Counselling

Counselling offers a safe, confidential and non-judgmental environment in which to explore what has happened to you with the help of a qualified counsellor.

About counselling

Our counsellors are trained to understand the complexities of surviving sexual violence and abuse. They will have had experience of working with depression, anxiety, complex trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociative conditions. They know how difficult it can be to tell your story, perhaps for the first time.

Your counsellor will listen, will help you to stabilise and regulate your emotions and work with you to find the strength you need to cope with and recover from your past experiences. Your counsellor will work with you to tailor your counselling sessions to meet your specific needs.

It is not your counsellor’s job to tell you what to do. It is their job to work with you so that you can make your own decisions about what to do.  They may, however, provide you with information or suggest some reading materials.

Anything you tell the counsellor is kept entirely confidential within Survive. Your counsellor will only breach this confidentiality if they think you, or someone else, is at risk of serious harm.

The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has produced a useful guide called Introduction to counselling’ which you may find interesting.

Counsellors at Survive are either on the accredited voluntary register of BACP (or an equivalent body) and are suitably qualified, or appropriately supervised trainees on placement.
Our counsellors also work to the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions

Survive wants to prevent sexual harm and to work towards a society where there are no more victims of sexual violence while supporting those who have experienced sexual violence. This includes facilitating support for anyone who may have experienced sexual violence and also perpetrated sexual offences. While Survive is not equipped to respond to the needs of this discrete group, it has received limited funding from the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to facilitate access to a specialist StopSo registered therapist. Click here for more information about this pilot programme.

We are working hard to support all the people who contact us for counselling as soon as possible.  However, we are experiencing unprecedented demand for our specialist services which means people are waiting longer than we would like.

There is up to a one month wait for an initial assessment, after which there could be a wait of up to 12 months for counselling to start. This wait could be shorter the more flexible that you can be about your availability for Counselling appointments.

If whilst waiting for counselling you move house and now no longer live in York or North Yorkshire or the YO41, YO42 or YO43 postcodes of East Riding of Yorkshire, we will not be able to support you and will remove you from our waiting list. We can, however, help signpost you to similar services nearer to your new address.

What to expect ShowHide

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THE SURVIVOR - VIKKI

"For the first time in my 35 years on this earth, I felt heard."

I am safe, I am alive and with Survive's support, I am ready to thrive.

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