Welcome to the home of counselling in Gloucestershire

“I have felt unheard and abused all my life: always in fight mode and just angry. With that amount of trauma comes a huge amount of questions and explosive reactions. My counsellor basically sat with me amongst the daisies while we went right back and addressed each thing. They allowed me to find ways to explore my own feelings, but most of all they listened. As I walk through the empty battlefield now, all I see is bluebells and dragonflies and her voice guides me to the calm.”

“It has changed my life completely. It took me ten years to seek help and guidance, and is the best thing I did for myself.”

“It has helped me to manage my own emotions and recognise/communicate my needs to others. My resilience was suffering a lot when I started counselling and since attending, I feel much better equipped to bounce back and tackle challenges in life.”

“It has given me a sense of consistency of support that I have really needed for my mental health. It has really helped being able to talk honestly in a safe place when I have felt alone. Without it, I would have struggled so much more with my emotions and thoughts. And now I have a better understanding of where my struggles began, so I can keep working on them from there.”

“It has changed my view of myself quite fundamentally and given me a sense of self-worth. I am only 12 weeks in, but I see that once I have processed what it means for me it will also have beneficial impacts on my relationships with others. A huge thank you to all of you running an invaluable service.”

“I’m no longer brushed under the carpet: I have a voice and an opinion, which I now have the ability to use. My counsellor was amazing: she really helped me find myself and who I am. I’m still learning but compared to where we started, I know a lot more about myself. So many aspects to my life and with counselling, I learnt how to cope and understand them and why I felt them. I can’t thank my counsellor enough for the help she has provided me with. I will have her on my shoulder during any difficult times ahead.”

“I found the service invaluable in helping me navigate a really tough time in my life and subsequently explore underlying factors that affect my thought processes and behaviours. My counsellor was always understanding and helped me immensely in exploring whatever I brought to the table.”

“I feel less blown about by the wind of life. I am more sure of myself, of who I am becoming and of the relationships I want in my life. I listen to myself. I am not afraid to be me or to make choices and decisions which others may not approve of. I realise the shallow depth of many of my relationships, and while accepting these relationships for the way they are, I hope to also move on and connect more meaningfully with new people. I don’t feel as fearful or as desperate to find answers. It’s okay to rock up each day and count my blessings.”

“Made me feel safe and not alone with thoughts in my mind. Able to feel more confident with how I approach scenarios. Made me feel like I can do things myself without worrying all the time.”

“Having that calm, safe, comfortable space and being seen, listened to and cared for, gave me strength at a difficult time and more understanding of what l was going through.”

“I wish I had had counselling before it has made my life more bearable with my issues I have been listened to without any judgements and never once felt uncomfortable I will continue to have counselling as it has helped me so much. A big thank you to you all”

“The ability to become more self aware, prioritise positive relationships and cope with reflecting on pain and difficulties from the past and present. I have a better relationship with myself and this has improved family relationships too.”

“It has got me out of a real ‘rut’ helped me to work through the past traumas that were stopping me from moving forward and negatively impacting my view of myself. I have gained a lightness which was not there before and a confidence in myself and greater self-esteem. It has quite honestly, changed my life.”

“It sounds dramatic but I feel as though I was saved from myself. If I hadn’t accessed the service I don’t know where I would be today. The guidance I received taught me to not be so hard on myself, relax, and be kind to myself. It’s ok to not be 100 percent everyday and there are always good and bad days. Learning to accept and acknowledge that it’s okay to be me. I’m so much happier and in a better place mentally which has given me confidence again, directly impacting my family, work life and colleagues.”

“Invaluable support, understanding which has helped me to cope with all that life has thrown, and continues to throw at me. To be heard, held, supported, encouraged by my therapist has helped me to manage all the stresses in my life and to continue supporting my son with MH problems and my husband. Without this ongoing long term support I would have collapsed many times and been unable to carry on, and support the vulnerable people in my family. I have learned strategies to help me cope and endure long term high levels of stress, to manage working, caring and the decline in my own physical health.”