Our Counselling Service

FREE SHORT TERM COUNSELLING?

Aylesbury Women’s Aid offers free short-term counselling (8-12 weeks) for women living in the Aylesbury Vale area who have experienced any form of domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviour from a current or former intimate partner to gain power and control. This can include, but is not limited to: physical or sexual abuse, emotional or psychological harm, isolation, economic abuse, threats, stalking or intimidation.

These experiences can have a deep and lasting impact on a person’s sense of safety, capacity for interpersonal relationships, wellbeing, identity, and autonomy.

NEED HELP NOW?
Are you in immediate danger? Call 999. For free information and support, call our 24hr Helpline on 01296 437777.

HOW TO RECOGNISE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Everyone’s experience of abuse is different, and there is no right or wrong way to feel or respond.

Counselling offers a safe, confidential, non-judgemental and compassionate space where you can explore your experiences and emotions in a way that feels right for you. You remain in control of what you choose to share, allowing you to move at your own pace and focus on what feels most important to you.

Counselling is a collaborative process, where your counsellor will work with you, sensitively and respectfully, to help you to gently look at experiences or feelings that may feel confusing, uncomfortable, painful, or difficult to put into words.

Counselling can support you in making sense of the impact of domestic abuse and in understanding feelings that may arise during or after these experiences. For some women, emotions or memories may resurface months or even years later. Counselling provides a safe explorative space, helping you to feel heard, believed, and less alone, and supports you to process and come to terms with your experiences, leading to greater acceptance.

Through increased self-compassion, self-knowledge and self-acceptance, as well as understanding of others’ motives, comes the possibility of more freedom of choice, and the opportunity to reconnect to your own strengths, values and innate confidence. As well as more opportunities to make decisions which lead to a fulfilling life and a life that feels safer and is truly your own.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM COUNSELLING

Counselling sessions are a space just for you. Each session lasts 50 minutes and takes place at the same time each week, with the same counsellor.

Your counsellor will work collaboratively with you. You can talk about current concerns, past experiences, or anything else that feels important to you. Some sessions may involve talking, reflection, or exploring feelings, while others may focus on coping strategies and building emotional safety.

The counsellors at Aylesbury Women’s Aid are members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work in line with the BACP’s ethical framework and professional guidelines.

Counsellors work in an integrative way and draw on a range of therapeutic approaches, meaning that a number of theories and skills are used to enhance your work together. Our counsellors work from a trauma-informed approach, and understand the complexities of interpersonal abuse.

HOW TO RECOGNISE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Before beginning counselling, you will be offered an initial assessment to help us understand your needs and to explore whether this service is right for you at this time.

This assessment is also an opportunity for you to ask questions and decide whether you would like to proceed. If counselling is appropriate, you will then be offered an initial block of eight weekly counselling sessions. Following a review with your counsellor, there may be the option to extend this to a maximum of twelve sessions.

Our service welcomes all women, regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, nationality, religion, or cultural background.

Our service is strictly confidential, and your personal information will not be shared without your consent unless there is a safeguarding concern or a legal requirement to do so. Confidentiality, and exceptions to this will be discussed during your first counselling session.

The counselling service is available Monday to Friday, during working hours only.

If you are interested in engaging with the service, wish to explore whether counselling feels right for you, to find out more information or just to have an informal discussion about how we could help you, please contact Aylesbury Women’s Aid on 07835 346434 or email Jop@awaid.org.uk. Referrals are accepted on a self-referral basis only. Professionals are welcome to contact us to discuss whether the service may be appropriate for their client.