Counselling Service

Eligibility criteria: 18 yrs+, Islington resident or with a GP in Islington.

Please note, this service is not available outside Age UK Islington - Head Office's catchment area.

Age UK Islington
6-9 Manor Gardens
LONDON
Greater London
N7 6LA
United Kingdom

Email: counsellingservice@ageukislington.org.uk
Telephone: 02072 816018

Age UK Islington has a new free counselling service that you can apply for. We provide up to 12 counselling sessions with the same counsellor, with a once-a-week session lasting 50 minutes.

We know that it can sometimes be difficult to take the first steps, but contact us for a form to complete your details and we can contact you for an initial discussion. Or call our helpline on 020 7281 6018, talk to an advisor or leave a message and request a call back from the counselling service.

What does the Age UK Islington counselling service offer?

We provide up to free 12 individual counselling sessions on issues including difficult emotions, loneliness and isolation, stress, relationship issues, and work and life problems.

Who provides the counselling?

Counselling is delivered by counselling/psychotherapy students in their later stages of training; therefore, the counselling service provides a placement for talking therapy students. The students have undergone a rigorous selection process and are supported by the Age UK Islington Counselling Manager.

Where does the counselling take place?

The counselling service provides in-person counselling from two external partner venues in Islington. Online counselling is also provided for those unable to access in-person counselling due to mobility or psychological difficulties—for online counselling, an available confidential space and a good internet connection are necessary.

How can I request the service?

The service is self-referral, so it's ideal for clients with the minimum motivation to sustain attendance, self-awareness, understanding, and/or behavior change. Upon receiving the self-referral to the AUKI Helpline, to the counselling service or via any AUKI staff member, the Counselling Service Manager will contact the client via email or telephone and start the process for an assessment and allocation to a counsellor. The assessment can take place over the phone, via Microsoft Teams or in person. The allocation to a counsellor is based on the client's needs and counselling availability.

What type of counselling approach do you provide?

The counselling service offers a variety of counselling approaches; what these approaches have in common is the importance of the therapeutic relationship in enhancing cooperation, trust, empathy for the client, encouragement and understanding of the clients' nature of their concerns. The service follows the ethical framework of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy)

What the counselling service is not

The counselling service is not a crisis service. Therefore, we cannot accept clients who are experiencing ongoing psychotic episodes, who have, in the last three months, attempted suicide, or who are currently experiencing suicidal ideation and those who are physically dependent on substances like alcohol or drugs and unable to psychologically engage in a counselling session.