Counselling provides you with a safe and confidential space to talk to a trained professional about your issues and concerns. Counselling will help you explore your thoughts, feelings and behaviours so you can develop a better understanding of yourself and of others. During a counselling session, your counsellor may take you through specific exercises designed to help with your problem, or you might have more general discussions about how you’re feeling. What you talk about will vary depend on what you want help with. It could include: your relationships, your childhood, your feelings, emotions or thoughts, your behaviour, past and present life events and situations you find difficult.

A counsellor will not give you their opinions or advice or prescribe medication. They will help you find your own solutions – whether that’s making effective changes in your life or finding ways of coping with your problems. Your counsellor will be impartial but understanding. They will listen to you without judgment and help you explore your thoughts and emotions. They may offer information, but they won’t tell you what you should think or do.

Our counsellors are all BACP accredited and MYMY is a BACP accredited service. BACP is a regulatory body and all our counsellors are bound by and comply with their code of ethics and practice which respect the rights, autonomy and choices of individuals. To maintain professional standards and best practice the counsellors have regular clinical supervision.

You can self-refer by calling 028 4372 7549, emailing hello@mymy.org.uk or visiting our contact page on our website. Your GP practice can also refer you. We will complete a referral form with you and then a Counsellor will ring you back to arrange an assessment interview. This takes 30-40 minutes and it is normally over the phone. If you are assessed as suitable for counselling you will be put on the waiting list. If you are not suitable, the Counsellor will signpost you to other support services.

Our average waiting list is 12 weeks. We are open 5 days per week and one late evening. If you are available for daytime appointments this will reduce your waiting time.

All clients are initially offered 6 counselling sessions. Your counsellor will review with you your progress after 6 sessions and may offer you further sessions. Sessions will be weekly at the same day and same time and will last 50 minutes. Sessions can be face to face in our Newcastle premises or we can arrange zoom or telephone sessions.

For counselling to be effective, you need to attend regularly. Your appointment time is kept for you, if you are unable to attend, please contact the office as soon as possible on 028 437 27549 (at least 24 hours). If you have 2 late cancellations (i.e. under 24 hours) or do not attend without letting us know, you will not be offered any further appointments. If you do not attend your assessment or your first appointment you will be closed by the service.You will automatically receive text and email reminders for your appointments.

There is currently no cost for our counselling services. MYMY do not receive any government funding, we rely solely on public donations therefore we would appreciate if you could contribute towards your counselling sessions. We ask that you make a donation that is affordable and manageable. If this is not possible, this will not affect your counselling.

Don’t worry, this happens. Just speak to the Manager and they will be able to assign you to a new counsellor.

Counselling provides a safe space for you to talk and those conversations stay between you and your counsellor. MYMY keep written records of your contact details and counselling/therapy sessions. These are maintained in a confidential and secure manner by your counsellor in a locked file and in compliance with GDPR. The file belongs to MyMy and records are legally retained for a period of up to 3 years after your counselling is completed, after which time they are securely shredded. You can ask to read your counselling records at any time by putting your request in writing to the Manager and we will respond to this within 30 days. If another service asks for information about your counselling, we will ask for your permission in writing before sending it. You can see any report that we write before we send it and withdraw your permission at any time.

If you are not happy with any service MYMY provides it is your right to make a complaint. Any complaint should be made in writing to the Manager as soon as possible after the incident giving cause for complaint. The Manager will then go through the complaints procedure with you.