July 2024, written by Arise
Brief history of the charity
“Arise Counselling Service is an independent Christian charity born out of the vision of local churches and we are now in our 6th year of service. The purpose of Arise is to provide affordable counselling for people in East Grinstead and the surrounding area, within a 5-mile radius. We affirm the dignity of each individual and strongly believe that all people should have the chance to find hope and experience lives of purpose and meaning regardless of their economic status or position in society. We believe that therapeutic counselling provides one opportunity to gain this more fully. The service is available to people of all faiths or none.
We offer sessions in person, online, and by telephone. This can be short-term (up to 6 months) and long-term counselling (up to 24 months) to adolescents, adults, and couples at a rate this affordable to any budget.
Our current team is made up of 20 therapists all with varying levels of experience and qualifications, including; psychotherapists, counsellors, a clinical psychologist, and student counsellors, each with varying psychological approaches. Each client is assessed at the point of enquiry and allocated with a suitable counsellor once a space becomes available.
Details of project supported by BHMT grant
We applied and were successful in receiving £1,000 from BHMT earlier this year. As we offer an affordable counselling service, often clients are not able to pay a fee that covers the true cost of each session. On average, each session costs Arise £35.00 to run, but often clients pay far less than this. The £1,000 we received enabled 50 counselling sessions to go ahead, meeting the difference between what the client paid (in this case £15.00), and what it costs (£35.00).
Areas of mental health addressed and profile of the recipients
We address many different areas of mental health within our service. So far this year, the highest proportion of our clients have pursued counselling due to difficult life events (bereavement for example), followed by difficulties related to physical health (for example – terminal diagnosis and eating disorders), and the impact this is having on their day to day lives. Currently the highest number of our enquiries are from females, age 50-60, living in East Grinstead.
Impact of the project
There are no words to fully convey the impact this project has had. We see so many people refer to our service, who are in desperate need of help but without the means to seek the help they require, due to the cost of private therapy. With help from grants such as these, Arise can bridge the gap, and provide a service which is often life saving for these people. Counselling can provide a new sense of hope, resilience, purpose, and confidence for people, which has a knock-on effect into all aspects of their lives – not only their own physical and mental wellbeing, but also their relationships with others, and their home and work life.
Feedback from clients
Some recent examples of client feedback we have received:
- ‘My sessions with [my counsellor] have been so incredibly valuable in helping me to understand the reasons behind my feelings and behaviours, in enabling me to validate my feelings and move through them, and in equipping me to manage difficult situations and relationships’.
- ‘My counsellor gave me a completely safe space to talk about all manner of things. She challenged me and helped me think of ways I could grow in confidence’.
Many thanks
Becky Mumford
Arise Counselling Service Manager
Please visit their website here.
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