Heads Together counselling

Heads Together provides free and confidential counselling to young people aged 11-24 in East Surrey and works in partnership with Mindworks Surrey. We can offer face-to-face, video or telephone counselling sessions to suit you.

We aim to help young people to cope with difficult emotional, family or personal circumstances, enabling them to lead fuller and more satisfying lives. We are staffed by qualified counsellors and counsellors in training and are supported by experienced supervisors. We also have a team of Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners and run workshops for parents and in schools.

Counselling here is a safe, friendly environment and I felt like everything I said was my choice and I could trust my counsellor.

Female, 16

Why Heads Together?

Sometimes life can be really difficult and it can feel hard to cope on your own. At times like this it is OK to ask for help. Young people come to us for a variety of different reasons such as difficulties with family or friends, feelings of sadness or depression, anxiety, worries about school, college or work, self-harm, drug taking or concerns about gender, sexuality, or sex.

How do I book an appointment?

You can phone Heads Together directly on 01737 378481 or email headstog@ymcaeastsurrey.org.uk .

If you or your child is under 17, we may direct you to seek a referral from your GP or other professional including an education setting to Mindworks Surrey, so that you can be directed to the most appropriate service.

Further information about Mindworks Surrey can be found here

What about the cost?

Our service is free to all clients.

What will happen in my counselling session?

Meetings with your counsellor will be private and confidential and will usually last for 50 minutes. You can talk about anything that is concerning you. Our counsellors are friendly and supportive and won’t judge you. Your counsellor will not tell you what to do but will give you the time and space to get to know yourself better and will help you think through things for yourself.

Most young people are offered the opportunity to come for between 6-12 weekly sessions with one of our counsellors.

What about confidentiality?

We know how important it is for young people to feel confident they can trust their counsellor. Nothing you tell us will be passed on to anyone outside the agency or our NHS partners, without your consent, unless we think that you or any other person will be in danger. Even then, we would try to talk to you about it first.

My sessions have been excellent. The counsellor has truly been fully supportive and taken the time to listen and help me to realise what it is that I need. I have made decisions I would not otherwise have made and feel all the more positive for it. I am not scared of the future anymore now that I have the tools and resilience to cope.

Male, 24

Where you can go

We hold counselling sessions at various locations across East Surrey in a range of schools, youth centres, churches and our YMCA centres.

Counsellor vacancies – qualified and trainee

YMCA East Surrey’s Heads Together youth counselling service has opportunities for trainee and qualified counsellors across mid and East Surrey, working with young people aged 11-24.

If you would like to discuss these roles in more detail, please contact Shan Johnson, Heads Together Counselling Coordinator, to arrange an informal chat.

T 01737 378481
E headstog@ymcaeastsurrey.org.uk

Find out more

If you decide that counselling may be helpful for you, and you would like to know more or arrange an appointment, please get in touch with us:

T 01737 378481 (24 hour answering service)
E headstog@ymcaeastsurrey.org.uk

YMCA Hillbrook House, 68 Brighton Road, Redhill, RH1 6QT

We are members of The British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy and Youth Access.