What is counselling?
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.
What is Mental Health and Well-being
support?
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).
Confidentiality and Data
Protection
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.
Will I feel better straight away?
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.
What happens next?
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.
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.
How do I get in touch?
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.
Abbey Street Community Centre, Abbey Street,
Worksop, Nottinghamshire. S80 2LA
01909 530943 - 07368 323945
info@talkzone.org.uk - www.talkzone.org.uk
Equality Statement
We are committed to treating all people equally and with respect regardless of their
sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, ethnicity, religion or ability. We provide
appointments in fully accessible venues across Bassetlaw.
We are an LGBT+ inclusive service and have LGBT+ specialist staff. If an LGBT+ specialist
is required please make this clear within the referral.
Charity number: 1074728
General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
UK Data Protection Laws requires our organisation to manage all personal
information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations. In
particular, we are required to process your personal information fairly, lawfully
and in a transparent manner. This means that you are entitled to know how we
intend to use any information you provide. You can then decide whether you
want to give it to us in order for us to provide the service or services that you
require.
In accordance with GDPR all of the information we request and collect is for the
legitimate purpose of accessing our services. All contact information will be
used to contact you with details of service and or services that you have
requested. Your personal details will not be retained for any other purpose, nor
will they be shared with any other organisation, without your consent.
All of our staff are responsible for maintaining your confidentiality. As an
organisation we provide training to all members of staff and ensure that they
are aware of their obligations. In addition to this our policies and procedures are
regularly audited and reviewed.
Talkzone offers free, confidential mental health support and counselling for children
and young people, aged 11-25, in Bassetlaw.
These services provide a safe space to talk and offer support for children and young
people focusing on anger, low moods, confusion, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm,
bullying, relationship/family breakdowns, low self-esteem, or issues around sexual
orientation or gender identity.
Appointments for counselling and mental health and well-being support are provided
across Bassetlaw in a range of venues, we can also provide telephone and video
appointments.