What types of help are available?

We offer individual face to face and telephone counselling sessions on a regular weekly basis for people in the Darlington area on a range of personal issues.

Counselling

Counselling is a type of talking therapy. People talk to a counsellor about their problems. Counsellors are trained to listen sympathetically and can help people deal with any negative thoughts and feelings that they have.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends talking therapies for treating a number of different health conditions.

For example, counselling may be helpful in treating:

• depression,

• anxiety,

• obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD),

• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),

• long-term illnesses,

• eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, and

• substance abuse.

Counselling can help people to:

• discuss their problems honestly and openly,

• deal with issues that are preventing them from achieving their goals and ambitions, and

• have a more positive outlook on life.

Everyone has different ways of coping with their personal difficulties. People often deal with stressful situations and events by talking to their partner, a family member or a friend. However, in certain situations, talking to a professional counsellor may be more helpful.

Counselling can be a positive way of addressing any unresolved issues that you have. It can help you to understand your problems better, rather than ignoring them and hoping that they will go away, only for them to come back later. It can also give you a better understanding of other people's points of view.