LLING SERVICE
CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING SERVICE
'The much need investment I made in healing and growing my inner world that season led to greater relational, emotional and even professional health.'
...Bill Hybels, christian author and founder of Willow Creek Church and Willow Creek Association, talking about the value of counselling in The Power of a Whisper.
WHO IS OUR SERVICE FOR?
Anyone*
You do not have to be a Christian or practicing any faith to access our service. All of our counsellors are experienced in working with people from a very wide spectrum of faith backgrounds and those who practice no faith.
(* We are not able to offer counselling to anyone with a history of sexually offending or abusing behaviour.)
WHAT IS IT FOR?
There is a huge range of issues that prompt people to seek counselling. From our team of counsellors we can work with almost any, including for example:
Abuse, Addictions, Anxiety, Bereavement and other losses, Depression, Disability, Eating disorders, Emotional issues, Fears and Phobias, Family issues or dilemmas, including separation and divorce, Psychological difficulties, Redundancy, Retirement, Relationship issues, Terminal illness and Work related issues.
Counselling is not about giving you advice or quick or ‘easy’ answers. Your counsellor will work with you professionally to help you explore and understand more about your own thoughts and feelings and actions and where you want or need to, move forward to discovering your own solutions, make any decisions and follow through on them.
‘Christian counselling’ does not for us mean necessarily using a particular approach or theory. Your counsellor will draw on training and experience that he/she thinks will best help you as an individual. The Association of Christian Counsellors refers in their ‘definition’ to Christian counselling being:
‘...carried out by a counsellor with a Christian worldview, values and assumptions’
We share that understanding. Elsewhere on this website you can find our statement of faith.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Our counselling service is an integral part of Christian Family Concern which is a long established registered charity. There are no shareholders and none of our services, including counselling, are operated for profit.
We do charge a fee for counselling to enable us to operate the service, paying wages etc. Currently our normal fee is £35.00 a session. A session lasts an hour, unless you have made a different agreement with your counsellor. We do want our service to be accessible to those who cannot afford the full fee, for instance if you are dependent on benefits, and have a limited number of sessions available at a cost of £5.00. You will be asked to pay for your counselling before each session starts.
HOW CAN I ACCESS THE SERVICE?
Ring in to our office on 020 8688 0251 and ask for an appointment. At that point you do not need to say anything about why you want to come for counselling or share any personal details beyond your name and a contact telephone number. Even this bit of information is treated confidentially. You will either be given an initial assessment appointment or we will ring you back as quickly as possible to give you a time and date. If for some reason it is not safe or feasible, for you, for us to ring you back then we will find another way. The initial assessment appointment has no fee and is not with your counsellor. It is an initial conversation that might last just thirty minutes to enable us to match you to one of the counselling team.
Our service is not operating fixed hours at this time, but we do have more appointments available between Mondays to Fridays 9-5 than outside that time. We will do our best to accommodate you as quickly as possible but appointments outside of those times might involve a slightly longer wait.
WHERE DOES THE COUNSELLING TAKE PLACE?
At our South Croydon site at either 42 South Park Hill Road or 17 Birdhurst Avenue. We have parking available. Alternatively we are just a few minutes walk from South Croydon train station and buses - 64, T33 and 409 stop right outside our site. Bus routes – 60,119,166,312,403,405,407,412,455,466 and 468 also stop within a few minutes' walking distance and Lloyd Park tram stop is also close by.
OUR COUNSELLORS
All of our counsellors, as with all of our staff and volunteers, have Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Enhanced clearance.
ANNE BROWN – trained at Westminster Pastoral Foundation prior to completing a Diploma in Integrative Counselling at Spurgeons College in 2003. Anne also had a previous career as a consultant physician. She subsequently completed further training at the Metanoia Institute. Anne is a member of the BACP and has worked in private practice, for another voluntary agency and within the NHS over the last thirteen years. Anne has wide ranging experience including particular interest in the impact of alcohol dependency. She worships at a south London Baptist church and has been a Christian since 1953.Although integrative in her practice she draws particularly on person centred, psychodynamic and Gestalt approaches.
LESTER KING has held a Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling since 1992 and has also trained in Couples Counselling with Relate. She has held numerous counselling posts both in the UK and the Caribbean, including several university posts. She has also worked in private practice and training roles. Lester works integratively using amongst others psychodynamic, person centred and CBT approaches in her work. Lester worships in an Independent Evangelical church in south London and has been a Christian since ........
HILARY ROCK-GORMLEY has held a Diploma in Counselling since 1997 and has since completed an MA in Christian Spirituality and trained in Spiritual Direction. Hilary has been in private practice since qualifying but has also tutored in counselling at Spurgeons College in Croydon and worked as an examiner and moderator. She has also been an advisor to Teeside University and an External Examiner for Middlesex University. Hilary worships at an Anglican church in south London and has been a Christian since 1985. Hilary is integrative in her counselling practice drawing particularly on psychodynamic approaches and has experience of working with a very wide range of clients' issues and needs.
PETULA SMITH completed a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling in 2011. Petula works integratively drawing on psychodynamic, person centred and Gestalt approaches amongst others. Prior to counselling Petula has a background in children and families work and her experience includes working with abuse, bereavement and the impact of substance abuse. She worships in an Independent Evangelical church in south London and has been a Christian since 1971. Petula is a member of The British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and the Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC).
SHARON THOMAS has held a Diploma in Integrative Counselling since 2007 and has pursued further training in working with attachment and loss, anxiety and anger. She is also skilled in using EMDR techniques, which have proven to be very helpful in dealing with post traumatic stress issues
Sharon has combined private practice with work for various agencies and she is experienced in counselling both individuals and couples who have sought her help for many different issues, including, depression, bereavement, panic attacks and relationship difficulties.
Sharon has also counselled primary school children and is experienced in the use of creative therapies. She has been a Christian since 1995 and worships in a Pentecostal Church in South London.
Sharon is a member of both the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists and the Association of Christian Counsellors
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