This story is sponsored by Mind in Harrogate District.
Mind in Harrogate District is relaunching its counselling service following a full refurbishment of its premises.
The mental health charity, which is based at the Acorn Centre on Station Parade, now has three brand-new counselling rooms with low lighting, comfortable seating, and soundproofed walls to ensure clients’ privacy.
The service is open five days a week, from 9am to 7pm.
People coming for counselling have an initial assessment with a qualified professional and will then be matched with one of Mind in Harrogate District’s counsellors according to their needs.
Tina Chamberlain, CEO of Mind in Harrogate District, said:
“Our service is very responsive to individual needs. The vast majority of the people we support come to us with multiple issues, including anxiety, depression, low mood, trauma, stress, a sense of loss or bereavement, or difficulties in their relationships.
“Life can be messy – it’s not neat and compartmentalised, and difficulties in one area can often spill over into other areas of life. We’re here to help people make sense of it all. They might not be in a really bad place – they often just have one or two areas where they need help and support.”
Tina Chamberlain, CEO of Mind in Harrogate District.
Counselling at Mind in Harrogate District costs £45 per session, with concessions for people receiving benefits. Clients can book up to 20 sessions, all at the same time each week.
The counselling service is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Yvie Lois, counselling coordinator at Mind in Harrogate District.
Tina said:
“Our counselling service is very competitively priced and people using the service can be confident that the funds generated are reinvested into supporting mental health and wellbeing services in the local community.”
Mind in Harrogate District also offers a workplace wellbeing service, including counselling sessions for employees. Sessions are charged at the same rate as for private individuals.
Yvie Lois, counselling coordinator, said:
“Our mental health is affected by all aspects of our lives which impacts on how we experience work, relationships and life. We have noticed an increased awareness and understanding surrounding mental health, which has empowered people to reach out for support.
“You don’t have to do it alone. Counselling offers a safe, confidential environment for people to talk and process the issues that are affecting their lives”
If you would like to find out more about counselling sessions at Mind in Harrogate District, see our website for details, where there is also information about counselling for businesses.
To book an initial appointment, call us on 01423 547 246, or email us at counselling@mindinharrogate.org.uk
Starbeck counselling charity Wellspring celebrates 20th birthdayWellspring Therapy and Training, the Harrogate-based counselling and training centre, is about to celebrate its 20th birthday.
The charity provides affordable short and long-term counselling for people in the Harrogate district.
Founded in 2003, it now faces unprecedented demand for its help tackling issues such as mental health and depression.
The Rt Rev Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds and a patron of Wellspring, is leasing a service at St Andrew’s Church in Starbeck on Sunday, October 15.
Wellspring is also holding a fundraising dinner at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate on Friday November 17.
Emily Fullarton, executive director of Wellspring, said:
“This is a very special year for us. These two exciting events are celebrating how a small local charity has survived and thrived during the past 20 years and how we have tackled the problem of increasing poor mental health, anxiety and depression, which has threatened to overwhelm the NHS.
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Founding director Elaine Wainaina set up Wellspring as a Christian-based organisation to help those struggling with anxiety and depression but it soon extended its services to everyone who needed them.
Wellspring moved from a terraced house in Prospect Road, Starbeck into nearby St Andrew’s Vicarage after it was bought for the charity by the Bramall Foundation.
This has enabled the organisation to expand its services in the Harrogate area since 2018 and to relieve the burden on the NHS.
Wellspring hopes to counsel 170 this year and 220 by the end of 2025. It helps children as young as eight.
Ms Fullarton said:
“In the UK, one in four people will experience a mental health issue at least once in their lifetime. According to local research, many people in Harrogate assume because it is a ‘nice town’ people don’t struggle with these issues. That simply isn’t true. There is a huge demand in Harrogate for our services and it’s increasing.
“What makes Wellspring’s work unique in is that we offer affordable long-term, open-ended counselling where needed. Unfortunately, this type of therapy is not currently widely available from the NHS. Most private counselling typically costs between £50 or more for each session, but many of our clients are unable to afford this.”
