Counselling & Emotional Support
Helping you overcome issues causing emotional pain and distress
Confidential one-to-one support
We all need a little more help at certain times in our lives – getting the right support at the right time can help enormously with the aftermath of a stroke. Our Counselling Service is a core part of what Bristol After Stroke offers. One-to-one counselling gives you a chance to talk about your feelings and experience following your stroke, in confidence, with a specialist stroke counsellor.
What is counselling?
Counselling aims to help you adjust to (or overcome) issues causing emotional pain and distress. It may help you understand yourself better and discover new ways to look at things but it is not giving advice.
Many people, after stroke, experience a loss of confidence, low mood, anxiety, and even depression. Talking about difficult experiences isn't for everyone as you may, sometimes, feel worse before starting to feel better. Counselling takes commitment and means regularly putting aside time to face things, with support from your counsellor. Coming to terms with the effects of a stroke can be like a grieving process – acknowledging the loss of your old life (or, for carers, the loss of how your partner "used to be" before the stroke).
Carers and spouses too are likely to experience anxiety or depression with the shift in roles and responsibilities that can happen in the relationship, and as you come to terms with the changes in your loved one.
A course of counselling can help with all these experiences and help people find their confidence and new enjoyment in life.
BAS_DL_emotional_support_services_leaflet.pdf
Practicalities of receiving counselling at Bristol After Stroke
- You can have sessions by telephone or video. If this is not feasible for you, let us know and we can arrange a home visit.
- There may be a waiting list
- We ask for a donation to cover some of our costs. The suggested donation is £20 per session, although you can donate more if you wish to – helping us to support others. There is a reduced rate of £10 for those who might find this difficult to find: if cost is an issue, please talk to us. The going rate for seeing someone privately is considerably more
- We offer up to six sessions which are delivered weekly. Some people need less than this, whilst others may need more
- Our counsellors understand aphasia and will help with any communication issues you may have
If counselling is not for me (yet)?
Our ACTion after Stroke short course provides an opportunity to explore and understand how your mind may be working after stroke, enabling you to address painful or disturbing thoughts and learn relaxation techniques. ACTion after Stroke is complemented by our occasional mindfulness workshops. Contact our office for more information
