Counselling & Therapy

Counselling and therapy is available to anyone regardless of age, gender or when the assault/abuse took place. You do not have to report an incident to be able to engage in our therapy service.

What is counselling and therapy?
Counselling and therapy cover a range of talking therapies. Where talking about emotions feels difficult, our therapists will help you to find other ways to express your feelings such as writing, drawing and other creative methods you feel comfortable with.

Therapy might include talking about your life experiences, (past and present), feelings, emotions, relationships, ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour. Our therapists will do their best to help you to look at your current difficulties and help you find healthier ways of coping.

Therapy is not advice. You will not be told what to do. Your therapist will help you make your own decisions and identify what is right for you. Therapy helps to increase your self-awareness and this can empower you to make positive changes in your life.

Am I ready for therapy?
All service users must undergo an initial assessment with a member of our team before therapy can begin. This is to make sure you are in a position to benefit from the service and that you are having the right support at the right time.

Therapy offers you the tools that can enable you make positive changes in your life. Therapy is a two way process between the therapist and the client and you must feel ready and willing to engage in this process.

Before completing a referral form, take a look here to help you decide if you are ready.

How do I start?
If you decide you would like to start counselling with us, you will need to complete a referral form.

What happens once I have referred myself?
You will be placed on our waiting list which is currently 6-12 months. If you would like an update on your/your clients position on the waiting list please email help@sv2.org.uk

You will be offered an assessment appointment once one becomes available, this appointment is to assess your current needs and to ensure that you get the right service at the right time. This appointment will last up to half hour.

Once therapy starts, you will attend weekly sessions (usually lasting 50 minutes) at an agreed place, day and time. Our appointments take place face to face, online via video call using Google Meet or Whatsapp or by telephone. It is your choice what your preference is to attend face to face or via online/telephone. When attending face to face the therapy room is private, undisturbed and cannot be overheard or interrupted. If you are accessing therapy online/phone please ensure that your space is also private and free from interruptions.

See our locations
Your therapist will talk you through the SV2 Contract which is an agreement between you and your counsellor.

There is no set number of sessions for each client. We recommend a minimum of six sessions. At the moment we are offering 8 sessions for adults and 10 sessions for children.

SV2 is a BACP (British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy) Accredited Service and therefore adheres to its Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions

We believe that:
• Rape and sexual abuse in themselves are not medical problems, and we should not rush to medicalise consequences, especially where not pre-existing
• Rape and sexual abuse are a violation of self, and an integral part of healing is restructuring the self
• Rape and sexual abuse occur within the context of a relationship, and therefore a major part of healing must be through a relationship
• Complex trauma may take some time to heal

Holistic Therapies
As an SV2 Therapy client you can access our Holistic Therapies listed below:
• Reiki
• Trauma Sensitive Yoga
To access these services please email help@sv2.org.uk
To find out more about our Holistic Therapies Click Here