Welcome to Mind Wandsworths Counselling Service.  Here is where you find a friendly professional service and a cup of tea if you want one.
Our Counsellors
We are able to provide qualified counsellors for those of you who can afford to pay the market rate, and we have counsellors in training for those of you who cannot at present afford full fees. We can offer you counselling either at the Mind premises, covering Monday to Friday inclusive; from 9am to 5pm and on Wednesdays until 7pm, or Monday to Saturday including most evenings at our link service at Equilibrium88, situated in Southfields.

Confidential counselling
Counselling is strictly confidential. All our Wandsworth and Southfields counsellors have been trained at least to Diploma level; many have degrees. All qualified counsellors belong to a professional body (for example the BACP -British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) which ensures that counsellors have reached a recognised standard of ability; that they follow an Ethical code; that they attend regular supervision of their counselling work; and that they keep themselves informed of new research and information pertaining to their clinical work.

Problems our counsellors work with
Counsellors are experienced in dealing with problems such as relationship, depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessions, addictions, trauma, bereavement and many more. If you are unsure if we can help you, please telephone us and ask to speak to someone who can talk confidentially to you about your issue being appropriate or not.
We have a number of differing skills and theoretical approaches including Psychodynamic, Integrative, Humanistic and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). If there is a particular approach you require, please ask to speak to Vanessa Thomson, Manager of Mind Counselling Service, and Proprietor of Equilibrium - she will explain our ways of working to you before you book in.
We also have Couples Counselling at Equilibrium88 (available only at full cost at Equilibrium, Southfields)
Our counsellors cover a range of ages, genders, cultures and creeds. Most qualified counsellors have worked with Vanessa Thomson for over 10 years.

How does counselling work?

Every counsellor works differently, depending on their personal beliefs, their training and their theoretical approach. However, all counsellors are non-judgemental , and are trained to listen very carefully to you. We believe that exploring your issues with a counsellor, enables you to gain insights that you otherwise would not. We cannot easily make changes to ourselves and our lives unless we have insight, so exploration that enables this to happen is absolutely vital.

One to one
All counselling is on a one to one basis. Sessions traditionally last for 50 minutes (the counselling hour), and is most effective on a once per week  basis.

How many sessions will be needed?

Well, you could say "how long is a piece of string?" as sometimes even the most practiced of therapists would not be able to answer this question. What we can say is that counselling is open to you for as long as your need, and in negotiation with the counsellor. This applies to both full and low cost counselling.

Full Cost counselling

Please ring and ask to be booked with a qualified counsellor for an assessment. The Duty Manager will attempt to put you with an appropriate counsellor, but if you wish for more details please ask for Vanessa to call you.

The counselling assessment is carried out by the qualified counsellor, and you may book further sessions immediately or after a period of reflection. Sometimes clients like to have assessments with more than one counsellor to ensure that they are choosing the right counsellor for them.

Please be aware when you book a session that it is only on the first assessment session that we accept a cancellation made more than 24 hours beforehand without charge. In the case of a cancellation less than 24 hours before the appointment we charge half the agreed fee.

Once you and the counsellor have agreed to work together the sessions are booked in advance so that the session is safely held for you. You would be charged for any sessions that you miss with the exception of two per year. Sessions of absence due to the counsellors absence or because of Bank Holidays will not be charged.

Counselling Fees:
Full Cost Counselling: Daytime £44.00 Evening £52.00
Reductions available for students: Daytime £35.00 Evening £39.00

We do not expect to write reports or letters on your behalf except by mutual agreement . There may be a fee.
We can only accept cash or cheques.

Low Cost Counselling
It is our belief that counselling should be available to everyone including those of limited means. We use our close contact with Training Courses in order to offer Low-cost counselling. Counsellors in training have had at least 2 years of tuition before applying to work with clients. They are members of our professional body, have their client work regularly supervised, and are themselves in regular therapy. We have a rigorous interview system. If you require Low Cost Counselling, we ask you to be assessed by a qualified counsellor. This will cost you £15.00

During this assessment you will be asked some background details, and what you want from counselling. This is to enable the clinical co-ordinator Katherine Kapadia to allocate you an appropriate counsellor, and at a convenient time and day. It will be up to one week before Katherine rings to allocate you a space.

During the assessment with the qualified counsellor, you will be asked for reasons why you require Low Cost counselling. We do not ask for proof of your situation.

We expect you to pay appropriate to your situation, and also in consideration of the fact that your counsellor is still in training. We ask for a fee between £5.00 and £35.00.  For example someone on benefit would be expected to pay £5.00 per session, and someone where wages are coming into the home but cannot afford the full fee might offer a weekly fee of £20.00 upwards.

What is my next step?

Firstly if possible, decide whether you want Low or Full cost counselling. Only you can know your personal financial circumstances, but if you are unsure about this please do ring or email Vanessa who will be happy to discuss further with you.

If you ask for a Low Cost assessment, the appointment will probably be made immediately on the telephone, and will take place generally within a week. Your assessment notes will be passed to Katherine Kapadia who within a week will call and allocate you a session time and date, at an agreed fee. 

You then will come either to the Mind (Wandsworth) counselling room, at Mind, The Foresters, 114, Allfarthing Lane, London SW18 2AB or Equilibrium88, 88 Pulborough Road, London SW18 5UJ for your first session with your counsellor. At that meeting you will spend some time talking about your needs, and how you will work together. You do not have to make a decision at this stage as to whether you wish to continue.
All fees should be paid on the day of the session.

Should you decide that you require a qualified counsellor and will pay the market rate, you can ring and ask to be booked with a qualified counsellor, which should be possible within one week. This qualified counsellor will assess you and discuss with you whether they are appropriate for you. Equally you do not have to decide immediately whether to take up the counselling offer. Should you do so, you will be asked to book a block of sessions which will be held for you.

Missed sessions will be charged but not, of course, sessions missed by the therapist for whatever reason.

Telephone Number for Mind Counselling Service is: 0208 870 8761

We do not do telephone counselling.

SUPERVISION

Mind Counselling Service can provide supervisors of counselling for qualified counsellors and for trainee counsellors.

Please ask for Vanessa to call you or email her at equiltherapy@aol.com

Trainees looking for  Placements should go to www.equilibrium88.co.uk  where you will find a page for Trainees

                                                         Linda Bihl

I am a Counselling Psychologist and Integrative Psychotherapist in my final year of BPS and UKCP Accredited Doctoral training at Metanoia Institute. I joined Equilibrium in January 2009 and have worked in a variety of settings in short and long-term capacities helping individuals to work through problems such as bereavement, depression, anxiety and stress management, work-related problems, eating disorders, body image concerns, low self confidence, relationship difficulties, trauma, and abuse. I am also an experienced HIV/AIDS counsellor.
I provide a safe, confidential space in which we can explore and make sense of any difficult and painful issues you may be dealing with. This facilitates the resolution of emotional conflict and enables change in negative thinking and patterns of behaviour in order to enjoy a more balanced, healthy and fulfilling life.