Lawyers helped me through worst time of my life, says Harrogate mum
This story is sponsored by Harrogate Family Law
A Harrogate mother-of-three who divorced her husband says she couldn’t have got through the challenging process without the support of Harrogate Family Law (HFL).
Mrs H had been married for 14 years when her previously happy marriage hit the rocks and she was left feeling there was no other option than separation.
For Mrs H and many people in this situation, this is a time of mixed emotions. Feelings of deep unhappiness, guilt about splitting up a family, and complete failure for breaking wedding vows are a heavy weight to bear.
Mrs H was married to a successful lawyer who regularly threatened that she would be left with nothing if she divorced him.
She said:
“Mine was a very acrimonious separation. My ex-husband was very controlling, and approached our break-up very aggressively.”
Contacting a lawyer is a very daunting prospect and Mrs H mulled over whether to make the call and set the wheels in motion.
However, she was surprised at the initial meeting, as its aim was to ensure that all avenues had been explored before making a final decision on separation.
On HFL’s advice, the couple tried counselling in an attempt to work through their problems with the aim of avoiding separation or divorce. Unfortunately, counselling was not successful.
HFL advised Mrs H to try mediation in the hope that a fair and amicable settlement could be agreed.
Cut off at Christmas
In Mrs H’s words, mediation was a “disaster” and a lengthy period of correspondence followed. During this period, Mr H tried every trick possible to get Mrs H to agree to his terms.
His actions included, without notice, a significant reduction in funds to the account which supported Mrs H and their three children.
Mrs H said:
“My ex-husband cut off all funds to me. I was faced with a really difficult Christmas with the kids – I didn’t even have the money for our Christmas dinner.
“If it weren’t for a good friend lending me some money, his children would have been left living on nothing over the festive period.
“Thankfully, HFL didn’t invoice me until they absolutely had to and they were incredibly understanding about the situation I was facing.”
In the end, Mrs H’s ex-husband took the case to court in an effort to exhaust her funds, but things didn’t go his way – the judge awarded a fair settlement to Mrs H and her three children, including the payment of her legal costs.
Mrs H said:
“My ex-husband tried to leave me with as little as possible, but with HFL’s help the outcome was fair and ended up being just what they’d said it would be – they called it absolutely right.
“They stood up to my ex-husband and his lawyers, and were very robust in their counter-arguments. For them, it was never about the fees – it was all about the desire to get the best possible result for me and my children in a fair way.”
Mrs H was so impressed with her lawyers that she’s already referred several friends to Harrogate Family Law. She said:
“HFL really made a difference. They don’t sugar-coat anything, so you always know exactly where you are.
“If you phone HFL there’s a really understanding person on the other end of the line. You share a lot of personal information with your lawyer, more than you do with your friends, but never once did I feel judged. They were the right people, at the worst time of my life.”
Find out more:
For clear, honest advice from a supportive solicitor at Harrogate Family Law, call 01423 594680 or go to harrogatefamilylaw.co.uk.
Harrogate support group launched for pupils moving up from primary to secondary school
A Harrogate therapy centre is launching a support group for pupils moving up from primary to secondary school in the wake of the pandemic.
Created by The Harlow’s new psychotherapeutic counsellor Laura Keay, ‘Stepping Up’ is a programme aimed at providing children with an environment of “listening, sharing and empowerment”, so that they can embrace this change.
Ms Keay works with adults and has a specialism in children and young people at the centre at Cardale Park.
She has worked with people suffering from a wide range of issues including anxiety, stress, social anxiety, exam pressure, harmful eating, self-esteem issues and bullying.
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She said:
“Moving from primary school into secondary education can be a huge challenge for young people; even more so when we take into account the last few years of educational disruption due to the pandemic.
“The whole premise behind Stepping Up is to give children the tools to navigate this change and thrive in their new environment.”
Stepping Up will also support parents and guardians. It will help them understand the stages of child development and gain insight into effective language and behaviours that will support the confidence of their child through this key stage.
With a maximum group size of eight – with one parent or guardian per child – Stepping Up involves five two-hour sessions at £20 per session.
For more information call 01423 595000 or email info@theharlow.co.uk.