When we talk about mental health, we’re really talking about our emotional, psychological, and social well-being – how we think, feel and act. Our mental health can determine how we deal with stress, how we relate to others and the day to day decisions that we make. Latest figures suggest that one in four adults in the UK are likely to have a mental health problem at some stage in their lifetime. So if you are currently struggling, know that you are not alone, and that support is available.
Here at the Meridian Centre, we offer mental health support through our counselling and psychotherapy services, and have around 55 therapists meeting with clients face to face, online and via zoom every week. Our clients are offered a regular time, and a safe, confidential environment in which to discuss any issues they may be experiencing – and will work with student or qualified counsellors and psychotherapists. Clients will see the same therapist for the duration of their therapy, and all of our student therapists have completed 2-3 years of training, are supervised, and are members of national professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy.
As many of our therapists are qualified volunteers or in training, we are able to offer access to high quality, professional and ethical counselling and psychotherapy services at low cost rates. Our fees are means tested – this means therapy session fees are based on £1 for every £1000 earned per annum. So, for example if a person earns £20,000 annually, sessions will be charged at £20 each. The minimum fee is £10 and the maximum is £35 per session, and all sessions last for 50 minutes.
There are many types of therapy on offer here, from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) through to person-centred, psychodynamic and gestalt. You can read about the many and varied types of therapy on the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) website – many of which are offered by our therapists. Therapy is generally a process through which people seek to make changes within themselves and within their lives – this can be a very vulnerable process, and can sometimes be a difficult and emotional experience – so trust and a strong relationship between client and therapist is important, regardless of models, methods and approaches used.
Some clients come to us with quite a clear idea of the type of therapy they are looking for, for example if a friend or family member has found CBT particularly helpful they may wish to work with a counsellor trained in that modality. Some clients come with a specific issue they want support with such as a relationship ending or a bereavement, others come with issues such as depression and anxiety, anger management or stress at work. Our assessment appointments are a good opportunity to talk through any specific types of therapy you would like to experience, and the issues that you are looking for support with. All of our assessment appointments are with trained and experienced therapists and are charged at £10 (which is refunded if it is decided that our service is not suitable for you and you are not placed with a therapist). You can book yourself an assessment appointment here, and at the time of writing this article, wait times for an assessment appointment is 2-3 weeks.
And if therapy doesn’t feel right for you at the moment, you might find our mindfulness classes offer you the support you need. Held weekly in our Yoga Studio, Kate Wixon offers meditations, gentle yoga based mindful movement, and education about living mindfully, again fees are kept low and start at £5. You can find out more and book a place here.
Additional Information :
To find about more about what you can expect from a therapy session, the BACP has some excellent information on their ‘What is Counselling’ information page.
Counselling directory also have a helpful ‘what’s worrying you?’ information page, where they explore some of the common types of mental health concerns, including general information, signs and symptoms, treatment options, self-care and how counselling can help. They also offer a free monthly mental health e-magazine, Happiful, which you can subscribe to here