Counselling is a way of addressing problems you may be experiencing, or have experienced in the past, by talking them through with someone who is able to be supportive but who is not directly involved in the situation. If you are feeling sad, angry, worried, stressed, confused, or are overwhelmed by any emotions that are impacting on your mental health, then talking to a counsellor can help. You might not know the reason why you’re not feeling okay, or there might be things happening that are contributing. Some examples can include feeling anxious, bullying, relationship/family breakdowns, low self-esteem, loss, depression, feeling low, self-harm, abuse, or issues around your sexual orientation or gender identity. Counselling provides an opportunity for you to explore your thoughts and feelings in a safe space where you are listened to and supported. A counsellor will work with you to help you understand and manage your mental health more effectively and in a way that works best for you. They will not make any judgements about you or what you say, and will not give you advice or tell you what to do.

Mental health and well-being support is different to counselling, but can also support with anxiety, low mood, sadness, social anxiety, coping strategies, family support, issues at home, school or work. Mental health and well-being support is different from counselling, The aim of the service is to provide early intervention support to increase resilience (the ability to cope with situations) and develop support plans which could involve working alongside your school, employer, family or other professionals. We can offer support without involving other people and will only do this with your permission. Our team work with you to identify issues and needs, developing a support plan to address these adopting a ‘what matters to me’ approach. The team can also provide family support and talk to other services on behalf, (advocacy support).

You, or someone on your behalf, will need to contact us to make a referral. Once you have done this you will be offered an initial assessment appointment within four weeks. If you are unsure which of our services is right for you, we can discuss this during your assessment and make sure you receive the right support. The assessment is an opportunity for you to meet with a counsellor or mental health and well-being worker to highlight the issues you wish to talk about. After the assessment you will be placed on our waiting list - full details of the waiting times will be provided at your assessment and will depend on where and when you can attend. When you reach the top of our waiting list you will be offered one-to-one sessions; this means that just you and your counsellor or mental health and well-being worker will be in the room. This encourages you to talk openly without feeling influenced or pressured by anyone who might attend with you. The sessions will take place once a week for a period of six weeks and each session lasts for fifty minutes. Your sessions can be extended by an additional six weeks if both you and your counsellor or mental health and well-being worker agree they are needed. Appointments take place at various locations across Bassetlaw, however we do not offer sessions within the home.

Whatever you tell your counsellor will be confidential, however there may be times when some information needs to be shared with others. This will be explained at your assessment, or you can contact us for more details on this. No letters or information will be sent out to your home address without your permission. We will store your information securely, in accordance with GDPR.

All of our staff are trained and experienced in mental health and will always respect your right to make your own decisions. Our counsellors work in accordance with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.

Some people feel better when they begin counselling or mental health support, this may be because they are being listened to for the first time or because they have been struggling for a while. Other people may feel more anxious or distressed when they start because they are talking about difficult feelings that, in some way, they would prefer to ignore. In this situation, they may feel worse before they start to feel better. It is important that you feel ready to talk and it is always best to share with your counsellor or mental health worker any concerns you have about how you are reacting to the support you are receiving.

If you are aged 13 or over you can contact us yourself and let us know that you would like to make a referral to Talkzone. If you are aged under 13 then the referral will need to be made by someone over the age of 18. This could be a family member or someone from another profession or organisation: for example a doctor, support worker, teacher, social worker or anyone else that is supporting you if you have given them permission to contact us. To make a referral by telephone please call Talkzone on 01909 530943. Alternatively, you can text your details to 07368 323945 (or text TALK if you would like some further information) or email info@talkzone.org.uk OR Click HERE if you are aged 13 or over and making an online referral for yourself. Click HERE if you are a professional or family member making an online referral on behalf of a young person.