Counselling

Counselling for adult carers

Care for the Carers offers free face-to-face counselling to support carers to cope with the emotional impact of their caring role, through its Time to Talk counselling service.

Carers are offered 12 individual weekly counselling sessions, which take place at the same time and place each week. Sessions take place by phone on Tuesdays or Wednesdays after school during term time. The current waiting time for counselling is approximately three months, although this may vary according to a carer’s availability.

Care for the Carers counsellors are volunteers, mostly in training at local colleges, or qualified, who receive regular clinical supervision. The Time to Talk Service is an organisational member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and adheres fully to its Ethical Framework.

About the counselling referral

When a carer is referred for counselling, an initial counselling assessment is made by our counselling coordinator over the phone, usually within two weeks of referral. Following assessment, the carer is added to the waiting list for the relevant counselling sessions and contacted when a counselling slot becomes available.

Counselling for young carers

We provide a Teen Talk counselling service for 12-18 year-old young carers in Hastings and Rother, with to up to 12 free counselling sessions.

Sessions take place after school or college, in community venues in Hastings and Bexhill. Help with transport is available for young carers who would otherwise struggle to attend, and snacks will be provided. You can read Teen Talk FAQs here and download a Teen Talk poster here.

To find out more about our counselling services or to make a referral, contact Carers Hub, email us at info@cftc.org.uk, or text us on 07860 077300.

Teen Talk is funded by BBC Children in Need.

BACP Accreditation

Care for the Carers’ Time to Talk Counselling Service for adult carers was officially accredited by BACP in June 2019 and is one of only a handful of services accredited in East Sussex.

Service accreditation is a recognised quality standard for organisations providing counselling and psychotherapy services. As a BACP Accredited Service, we have successfully demonstrated that we offer an accountable, ethical, professional and responsive service to clients and professionals. See a full list of accredited services nationwide

How to find a therapist

BACP has information about ‘How to find a therapist’, which you may find useful if you would like to explore other counselling options. Please note that these services would be arranged privately and most would charge a fee.