taking time to meet your needs

In the comfortable, relaxed setting of Burrswood hospital your counsellor will listen attentively, building trust so that your feelings can start to be expressed in a safe environment. We can also offer telephone counselling sessions for people with limited travel options. 

Once problems have been properly examined and understood, you can work with your counsellor to find the changes that are right for you – changes that may make a real difference to your wellbeing.

Our counselling service offers psychologically-based counselling for individuals or couples. Depending on your needs we offer: 

• weekly basis as an outpatient 
• hospital residential basis as a 2-week, short-term intensive therapy
• telephone counselling 

Burrswood is the preferred provider of professional counselling services to the Diocese of Rochester. Burrswood’s team of counsellors, along with a team of associate counsellors located within the diocese, provide help and support to clergy and their spouses, ordinands and other diocesan staff.

Who is it for?

Counselling is a very effective tool for those suffering from the effects of abuse, anxiety, bereavement, chronic illness, depression, struggling relationships, stress and trauma.  Many of our counsellors have considerable experience of helping those with CFS / ME.

Counselling is also very helpful when focusing on personal and professional growth and development, and building on existing strengths.  Our evidence reports that 8 out of 10 people experience a positive outcome from Burrswood counselling.

Why come to Burrswood?

Burrswood has a Christian healing ethos, yet we respect diversity and are open to those of any faith or none – offering psychologically-based counselling irrespective of people’s faith or lack of it. Clients do sometimes consider the psychological impact of spiritual matters within the counselling sessions, but that is their choice entirely.

First steps – weekly counselling (as an Outpatient)

If you feel you are ready to have an initial chat about counselling, please give us a call -  you may wish to ask about the availability of male or female counsellors, appointment times (daytime, evenings or weekends), and fees.  Click here for information about each of our counsellors.  Next we’ll arrange an initial, no-obligation assessment session (the timing of an initial appointment may depend on the counsellor's availability but will usually be within the next few days and sometimes the next day).  This will help you decide if you would like to proceed with a 50-minute counselling session.   We are happy to take initial enquiries from anyone over the age of 16.  It is not essential to tell your doctor that you are having counselling.  However, your doctor will be able to check if you have an illness that requires medical treatment

Residential Counselling (as a Hospital Inpatient)

Telephone counselling

For some people facing psychological or emotional distress, telephone counselling can be as effective as face-to-face counselling. Telephone counselling can provide many benefits, such as ease of access, especially for those who may be unable to travel (e.g. for reasons of health, disability or excessive distance). For some carers, telephone counselling could provide a regular time to focus on their own needs. Telephone counselling can feel a safer way of talking about deeply personal issues, emotions and experiences.

However, it is important to emphasise that the Burrswood telephone counselling service for outpatients is not a help line for crisis situations, nor is it for general advice or guidance.  The Burrswood telephone counselling service will always be a planned form of help. 

For more information on telephone counselling click here.
For details of the telephone counselling service agreement click here.

Our counsellors

Burrswood Counselling Service is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and is bound by its code of ethics, practice and complaints procedure. The Burrswood counsellors are all members or accredited members of the BACP or the UK Council of Psychotherapist (UKCP) and have all been trained to at least Diploma level. Therefore they can all provide a wide range of therapeutic interventions and approaches.

Charges:

Burrswood’s Access to Care Fund is in place to provide financial assistance to those of limited means. Subject to means-testing and assessment, we can offer up to 12 counselling sessions at a discount of up to 60%. And for those experiencing exceptionally harsh financial problems Burrswood’s Low-Cost Counselling service is available for those with mild-to-moderate symptoms. Self-referral for low-cost face-to-face counselling is encouraged and once a means-tested application has been accepted, the usual fee of £39.50 will be reduced to £12 per session.

Appointment times:
Outpatient appointments are available at Burrswood hospital Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm. We also have a limited number of evening and Saturday appointments available.

For more information or to book a counselling session, please contact us on 01892 865990 or email us at counselling@burrswood.org.uk. In the unlikely event that you don’t get on with the counsellor you can let another member of the counselling team know and we will allocate a different counsellor.