My Sisters Place
Adult Counselling
Counselling and Therapeutic Services
My Sisters Place provides free and confidential face to face/one to one counselling and therapeutic services to survivors aged 16 and over who are currently experiencing or have experienced and/or witnessed domestic abuse as adults and children or both and encompasses all forms of abuse.
Safety, Hope, Change
Hidden so all closed
Trauma Informed Counselling
Supporting recovery and freedom from abuse
At My Sisters Place the counselling and therapy we provide is ‘trauma informed’ and in many cases ‘trauma specific’. We offer free and confidential one to one trauma informed counselling for women and male survivors 16 years and over who have experienced and or witnessed abuse of any kind, either historical or on-going. We place our client’s needs at the centre of our service delivery and design to ensure equitable access without discrimination.
Trauma informed means is that all of our counsellor’s and therapists are trained and understand the impacts of interpersonal trauma. They understand how this can impact and affect you as an individual and most importantly are able to help you understand what is happening and help reduce some of the symptoms of trauma that you may be experiencing.
Abuse can include physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, financial, coercive control, harassment, stalking, on-line or digital, forced marriage, honour based violence and female genital mutilation (FGM). These experiences of abuse may have been with;
- a partner of any sex, husband, boyfriend, wife, girlfriend
- a parent either biological, adoptive or foster
- in-laws
- a grandparent
- a brother
- a sister
- a daughter
- a son
- a family member
- someone known to us or our family
- a carer
- someone we just met
- someone we met on-line
Experiencing abuse of any kind can leave us with a whole range of difficult and challenging emotions and reactions, and we can feel confused, scared and unsure of many things.
At My Sisters Place we commit to support you at every stage of your recovery from those experiences and understand that being free of the impacts of abuse is complicated and can take time, its just not that ‘black and white’ and often feelings don’t end when we leave relationships or the abuse stops.
We will offer you an accepting and non-judgemental space to discuss and explore the range of complicated thoughts feelings and emotions you are experiencing at whatever stage you are at in your journey weather you:
- are still in a relationship.
- are thinking about leaving.
- have left but are still dealing with confusing emotions.
- have left the relationship but are experiencing on-going issues with the abusive person/s.
- have been away from the abuser for many years but still feel impacted by your experiences.
- are now in a healthy relationship but feel your past experiences are affecting how you feel with your new partner.
Click here to find out how to access.
EMDR
EMDR Therapy for Trauma
EMDR or it to give the approach its full name is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a very specific evidence based trauma treatment which is used to treat symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Although commonly used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), EMDR can also be used to treat other conditions in which disturbing memories play a part.
How does EMDR therapy work?
When a traumatic event happens, the strong emotions we experience can interfere with our ability to completely process the experience and that moment or experience can become “frozen in time.” When this happens recalling the traumatic event may feel as though we are reliving the event all over again because the images, smells, sounds, and feelings are still there and can be triggered in the present.
When triggered these memories cause a negative impact on our daily functioning and interfere with the way we see ourselves and our world, and how we relate to others. EMDR therapy directly affects the brain, helping to “unfreeze” the traumatic memories, and allowing you to resolve them. Over time the disturbing memory and associated beliefs, feelings, sensations become more integrated into our memory so when we think about the situation we don’t feel like we are reliving it. EMDR does not get rid of the memory, the memory is still there, but it is less upsetting.
EMDR uses left to right eye movements which help relieves the anxiety associated with the trauma so that the original event can be examined from a more detached perspective, somewhat like watching a movie of what happened. This enables you to access ways of thinking about the original trauma, or reprocessing the trauma, which allows your body to release stored negative emotional responses which reduce the bodies reaction to it, this is known in EMDR as desensitization.
How do I access EMDR Therapy?
The first step is to contact us so we can arrange a face to face appointment at My Sisters Place office on Borough Road where you will be greeted by a member of the counselling team. This is an opportunity for you to find out more about EMDR and ask any questions you may have that will put you at ease. Feel free to write down questions prior to the appointment if that helps.
You can arrange an appointment by contacting the Counselling Team directly on 01642 256036. Sometimes we may not be able to answer your call immediately but you can leave a voicemail message leaving your name and a contact number and a member of the team will contact you to arrange the appointment.
