Let’s talk
Willows offers you a listening ear, support and guidance.
Find the right therapy for you
Willows can help you if you are feeling…
Overwhelmed with life issues, anxious, angry and irritable, confused, depressed, defensive, experiencing nightmares or flashbacks, fearful, hopelessness, isolated, a lack of direction, loss and grief, low self-esteem and confidence, stressed, suffering with an eating disorder, traumatised, tearful, unfairly judged, withdrawn from others, or other difficult thoughts and emotions.
Please contact us on 01793 426 650
If you need immediate, urgent support, have thoughts of self-harm or suicide call The Samaritans 24-hour free helpline on 116 123
About Willows Counselling
- Willows has been supporting people’s mental health for over 32 years – we’re embedded in the community and understand its issues.
- You can talk to us in confidence about how you feel. We listen to what you say, how you are feeling and together find a way to quieten troubling thoughts and reactions
Willows uses a CORE questionnaire to track changes in an individual’s well-being, as they describe how they feel. Most people come to us with ‘moderate challenges’ and leave with low or mild mental health challenges.
What to expect at Willows
- You will be treated with respect.
- Our team of counsellors are trained in a range of therapies and specialisms so that you can be partnered with a counsellor with specific knowledge around the issues you are facing.
- You and your counsellor meet weekly to talk in confidence about whatever is on your mind. They’ll listen to your feelings, thoughts and emotions and help you manage troubling thoughts and reactions, as well as sharing useful information and resources.
- Counselling sessions can take place either online or if in person, in an informal home style ‘living room’, it’s your choice. You are here to tell us how you are and we are here to listen. Sessions last for one hour and are at an agreed time each week and are reviewed regularly.
NHS
Provides counselling free-of-charge. Weekly appointments are rarely offered, can be ad hoc and up to six weeks between sessions. Counselling is limited to six to 12 sessions.
Counselling focuses on changing thinking and behaviour (through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT): helpful for issues such as phobias, work-related stress etc. People with deeper difficulties such as bereavement, depression, deep anxiety, issues relating to people or abuse often require a different approach.
Self-help
Self-help can give you a comfortable sense of order and control. There are various websites, apps and books which can be accessed at a time that suits. However, without an objective supportive person walking you through, self-help can be hard to sustain.
Private
Generally there is no wait to start your sessions and counsellors offer flexibility in appointments –helpful for people with busy lives. Around £50 – £65+ for a 45-60 minute session.
Specialised services
There are dedicated services for specific issues such as bereavement, addiction and relationships. Willows will advise you if we think a specialised service might suit you but you can always choose to continue with Willows.
Willows Trauma Therapy
Willows has a long experience of working with people who have experienced trauma.
Trauma is when you have experienced an overwhelming or deeply disturbing event in life that has been frightening causing extreme emotional responses. This can include, childhood abuse, domestic abuse, losses leading to complex grief, illness and disability.
We offer trauma therapy, informed by research and current neuroscience to help clients to manage enduring emotional responses, stress and dissociation affecting their life. We offer a safe environment to help clients to explore the traumatic situation and disturbing memories and relieve symptoms.
Unique informed and integrated counselling
Willows offers an Integrative Approach to Counselling
Willows follows an integrated approach to your well-being. Counselling practitioners are skilled in a range of therapies and approaches.
- We provide short-term and long-term counselling.
- Willows constantly evaluates its work and efficacy. Our professional development is focused on giving service-users the best support.
Through research we’ve developed useful products to help people manage their mental health throughout each day.
It is important that you find somewhere that feels safe and is a good fit for you.
- When you make a referral you will be matched to a counsellor, with the best experience, to work with you to gain insight into what is happening to you and find a way forward, either in your mental or emotional health, situation or fears.
Willows will support you to better mental health.
- Your counsellor will work with you to establish what you want from counselling and help to you get there.
- We listen to you and provide you with useful information and resources.
- You can tell your story and work through your challenges at your own pace.
- You’ll meet your counsellor regularly, based on clinical needs.
Specialised services and signposting
- We offer initial assessment of your needs and on occasions we identify issues outside of our training and competency. On these occasions you will be signposted to other dedicated services for specific issues such as bereavement, addiction and serious mental health issues. Willows will advise you if we think a specialised service might be of benefit to you.
Request information or ask a question
Call us on 01793 426 650
Costs
As a charity Willows seeks to provide affordable counselling for the people of Swindon and surrounding area. All counselling is subsidised and fees are necessary to cover the costs of the service.
Counselling session fees are on a sliding scale as we understand that everyone’s circumstances are different:
£45 income over £35,000 per year (£50 from 01 October 2023)
£35 income between £20,000 and £35,000 per year (£40 from 01 October 2023)
£30 income between £10,000 and £20,000 per year (£35 from 01 October 2023)
£20 income less than £10,000 per year (£25 from 01 October 2023)
A one off admin fee is charged at £15.
What to do next
If you feel that you would like to receive counselling –
- Call us on 01793 426650
- We will take down your details and send you some more information.
- Complete the forms and return them to us
- Pay your non-returnable £15 registration fee.
- When we have received this, we will begin to look for a counsellor for you
- We will call you to make a first appointment.
Everyone is asked to pay a one off registration fee towards our administration costs. £15 or (£5 if you are unwaged, Senior Citizen or student)
To give you an idea, £50 covers the cost of each session.
Willows is officially a Recognised Counselling Service and organisational member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society – a distinct mark of quality and recognition.
If you’d like to browse the Counselling Directory you can find it at: www.counselling-directory.org.uk
Getting here
We are located in the heart of Old Town, Swindon. We have free car-parking and are close to bus routes on Victoria Road.