. Your fee contributes to the safe delivery of our service, including supervision, training, and ongoing support for all counsellors.
We understand that waiting for counselling can be difficult, especially when you are struggling. This page is here to offer free tools, resources, and helpful activities that you can use in the meantime. Whether you are a young person looking for ways to cope with overwhelming feelings, or a parent wanting to better support your child’s mental health, we have gathered a selection of trusted links, apps, and other ideas to help you right now, wherever you are.
Out of hours emergency support from other services
If you need access to mental health support outside 9-5 Monday to Friday, or are over the age of 25, consider using the following resources:
Outside support services for over 25s
Counselling News
Pet Therapy Session
In partnership with the wonderful Heads2Mind charity, we delivered a pilot event with our new trusted therapy dogs Boris & Ollie. It was lovely to
Charlie’s Cabin Launch
In collaboration with CWF, we have launched a brand new safe space for young people.