During the appointment we will explain in more detail what EMDR is and what you can expect during your EMDR therapy.
At the end of the appointment if you feel EMDR is the most appropriate therapy for you your request will be progressed and how you will be contacted when a start date becomes available. We know that taking the decision to address our past can feel daunting so there is no obligation to go ahead at this time, if you need time to think about it, that’s ok too, you can re-contact us at anytime and let us know. We appreciate that it has to feel like the right time for you.
Due to the demand for EMDR within the service waiting times may be longer however you will be given some indication at your face to face appointment.
Online Counselling
What is VIDEO OR WEBCAM counselling at My Sisters Place
Video or webcam counselling is delivered using Video or webcam and it is a video conferencing software that you download onto your phone or a computer which enables you see your counsellor face to face from a device whilst engaging in therapy and discussion and exploring difficulties you might be having. These sessions take place in a secure and encrypted environment which offers you confidentiality and safety.
This can feel more like traditional face to face counselling and will be arranged around times and days that are convenient for the session to take place. This is usually a time and day that fits with your schedule and can be made from a location you choose/prefer.
Benefits of Video or Webcam Counselling
- It can feel more convenient and easier way of talking to a counsellor as it fits more flexibly around other commitments, time pressures or other personal situations.
- Therapy can take place from our own home or from any safe location at a time that suits you.
- For some it feels easier not being seen going into a counselling service and worrying about seeing someone they know either in the service or someone seeing them going into the service.
- You are able to see your counsellor and be able to communicate in the same way as you would in a more familiar face to face session and can see facial expressions, body language etc.
- You may feel too anxious to go to new places but still want to access some counselling and it gives you an opportunity to see your counsellor face to face.
- You can still access counselling and access support if you have a physical condition that makes it difficult for you attend counselling at My Sisters Place.
- It can be more affordable – even though the services that we offer are free of charge video or webcam counselling can cut cost of travelling to and from sessions and video or webcam is free to download and use.
Disadvantages of Video or webcam Counselling
- As you are responsible for ensuring privacy at your end you will need a private and confidential space where you can talk in confidence, where you will not be overhead or where someone may walk in on your session. Sometimes if others are close by that may impact on what you share with the counsellor during the session as you may find that you are more distracted if there are other people, partners, children other family members around.
- You may feel uncomfortable seeing yourself on screen – however your counsellor will talk through options of making this easier and turning cameras on and off and minimising the screen to make it more comfortable.
- You may feel uncomfortable with your counsellor seeing inside your home or the place you are taking the video or webcam call.
- You may be distracted by the environment/backgrounds your counsellor is making the video or webcam call from and want to know more about what you can see – however your counsellor will always make sure that distractions during the call are minimised.
- There may be technological problems which can arise on a call. The call signal may be poor or there may be interference that may slow down or freeze the session or the signal may be lost completely and the session is unable to go ahead (although we would discuss options if this did happen)
- You may have to end the call suddenly if you are interrupted or you may not want someone to see your counsellor if you are suddenly disturbed.
Things to consider before deciding go ahead with a video or webcam counselling
As with all types of counselling/therapy each has its advantages and disadvantages. Click Things to consider for Video Counselling to help you decide if video or webcam counselling is the right choice for you.
Next step
If after considering the above you would like to progress with video counselling please either email, call or text to the following:
EMAIL
Click to Email Counselling Service
TELEPHONE
01642 256036 (direct line)
TEXT
VIDEO COUNSELLING REQUEST to 07941 976087
The counselling team will then contact you directly to provide you with more information
Telephone Counselling
What is telephone counselling at My Sisters Place?
Telephone counselling, which can also be referred to as phone therapy, phone counselling, telephone therapy or telephone counselling is therapy/counselling that involves you speaking to a My Sisters Place counsellor/therapist via phone to address difficulties you might be experiencing rather than travelling to meet your counsellor/therapist face to face in one of our therapy rooms at My Sisters Place.
Just like face to face counselling/therapy telephone sessions usually take place once a week, on the same day and the same time each week. This is usually a time and day that fits with your schedule and can be made from a location you choose/prefer.
