Tel:  0800  023  2201

OUR  WORK Support  for  refugees  and  asylum  seekers  •  Bullying  in  schools  and  youth  work  •  Counselling  Discrimina on  

in  employment  •Family  acceptance  •  Gender  reassignment  guidance  and  support  •  Hate  crime  •  

Housing  and  homelessness  •  LGBT  Heritage  in  Wales  •  Older  LGBT  people  advocacy  •  Support  for  LGBT  prisoners  •  Tailored  training  packages  covering  sexual  orienta on  and  gender  iden ty  •  Conferences  and  Events  •  Networking  ac vi es  •  Se ng  up  LGBT  networks  and  groups  •  Rainbow  Mark  Accredita on  •  

Employee  assistance  programme  •Bespoke  consultancy  services

Phone: 0800 023 2201 www.lgbtec.org.uk

E-mail: helpline@lgbtec.org

What is Counselling?

Counselling  is  a  way  of  exploring            problems  and  our  ability  to  manage  

them.  

It  aims  to  offer  a  safe  place  to  talk  about  

difficul es  and    distress.      Some mes  the  

cause  of  our            dis-­‐tress  is  clear  from  the  

start,    some mes  it  is  

not.    

It  is  o en  easier  to  talk  in  confidence  to  

someone  who  is  not  

involved  in  our  everyday  lives.      

Counsellors  are  trained  to  listen                    respec ully  and      carefully,  without  

judging.    

Counselling  helps  us  to  clarify  thoughts  

and  feelings,  to  come  to  terms  with      

experiences  or  find  ways  of  resolving  problems  and  making  changes.        

Counsellors  have  a  variety  of  skills,  and  

will  work  in  the  way  that  best  suits          

individual  needs.  

Counselling can help overcome problems and improve feelings

LGBT EXCELLENCE CENTRE

Counselling Service

LGBT EXCELLENCE CENTRE

What  can  counselling  help  you  with?   Sexual  Orienta on  and            

Gender    Iden ty  issues General  Unhappiness Loneliness Anxiety,  Stress Family  Problems Bullying Bereavement Rela onship  Issues Self-Harm Pressures  at  work,   Poor  Mo va on Drug  or  Alcohol  related  issues Life  transi ons Physical  Injury  

Why  LGBT-Specific  counselling?  

While  qualified  counsellors  can  support  people  with  most  issues,    we  strongly  believe  that  it  is  very  important  for  counsellors  to  have  a  good  understanding  of  sexual  orienta on  and  gender  iden ty  ma ers.    

This  allows  people  to  discuss  their  issues  openly  and  with  confidence,  without  having  to  worry  about  their  sexual  orienta on  or  gender  iden ty  or  feeling  that  they  need  to  explain  themselves.  

Our  service  is  set  up  to  provide  LGBT  people,  their  families  and  friends,  or  anyone  who  would  like  to  explore  issues  around  sexual  orienta on  and  gender  iden ty,  the  chance  to  do  so  in  a            knowledgeable  and                relaxed  environment.  

How  much  does  it  cost?  

The  service  is                                means-tested  to  ensure  a                        reasonable  cost.                          Counselling  may  be  free  to    under  18s  and  those  on  low  income  but  this  will  be      discussed  at  assessment.  

Our  Counsellors  are  professionally  trained  and  experienced.  We  comply  with  BACP/IACP  standards  and  our  counsellors  receive  regular  supervision  from  a  qualified  prac oner.    Our  trainee  counsellors  operate  under  the  close  supervision  of  experienced  supervisors.  

To  make  an  appointment,  please  contact  us  on  :   0800  023  2201

How  does  it  work?  

Counselling  sessions  last  about  50  minutes  and  take  place  in  a  private  and  relaxed  se ng.  The  first  session  is  an  opportunity  to  meet  your          counsellor  and  discuss  how  counselling  could  help  with  your  difficul es.  Research  suggests  that  the  most            important  ingredient  for  success  is  that  you  and  your  counsellor  form  a  good  rela onship  with  each  other.    If  you  do  not  feel  comfortable  with  your  counsellor,  whatever  the  reason,  it  may  be  be er  for  you  to  see  someone  else.    

If  you  feel  that  counselling  is  a  way  forward,  the  counsellor  will  offer  you  further  appointments.  

What  about  confiden ality?  

Confiden ality  is  required  by  professional  codes  of  conduct.    Counsellors  will  respect  confiden al      informa on  except  where  disclosure  is  required  by  law,  or  is  necessary  to  protect  someone’s          personal  safety  or  is  in  the  public  interest.    Your  records  will  be  stored  safely  and  cannot  be  looked  at  by  anyone  outside  the  service