Carers First launched a counselling service in Essex on April 1, 2024, in partnership with Counselling Carers, a charity run by qualified counsellors who all have lived experience of being carers.
Counselling is a talking therapy that is delivered by a trained practitioner. They work with people to help them bring about effective change or enhance their wellbeing.
Carers First refer appropriate carers to them and fund 6 sessions. Carers can then continue to receive counselling from them via their ‘Pay what you can afford’ service.
One carer who gave their feedback said: “The service was quick, efficient and came just at the right time, I was matched well with someone that is providing me with the best support."
Another carer said: “I’d felt so trapped and stuck and didn’t see how counselling could help me. They couldn’t change anything. But I began to realise why I was feeling this way. I learned all about agency and that I had the power to make changes. I have learned so much about myself.”
Counsellors can provide solution-focused counselling for 6 weeks to adults and children in mid and south Essex, with the goal of supporting carers whose mental health troubles are impacting on their caring role.
The service is evaluated by using the Core 10, an outcome measurement tool to determine someone’s psychological wellbeing. All of these Core 10 scores post-intervention have shown an improvement in the carer’s wellbeing.
A counsellor on placement received this feedback from a carer: "I would like to thank you for the counselling sessions I have had with Katie, they have helped me so much with my situation.
“Katie has been so good with listening and helping me to make me feel so much better about myself, she was very easy to talk to and was easy to open up to, it gave me the help I needed at a time when I was stressed with the diagnosis of my mum having dementia and also moving.
“I can’t express how Katie has helped me to move forward, always trying to help with websites and giving me advice. I really would highly recommend Katie for the help and support of counselling that I have had from her."
Trained practitioners work with people to help them bring about effective change or enhance their wellbeing.
This may involve exploring: Their relationship, their childhood, their feelings, emotions or thoughts, their behaviour, past and present life events, and situations they find particularly difficult.
The service meets the standards set out in the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework
Carers First can support carers with information on the support available in their local community, advice on benefits or as a working carer, access to a statutory carers assessment or events and activities locally that can give them a short break from caring.
To find out more email hello@carersfirst.org.uk.
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