Counselling

Support

Find out about how we support survivors with counselling, groups, advocacy, and about resources and practical exercises for support.

One-to-one Counselling

Our counsellors and therapists are either fully qualified or nearing the completion of their training. One in Four is committed to user empowerment and operates a thorough quality assurance and competency framework for all professional services.

One-to-one counselling, also called therapy, with one of our counsellors offers you the space to look at any concerns you have about yourself, and your relationships, in a safe relationship with a professional trained to listen.

We give you the opportunity to explore and work through your experience of childhood sexual abuse or violence, and any other traumas.

One in Four offers a holistic approach to therapy, valuing you as a unique individual. It takes courage and resilience to survive sexual violence and child sexual abuse. Our counsellors understand many of the challenges you have faced and how you have fought for your survival, sometimes in ways harmful to you.

We believe post-traumatic growth is possible so your personal history no longer dictates who you are and how you live your life.

The counselling process enables you to move from surviving to thriving and towards beginning to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life. We recognise this takes time, so we can offer you long term one-to-one counselling.

An individual counselling session is 50 minutes and is usually weekly at the regular appointment time. Appointments are available Monday to Saturday for daytime and Monday to Friday evenings.
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Counselling consultation and contributions

Before you start counselling you will be invited to an assessment consultation to help us allocate the right counsellor for you. Wherever possible, we try to give clients a choice of a male or female counsellor.

One in Four is a charity, and we ask for a contribution towards your support for counselling depending on your income. We will agree with you what this will be, during your assessment consultation. For clients without employment, the contribution request is £18 a session; for clients who are employed, the request is between £25- £75 depending on income. The guide for contributions is £1 for every £1,000 of income (i.e. £28,000 income, £28 a session).

“When I found the right therapist who gave me time, patience, and allowed me to push boundaries without judgement and kept me safe, I slowly began to trust for the first time ever.”

Cancellations

We try to give as much notice as possible if your appointment has to be cancelled and two weeks notice if your counsellor is away for two weeks or more.

If you are unable to give us 24 hours notice if you are to miss your appointment, your contribution still applies. Clients who miss or cancel three sessions are put back on the waiting list. If you need to cancel due to a holiday for more than a week, please give us two weeks notice otherwise your contribution is still applicable. Please see client contract for more information.

Alcohol and drugs

To fully participate in the counselling, we recommend you do not take any substances that alter your mental function, except prescribed medication.

We recognise at times the use of alcohol and drugs can be a coping mechanism. In such circumstances, our aim will be to explore more caring ways for you to cope. Please discuss this with your counsellor or therapist and feel free to discuss this.

Ethics and confidentiality

Our counsellors and therapists are members of various governing bodies including the NCS (National Counselling Society), the BACP (British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists) and the UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy) and abide by their ethical framework for good practice.

Our counsellors and therapists have an obligation to have ongoing clinical supervision to enhance the quality of their work. Confidentiality is strictly upheld within our team and all counsellors and therapists are bound by the same code of ethics and confidentiality.

Limits of confidentiality

One in Four is committed to maintaining the highest levels of confidentiality. The exceptions to this policy will be if we believe the health and safety of someone is at risk, or if we are legally obliged to disclose material. In such circumstances, our commitment is always to discuss the situation with you and decide together the next step forward.

Downloadable resources