Orchard Counselling (formerly Wantage Counselling and Training Centre) is situated in Wantage, Oxfordshire. It provides affordable counselling for the local community as well as those living throughout Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and West Berkshire. Orchard Counselling works with adults aged 18 plus and businesses.
In 2014, 19.7% of people in the UK aged 16 and over showed symptoms of anxiety or depression. Working with a counsellor can help resolve many past and present difficulties, enabling people to manage their daily lives more successfully and most importantly, to help them to feel more at ease with themselves. Many clients have said how counselling was life changing. Relationship counselling can be a life-line to couples who are struggling, with the focus on understanding how they relate to one another. 75% of mental health problems are established by the age of 24. Counselling can help young people deal with a range of issues from sexual health, family breakdown or anger management, to feelings of inadequacy or fear. These figures are likely to have been significantly impacted by the events of the last 12 months and the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
Although the NHS offers counselling free of charge, waiting lists are long (clients often wait between six to eighteen months depending on the service they are referred to), the type of therapy available is limited and is often short term. When a client is referred for counselling, they require support immediately so after a long wait their symptoms have worsened, the impact on their relationships is more significant and some are unable to maintain employment. There is a greater risk of crime in the community, reports of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and higher incidences of family breakdown. The longer the wait for support, the deeper difficulties are embedded. This results in a need for longer term therapy, with an increased risk of relapse, a reduction in positive outcomes and a larger drain on already stretched resources.
All our counsellors are volunteers and have either completed in-depth training or are in the final stages of doing so. Orchard Counselling provides regular group supervision with a senior psychotherapist for all volunteers. Supervision is essential and enables counsellors to discuss their client’s presenting issues with another professional as well as gain support when dealing with particularly challenging situations.
Orchard Counselling can respond to an individual’s need for support, often as rapidly as within a week. The types of therapy offered are varied ensuring the client accesses the most appropriate modality to meet their needs. We aim to provide an affordable service meaning people who cannot afford fees charged by private counsellors can access timely professional help. All clients are asked to contribute an amount for the counselling they receive. This is decided in consultation with the client and is based on what the client can realistically afford. Every penny goes back into funding the costs of operating the service.
