Counselling Support

At Changing Faces, we offer confidential, one-to-one social, emotional and psychological counselling and support sessions to people of all ages in the UK with a condition, mark or scar that affects their appearance (a visible difference).

We know that having a visible difference can have an impact on your mental health and wellbeing. We have trained wellbeing practitioners who can provide guidance and support, over a series of sessions, to help you cope with your appearance-related worries and concerns.

Please note: We are unable to offer face-to-face sessions at the moment due to COVID-19. Sessions will happen via telephone or video call – whichever you feel most comfortable with.

Read on for more information about the service. If you’re ready to submit an enquiry about accessing sessions, please click the button to visit our Support and Information Line and fill in the form:

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Your practitioner will aim to build a trusting and compassionate relationship with you as a young person or with a child and your family, in a safe, confidential space. We offer up to 12 sessions. We also support parents to cope themselves and to provide help to their child.

This gives the opportunity to:

- Talk though worries and concerns and explore options.
- Gain greater understanding of the situation and see things from a different perspective.
- Cope better with difficult feelings.
- Build self-esteem and confidence and to feel more positive.
- Cope with other people’s reactions and learn techniques to handle everyday situations like staring, questions and comments.
- Reach aims in everyday life, such as feeling comfortable socialising, going to work, attending school or developing relationships or friendships.
- Find out more about your condition and treatment options.

COUNSELLING AND SUPPORT FOR ADULTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Counselling and support is for people living with a visible difference and focuses on mild to moderate mental health difficulties. We offer time-limited support with a focus on “here and now”.

We offer up to 12 sessions to give you an in-depth chance to reflect on the emotions, difficulties and challenges you might have around your visible difference.

To get the most from counselling and support at Changing Faces, your main issues need to focus primarily on the emotional and social effects of your visible difference on your life. Be prepared to talk about how your visible difference affects your mental health, wellbeing, social and public life.

You need to feel ready to fully engage in the sessions and able to commit to attending a regular appointment (weekly or every two weeks) between 9:00am and 5:30pm on a weekday.

Working with a counsellor enables you to:

- Gain a different perspective and gain greater insight into your situation.
- Explore your life challenges in relation to the impact of your visible difference and generate your own meanings and understandings of it.
- Consider ways you can engage with life more fully, with greater ease and with less struggle, and meet your goals and aims to live the life you want.
- Whilst counselling and support can be extremely rewarding, it is not for everybody. It requires motivation and a willingness to examine yourself and change – the process is not always straightforward.

However, if you’re at the point where you’re willing to explore your life as honestly and openly as possible, then it is likely counselling support might be for you.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Firstly, there will be a call with our Support and Information Line to explore the best options of support for you at this time.

Secondly, if counselling and support feels like the right option, we will arrange an assessment session – this is a 50-minute space to explore your needs with a practitioner. We will ask about your visible difference and the impact of this on your mental health and wellbeing, as well as explore any other issues you may have. The wait for an assessment is between 10-12 weeks.

Thirdly, once agreed, 50-minute counselling and support sessions will take place at a regular time weekly or fortnightly. You may have up to 12 sessions, depending on what is right for you – this will be discussed with your practitioner as you go along.

IS THERE ANYONE WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO OFFER COUNSELLING AND SUPPORT TO?

Changing Faces is not a mental health or a crisis service – if you are concerned about your general mental health or feel you are at risk, please speak to your GP to get the appropriate mental health support.

We do not work with people who have:

- Complex mental health issues, such as psychosis, bipolar illness or body dysmorphic disorder or personality disorder
- An active or recent risk of significant self-harm or suicide. We may see people who have such thoughts but not if they have active intent
- Major trauma
- Eating disorders
- Addiction problems
- Psycho-sexual issues

In the above instances we would recommend a discussion with your GP who will be able to advise you about the most appropriate service for you and make a referral.

REQUEST ONE-TO-ONE SESSIONS

To find out more about how you might be able to have counselling and support sessions at Changing Faces, please contact our Support and Information Line on 0300 012 0275.