Counselling
Specialist LGBT+ Counselling in Thames Valley
Whether you are struggling with mental health issues, your identity, or just need someone to talk to, we believe help should be accessible to everyone.
We provide a confidential counselling service, that helps individuals to talk about their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Gender Identity concerns.
Our free counselling service is designed to offer a safe and confidential place for clients to come and talk about any issues that are concerning them.
Maybe you are worried about coming out or have questions around your gender identity, or may something that not directly related to LGBT+ issues at all. We are here to listen, so please don’t suffer alone.
Counsellors at Support U are trained and practicing professionals with regular supervision provided from senior staff members at NHS Berkshire. We make sure you are always in good hands when you need help the most!
There can be a wait for our counselling services as it is often very busy. As we are the only free provider of LGBT+ counselling within the Thames Valley this can mean a wait of up to 8 weeks. When a counsellor agrees to take on your case, you will have 8 fully funded sessions provided free of charge. Additional paid sessions are available.
Take a look at some of our frequently asked questions about this service below:
If you wish to see a counsellor for an initial consultation and to understand a bit more about what counselling might be like, please get in touch. Please be aware that counsellors will assess all requests for this service and may determine that your needs are better met by our support team or a third party service. We do not guarantee access to the counselling service.
If you’re already in contact with our support team, let your support advisor know and they’ll get you in touch with the counselling team.
For third party organisations wishing to refer a client to our specialist service, please contact us and the counselling team will be in touch directly.
Sessions are conducted in a safe and secure location; we hold counselling sessions in our Wellbeing Rooms based at Spaces, Greyfriars Road, Reading RG1 1NU. If you’ve any specific requirements, please let us know ahead of your session.
Sessions are usually 50 minutes long, please arrive 5 mins before your appointment is scheduled. There is access to free refreshments in our informal waiting area.
We initially offer up to a maximum of 8 free sessions.
Counselling may be right for you if you’re looking to improve the quality of your life. Whenever there is anything that interferes with your happiness or prevents you from achieving your goals, we may be able to help. All of our team is experienced with LGBTQ+ issues and the LGBTQ+ community, every identity under this umbrella is welcome to use our service. If you do not come under the LGBTQ+ umbrella please contact Talking Therapies.
Counselling with Support U is not the right solution for you if any of the following is true:
– You are undergoing counselling with another provider
– You have already received counselling within the last 6 months from us
– You are under the age of 18 or you are under the care of a legal guardian
– You are in an urgent crisis or an emergency situation please contact The Crisis team
– You are already in psychological supervision or psychiatric care
Our counselling service is often in high demand and there can be a small waiting list.
400
Since we started our counselling service we have delivered (approx) this many sessions to clients.
Each year we now deliver this large number of free counselling sessions to our users….
120
£50
This is how much 1 counselling session costs to run. Would you like to sponsor this service? Click here for more details.