Telephone counselling has become very popular in recent years and research shows that this form of therapy can be as effective as more familiar face to face therapy with many benefits.
Benefits of Telephone Counselling
- It can feel more convenient and easier way of talking to a counsellor as it fits more flexibly around other commitments, time pressures or other personal situations.
- Therapy can take place from our own home or from any safe location at a time that suits you.
- For some it feels easier not being seen going into a counselling service and worrying about seeing someone they know either in the service or someone seeing them going into the service.
- You may find it easier to express feelings on the phone rather than face to face, some people say they actually find it easier to talk about some things when they are not in the same room as the person.
- It is a way of communicating that we are all used to using and this can make it feel a little easier.
- You may feel too anxious to go to new places but still want to access some counselling.
- You can still access counselling and access support if you have a physical condition that makes it difficult for you attend counselling at My Sisters Place.
- It can be more affordable – even though the services that we offer are free of charge telephone counselling can cut cost of travelling to and from sessions.
Disadvantages of Telephone Counselling
- As you are responsible for ensuring privacy at your end you will need a private and confidential space where you can talk in confidence, where you will not be overhead or where someone may walk in on your session. Sometimes if others are close by that may impact on what you share with the counsellor during the session as you may find that you are more distracted if there are other people, partners, children other family members around.
- You may feel that it’s harder to communicate what you are feeling if you are unable to see the person as you would in a face to face session, as we often pick up information and read emotions through facial expressions, body language etc and these cue’ s are not available via phone.
- You may find that you say things that you may not have been able to say face to face but this might lead to unexpectedly feel heightened emotional responses very quickly – although this part of therapy and your counsellor would explore this with you it is something to be aware of.
- There may be technological problems which can arise on a call. The call signal may be poor or there may be interference that may affect the session or the signal may be lost resulting in the loss of the call.
As with all types of counselling/therapy each has its advantages and disadvantages. Here is a check list of areas to consider and think about that might help you decide if telephone counselling is the right choice for you. Click Things to consider for Telephone Counselling to help you decide.
If you find you have answered no to many of the questions in ‘Things to Consider for Telephone Counselling’ it may be that this type of therapy may not be suitable for you at this time.
Next step
If after considering the above you would like to progress with telephone counselling please either email, call or text to the following:
Click to Email Counselling Service
TELEPHONE
01642 256036 (direct line)
TEXT
TELEPHONE COUNSELLING REQUEST to 07941 976087
The counselling team will then contact you directly to provide you with more information
How Do I Access?
How do I know if Counselling or Therapy is for me?
You may not know if counselling or therapy is right for you until you find out more about our counselling service. To be sure that you are comfortable coming to our service and to make sure that we feel like the right service for you we offer an 30 minute face to face appointment
How do I make an appointment to find out more about the service and discuss what I need?
The first step is to contact the Counselling Team directly on 01642 256036 to arrange a face to face appointment. Don’t worry if we don’t answer your call immediately, you can leave a voicemail with just your name and contact number and a member of the team will contact you to arrange the appointment as soon as possible. The appointment gives you an opportunity to find out more about our service and ask any questions you may have that will help put you at ease. Feel free to write down any questions prior to the appointment if that helps.
The counsellor will take time to explain the different types of counselling and therapy we offer, let you know how long sessions are, how many session we can offer and explain about confidentiality. Most importantly we will discuss what brings you to counselling and what issues you want to gain some understanding of if you decide to go ahead with counselling.
At the end of the appointment if you feel that counselling is right for you, at this time, the counsellor will explain to you how your request will be progressed and how you will be contacted when a start date for your counselling becomes available. There is no obligation to go ahead at this time, if you need time to think about it, that’s ok too, you can re-contact us at anytime and let us know. We appreciate that it has to feel like the right time for you.
For more frequently asked questions regarding counselling click here
FAQs
Self Help Resources
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What People Say About Our Service
My Sisters Place Counselling and Therapeutic Services work within the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions
Contact Us
If you would like to make an enquiry about any of our services, have any questions please complete the contact form below and we will reply as soon as possible.
Alternatively, if you prefer to speak to us directly, please call us: