Referrals for 11-25 year olds
You can get help by completing a referral form here.
Alternatively, you can email admin@winchesteryouthcounselling.org or call us on 01962 820 444.
- Anxiety
- Social anxiety
- Low mood and mild depression
- Emotional and behavioural issues
- Obsessional behaviours
- Peer group difficulties
- School refusal or non-attendance
- Body image issues
- Gender or/and sexuality related issues
- Minor substance abuse
- Self-harm and suicidal thoughts
- Impact of sexual abuse and trauma
- Bereavement
- Severe depression
- Psychosis
- Suicidal behaviour and recent attempts
- Severe substance misuse
- Dangerous behaviour
- Severe learning difficulties
- Issues related to adoption and being adopted
- Severe PTSD
Please visit our Useful links page for further options of support.
One-to-one youth counselling is offered free of charge to children and young people looking for our help.
We are currently accepting new referrals for one-to-one youth counselling, but there is a waiting list. Please complete the referral enquiry form and we will be in touch with you very shortly.
An initial consultation may take up to 4-6 weeks and after that there may be an additional waiting time of approximately 4-6 months depending on your availability.
If you would like additional support during this period, and you are aged 11-16, you may be able to join our weekly Nature Therapy group on a Thursday afternoon.
If you are aged 11-25 you may also attend our Wellbeing Walk-In, open every Wednesday from 4-5pm at The Southdowns Social café in Winchester – for more information, please visit our Wellbeing Walk-In page here.
Eligibility
To be eligible for youth counselling, you must be:
- Aged 11-25
- Available for daytime counselling sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays
- Committed to attending weekly appointments
- Making the personal choice to come to counselling – it needs to be your idea to come for help and not someone else’s.
Availability
Please note that we cannot offer early evening appointments, and we are not currently open on Fridays or weekends.
When you refer yourself or a young person for youth counselling, please state your/their availability for counselling sessions.
Helpful resources
In the meantime, please find below information about alternative sources of support.
- Kooth offers free, safe, and anonymous mental wellbeing support: www.kooth.com
- Olive Branch https://www.theolivebranch.org.uk
- Friends of the Family https://www.fotfwinchester.org
- Useful links on self-help:
- If you need more urgent support, please contact your GP, NHS 111 or one of the following services:
Recommended Apps
Calm Harm
The Calm Harm app by stem4 helps young people resist or manage the urge to self-harm. Developed by Dr Nihara Krause, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, in collaboration with young people, the Calm Harm app uses strategies from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to help users learn to identify and manage their ‘emotional mind’, teaching impulse control, emotional regulation and tracking underlying triggers to harmful urges.
It is not a substitute for the assessment and individualised treatment by a health/mental health professional.’ https://calmharm.co.uk/faqs/
Available from Google Play and the App Store: https://calmharm.co.uk
Medito
A free and well-designed app that helps you practise meditation, a practice known to improve mental wellbeing.
https://meditofoundation.org/medito-app
For Parents and Carers, relatives and friends:
Combined Minds
Combined Minds is an app developed for teenage mental health charity Stem4 by Dr. Nihara Krause, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, to help families and friends support young people with their mental health. It uses a Strengths Based approach to encourage resilience. They are keen to stress that it is an aid in treatment, not a replacement.