Hope Counselling Service

Our service offers

• A safe, confidential environment in which to talk and be heard
• Acceptance and respect
• Time to reflect
• An opportunity to explore your situation and the changes you would like to make, in a supportive, counselling relationship

We offer help and support to individuals experiencing problems including anxiety, depression, relationship issues, bereavement and a range of other issues.

Our counselling is offered to adults regardless of background, gender, ethnicity or religion.

Hope Counselling Service is not an advisory, crisis or befriending service.  If you are looking for help with any of these needs, please click on this link to view some suggestions of other resources available.

About us

Hope Counselling Service is an  organisation that has grown out of the Philippi Trust Counselling & Training service, which had a centre based in Reading for nearly 20 years. That has now closed, however a number of our counsellors worked with that agency and are continuing to offer their experience and expertise to the community through Hope Counselling Service.   The name reflects our aim to bring hope and healing to those we serve.

Our aim and ethos

We are registered with the Charities Commission (Registration number 1185376) with the stated aim:

“To promote and protect the mental health of people residing in Reading and the surrounding areas through the provision of a counselling service in accordance with the values of the Christian faith”.  

Our Service is offered regardless of gender, ethnic or cultural background, sexual orientation; to people of any faith or none.  Hope Counselling Service upholds that each and every person has unique value. 

Counselling

Our approach to counselling is broadly person-centred and integrative, which means our counsellors are equipped to use a range of counselling models in order to assist their clients.

All of our counsellors have undertaken professional training and engage in ongoing professional development and have regular supervision.  Each counsellor has reached an approved standard required for seeing people in counselling.

Our organisation abides by the professional Ethical Framework and Codes of Practice and Conduct of the  Association of Christian Counsellors, to which we are affiliated. This ensures that confidentiality is protected unless there are exceptional circumstances. The Service adheres to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Hope GDPR statement Oct 2019 (Please click on link to view)

The first session will be an assessment for you and your counsellor to see whether counselling would be the most appropriate help for you at this time.

Counselling Placements

We are able to offer a small number of counselling placements each year for trainees embarking on level 4 of their training and beyond.  For further information contact the Manager email: office@hopecounselling.org.

To apply for counselling:

NB We are now closed to new applications until the end of September owing to high demand for our services. This page will be activated when we are accepting new applications, the text has been left up for information only.

---

 Please complete the application form

 Hope Application for counselling 2020 (this link is no longer active)

and return it to us by email or by post.

We will acknowledge receipt of it within a week and offer you an appointment when one becomes available.  We are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

 

Assessment process and ongoing counselling

An initial assessment appointment with a counsellor is offered to you. They will ask you about your situation, explain the counselling process, and answer any questions you might have.  If both you and the counsellor agree to proceed with counselling, you will be offered a regular weekly 50-minute session with a counsellor.  The number of sessions will be determined by both yourself and the counsellor and will depend on needs.

Cost

There is no set charge for counselling.  Hope Counselling Service is a registered charity and our counsellors are not paid.  We welcome voluntary donations from clients to help cover our costs and to help towards the continued provision of our Service.  We estimate that it costs Hope £35 to provide each session. You will be invited to contribute for each session towards these costs, according to your ability to pay.

We would be pleased to receive donations towards the work;- to help with ongoing costs and further development.

How to do this

Bank Transfer: Our account details for internet bank transfer are –

Sort code 54-30-33 Account no 37775936.  We would like to be able to thank you for your donations, please contact us to let us know that you have made a donation or e-mail us at office@hopecounselling.org.

Cheques can be made payable to Hope Counselling Service and sent to our postal address: Hope Counselling Service, 233 Kings Road, Reading, RG1 4LS.

Gift Aid-  If you are eligible for Gift Aid and would like us to make your donation worth 25% more to us at no extra cost to you , please download this form, fill it in and send it to us.  Please just get in touch if you would like to discuss supporting us.

Gift aid form2020

Co-op Local Community Fund

Another way you can support us is by becoming a member of the Co-op and choose Hope Counselling Service as your Local Community Fund beneficiary, using your online Co-op account.

You can join online at coop.co.uk/membership or by downloading the Co-op app.

Covid-19  Grants  Programme  2020/21

We are very pleased to have been funded by a grant from Reading Borough Council.

The entrance is accessed from the car park of Wycliffe Baptist Church, at the rear of 229 Kings Road. The car park entrance is off Norwood Road RG1 3LD.

Parking and public transport info:

Parking: in the church car park may be available, but the car park can be full; 2 hours free parking on the nearby streets is usually possible.

Cycling: Secure cycle racks are available at the side of the church

Buses: there are regular and frequent bus services to and from the centre of Reading; nos 17, 4, X4, 13, 14 and several others stop directly outside our premises.

Bus Stop: Cemetery Junction