a non-profit charitable Company Limited by Guarantee
Thank you and welcome to the Charis counselling page. We find that it is helpful to explain a few things about the counselling we offer, some of which is covered in the first section, ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ (FQAs), and followed by a summary of our professional ethics. If you need more information please feel free to email us via the contact form at the bottom of this page.
our mission statement
The mission of Charis counselling is to provide a safe and confidential space for anyone in need to talk about their issues and concerns within the context of a contracted therapeutic relationship. As a voluntary donation-based professional counselling service our counsellors gift their time and professional expertise to enhance the mental health and well-being of our clients, regardless of ability to pay, with clients contributing what they can afford.
FAQ's
There are times in all our lives when we feel unable to cope. Sometimes the causes of these problems seem fairly clear and we know where to turn for assistance. At other times our problems are difficult to understand we can find no answer from our own resources or from the people we know.
Talking to a counsellor, who is impartial and skilled, can help us work through our personal or relationship difficulties and find our own unique and personal way forward.
Counsellors are trained to listen and to help us explore the experience and origins of our feelings, thoughts and behaviours in a safe, confidential and non-judgmental relationship. Counselling does not claim to be the answer to all human difficulties, but it can help us find our own answers in a safe and supportive environment. In this way counselling assists us to understand ourselves more and move towards more effective ways of coping, enabling us to have greater control and choice in our lives.
Charis counselling service is available to anyone; as an individual you may self-refer by contacting us directly for an appointment, either by telephone, letter or calling in to the agency personally. As a statutory body, agency/organisation or church you may wish to make an official referral in writing on behalf of someone. Contact will then be established and maintained with the person who has been referred.
The counselling centre is open Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 4.30pm. The service offers flexibility in timing, with four 50-minute appointments available throughout the day; 9.45; 11.15; 1.30 and 3.00pm.
We offer a maximum of 20 regular weekly appointments with 6 weekly reviews. In some instances, a contract may be extended after a consultation between your counsellor and the counselling manager.
We offer an appointment-based system which means that when you contact us for an appointment, we start by offering you an initial assessment appointment with a senior counsellor, usually after a short wait.
After this initial session your availability and flexibility, as well as the availability of a suitable counsellor, will help to inform how long you have to wait before beginning regular weekly counselling. The more flexible you can be with your availability, the more quickly we are likely to be able to allocate you to a counsellor. The waiting list is reviewed each week by the counselling manager and administrator.
Counselling at Charis is offered to everyone on a voluntary donation basis. Whilst all of the counsellors and reception team gift their time and expertise to Charis, the counselling service has considerable costs, including professional fees to governing bodies, indemnity insurance, supervision, training, and costs for utilities etc. We have never received funding from central or local government and have, for the last 30 years, relied entirely on the gifting of individuals who share the vision for providing this counselling service. However, this funding stream has significantly dropped over the years and in order to keep the counselling service open we have introduced a voluntary donations scheme, starting January 2023.
What does this mean for you as a client? As part of your commitment to counselling, we invite you to consider making a financial donation each time you attend a session based on what is genuinely affordable to you. This regular weekly donation is discussed during the initial assessment and can be reviewed throughout the counselling. Based on our research of other agencies we anticipate that donations will generally be in the region of £5 to £50. You can make your donation by card, bank transfer, PayPal or cash.
If your counselling is to be provided for an employer or another organisation then £50 per session is charged.
Counselling ethics
Professional recognition – since 2005 Charis has been an organisational member of, and formally recognised by, COSCA, the main body for counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland. This involves regular monitoring and quality assurance procedures and ensures that we adhere to and work within the professional ethical guidelines described in the COSCA Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice.
Qualifications – all Charis counsellors are trained and qualified to a minimum of Diploma level, or are students on placement and in the final stages of a Diploma level qualification. All counsellors work within the agency’s commitment to the COSCA Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice, and if their personal registration is with a different accrediting body they will also work within the requirements of their professional standards e.g., BACP, UKCP, ACC.
Supervision – all Charis counsellors receive ongoing one-to-one external professional supervision at the required ratio of client hours set by their accrediting body. Counsellors also receive monthly group supervision as well as support for further personal and professional development throughout the year.
Placements – we offer placements to students in the final stages of their Diploma training.
If you require further information, please go to www.cosca.org.uk
Complaints
We endeavour to provide a high quality and professional counselling service to all of our clients. If you are unhappy or have any concerns about any aspect of our service, please let a member of the team know. Your complaint or concern will be investigated and discussed with those involved and you will be informed of the outcome.
Charis counselling Complaints Policy and Procedures document can be found here.
Findings from Research
In my counselling practice over many years, I have experienced the building in which I work to play a tangible role in contributing to the counselling relationship and process. Explicit communication from clients on how they experience the Charis building invites me to consider the question: ‘To what extent does their almost mystical experience of the building actually influence the quality of the therapy offered?’
The following research study features Charis, a purpose-built counselling centre designed to implicitly convey five core values of acceptance, worth, hope, peace and belonging (and an associated encounter with the numinous, something ‘other’).
‘Indwelling’: The role of the built environment in the counselling relationship and process. MSc in Counselling Research Study by Joyce Nicoll.
This research study featured Charis counselling, a purpose built counselling centre designed to implicitly convey core values of acceptance, worth, peace and belonging. Various counselling models, and perhaps supremely person-centred theory, suggest that ‘conditions’ for growth in a relationship is when the client experiences the ‘core conditions’ of congruence, acceptance and empathic understanding.
The Aims of the study were to explore whether, and how, the implicit presence of the core values of the agency can be relationally experienced by the client (and the counsellor) when ‘concretised’ in the built environment. Key findings from the analysis paper entitled ‘Building shapes to stimulate connection, choice and change’ are available on request.