Firstly, we start by getting you registered. We then organise an Assessment Appointment for you with one of our highly experienced Counsellors. Following this appointment there will then be a wait We have a range of paid and volunteer counsellors, and we will try and find the right counsellor for your needs.

To register with Listening Post you, you will need to complete the online registration form. When we receive your application, we will telephone you to arrange your initial assessment with us.

No, you do not need to have a GP Referral to access counselling with Listening Post. We accept direct approaches by clients, just give us a ring or complete our online registration form to get the process started for you.

When you telephone Listening Post to register, one of our office staff will explain a little bit about Listening Post and take some brief details from you over the telephone. Your Registration Form will then be posted out to you for you to check through enclosing a Stamped Addressed Envelope for return. When we have received your completed form and Registration Fee, we will contact you to organise your Assessment Appointment.

The Assessment session is usually one hour and for the majority will take place over the telephone, however, online and face to face sessions can be arranged.  We ask that you take the time that you need for this appointment and organise a quiet confidential space where you are able to talk openly and freely. Your Assessor will ask you many questions to understand the type of support that you need. The Assessor will not usually go on to be your Counsellor.

Traditionally counselling at Listening Post has been face to face at one of our four Centres in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud and Lydney; we are now also able to accommodate counselling via telephone or video link (though it remains accessible only for Gloucestershire residents).

Your counselling session will be with the same counsellor on the same day and time each week.

We have counsellors working Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm and some evenings. This can vary from centre to centre.

Most employers now understand they must help their workers prioritise their mental health. Once a counsellor is found for you, we will offer you a day and time and ask you to speak to your employer about working your shift patterns around this appointment.

We don’t offer fortnightly sessions as research indicates that counselling is usually most effective and beneficial when conducted over regular weekly sessions.

No. At Listening Post, we offer sessions in person at one of our centres, by video link or on the telephone.

The only fee that Listening Post charge is £15 for the Assessment Appointment; this can be reduced to £10 if you are on benefits.

For ongoing counselling sessions Listening Post do ask our clients to make a contribution which helps towards the cost of providing the counselling session.

Please know, we are passionate about providing counselling to everyone who needs it, and no one is ever turned away on financial grounds.

Private counselling usually costs £50 per session. It costs us at Listening Post £35 to provide a counselling session. Contributions from clients are our biggest source of income, so if you can afford to be generous, it will help us to continue seeing clients on low incomes who are only able to make a small contribution.

The contribution that you feel that you can give will be decided at your Assessment Appointment. This can be renegotiated later with your counsellor if your circumstances change.

Yes, if you are able to pay £35 or more, we can link you with counsellors who continue to volunteer their time with us, but also work in a private capacity for a reduced fee for Listening Post clients. This means that we may be able to match you with a counsellor more quickly than the main waiting list. If you are able to make this higher contribution, you are also helping those who aren’t able to as you will come off the main waiting list once you are allocated meaning that someone who can’t quite afford this much is also seen quicker.

You will see an assessor within a few weeks (this helps us later allocate you to the right counsellor for you). Once you have had your assessment you will placed immediately onto the waiting list. Please be aware our waiting times are variable:  in some cases, we will be able to offer you counselling fairly quickly.  If, for example, you are only available on one evening a week you may have to wait for a longer time.

At Assessment, your Assessor will make a decision as to the level of support you need. The length of time that you could expect to receive counselling support with Listening Post will be somewhere between three to nine months based upon need. This will be discussed and agreed with your counsellor during your counselling.

All of our Counsellors are either qualified counsellors or are trainees who are in the final stages of doing so. They all have regular clinical supervision with a qualified supervisor who is a senior Counsellor or Psychotherapist.

If you need to cancel your Counselling session then you should let your Counsellor know as soon as you are able to either via email or by telephoning the appropriate Centre. You should give as much notice as possible otherwise you will be asked for your contribution to cover the cost of your session.

Yes, of course you are welcome to return to Listening Post. We ask that you wait a minimum of six months before re-registering for support. You will need to have another Assessment Appointment.

No, everyone is welcome to come to Listening Post for counselling. Our doors are open to clients with any faith or none at all! This is also true for our Staff and Volunteers, all are welcome.

Yes, as a registered charity Listening Post are governed by the requirements of the Charity Commission and we are an organisational member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and work within their Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. We are also a not-for-profit making Company, Limited by Guarantee.