Changes4Good

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Affordable therapy for our community

Changes4life knows that not everyone has the resources to access private counselling, and this only becoming more challenging as we endure the current cost of living crisis. This is why we have created our low cost counselling offering, Changes4good.

Changes4good allows clients with limited financial resources to access the same quality service we have become renowned for providing to the Berkshire community for the last 22 years. We do this by matching you with our student/trainee volunteer counsellors who are working towards their Level 5 qualification. This service provides benefit to you as an individual, the counsellors on placement with us and the community.

All counsellors who are a part of our team at Changes4good, work with the values drawn from the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) ethical framework, as well as other governing bodies such as the National Counselling & Psycotherapy Society (NCPS). These include working with integrity, honesty, and courage. Confidentiality is central to our work.

How do I start?

The first step is to fill out our contact form, or if you prefer you can drop us an email to Hello@changes4life.co.uk. Once we have received this one of our senior counsellors will contact you to arrange an assessment call. During this call, we will spend time talking through your problems, and getting to know you.

Following this introductory session you will be matched with a suitable counsellor who will work with you to help you explore your thoughts and feelings. Your counsellor will not offer advice, but will provide a safe space where you are able to reflect and explore the issues and difficulties that you are facing.

Some issues that are complex, or deep rooted, may be beyond the scope of a trainee therapist. A trainee therapist may not have the necessary skills or experience to adequately provide the support needed for for certain issues, such as abuse, addictions, or eating disorders. If this situation should become apparent once you are in counselling then the trainee therapist may refer you to one of our professional therapists who can continue the work.

What can our Volunteer Counsellors help you with?

depression
Anxiety
Relationship problems
Stress
Grief and bereavement
Anger management

Low self esteem
Significant life changes
Sexuality
Racism and harassment
Coping with trauma

Changes4Good FAQ

Who do you work with?

We offer our low cost counselling to adults and young people over 12. Who are on low income or in financial difficulty, and those who are unwaged or on social welfare.

How long will I have to wait to see a counsellor?

We aim to connect you with one of our counsellors as soon as possible, however this will depend on your availability and the issues you wish to bring to counselling. Your wait would not usually be more than two weeks.

Will my counsellor be qualified?

All our volunteer counsellors have already qualified to Level 4 which is the required qualification to work in private practice. They are currently in the final stages of completing their Level 5 qualification, and need to do 100 volunteering hours to complete their Level 5 qualification. All of our volunteers are supported and supervised in their work with you by Changes4life senior counsellors ensuring you receive the same high quality counselling as our Changes4life clients. All our counsellors no matter their level of training work to the same high standards.

How long can I work with my counsellor for?

As long as you need. There is no time limit to how long you can work with our counsellors.

Is counselling confidential?

All counselling, no matter who you are working with, is confidential. Counsellors are obliged to break confidentiality if you disclose that you intend to harm yourself or another person, or if you reveal current abuse of a minor, but you would be informed and part of this disclosure. Your counsellor may ask you if they can use your sessions as the basis for a case study for their final assessment, however there is no obligation to say yes

Where will counselling take place?

Sessions will either take place online or at our offices in central Reading. We have a choice of daytime, evening and weekend appointments.

How much does it cost?

Our prices start at £30 per one hour session.

How does payment work?

Payment is required 24 hours prior to each session via bank transfer.

What if I need to cancel?

We have a 24 hour cancellation period which requires payment for the session to be made if it is a non-emergency cancellation.

Do you currently have any placements available?

We are always looking for new counsellors to join the team. If you are in training as a counsellor, Level 4 and upwards, and are looking for a placement please contact us.

Request a consultation with our team
We will be in touch to discuss how we can help

Hypnotherapy and Counselling - Changes 4 Life

05:33 22 Oct 24

For those looking for ADHD support, I strongly recommend Vanessa. Through her ADHD coaching practice, she offers a calm, compassionate, and generous presence that naturally invites self-reflection. In this comforting environment, new ideas emerge effortlessly, leading to tangible progress through concrete strategies.

Tom Barnes

13:00 13 May 24

fantastic service really helped me through some challenging times, Vanessa is incredible made me feel very comfortable and really gave me the tools and information I needed to start making some better choices

Nathan Chapman

02:21 14 Apr 24

Working with Vanessa was a really fantastic experience. She is incredibly knowledgeable, understanding and passionate about mental health. She also has excellent knowledge of ADHD and can help those struggling with ADHD to help manager their day-to day-symptoms.She was able to be completely flexible with how she worked, completely giving me freedom in how I wanted therapy to be structured and the topics I wanted to discuss. She was able to easily swap between a therapeutic approach, exploring trauma or relationship issues, or a coaching approach offering practical strategies to help with day to day life.Throughout our time working together, Vanessa was always very compassionate and warm. She was always engaged showing a genuine and caring approach which helped create a safe place where I felt comfortable talking about difficult personal topicsI can't thank her enough for the time we spent together and would thoroughly recommend her to anybody who would like to learn more about themselves, improve their mental health and learn practical strategies to help them with day to day life.

Charlotte Wheeler

21:18 14 Dec 23

A very safe and comfortable environment that’s created and that really goes hand in hand with the support offered.

Paul Brereton

09:55 02 Oct 23

It's hard to express in words how fantastic Vanessa is! Her kindness, understanding and professionalism shone through from the start, all in a very safe and comfortable space. I felt a deep connection from the first time we spoke and undertaking a journey with Vanessa has resulted in significant changes for me - changes for life! I cannot recommend Vanessa highly enough - a truly wonderful person.

Amelie M

14:18 08 Sep 23

I would highly recommend Vanessa for EMDR! After suffering with quite a specific anxiety for a number of years, Vanessa was very understanding, honest and committed to helping me work through this. She created a really safe and comfortable environment and in turn I always looked forwards to my sessions with her. I couldn’t be happier with the changes i’ve seen in myself and the end result of feeling uplifted and positive about my future! Thank you so much Vanessa, I am so glad i came across you and your amazing work 🥰.

Laura Collett

10:04 27 Jan 23

I’ve been seeing Vanessa for a whole host of different and complex mental health reasons for a number of years. Sometimes I go for months and months without needing her support and other times I see her weekly - that’s one of the great things about her, the adaptability to my needs. Vanessa is supportive, professional, and extremely knowledgeable across a wide breadth of issues and treatments / approaches. Without doubt the best therapist I have ever worked with and I couldn’t recommend her more highly.

Christine Taylor

09:23 22 Jan 23

Vanessa was recommended through a close friend and I cannot thank them both enough. Since our sessions began a little under a year ago Vanessa has helped me create a deeper understanding of myself and others and has equipped me with the knowledge to continue to improve my life, I’ll be forever grateful for this! Vanessa is a very warming, professional and highly experienced therapist and I look forward to developing myself more with her help 🙂

LOUISE MOUNTAIN

19:25 28 Sep 22

Vanessa was recommended to me by a friend, earlier this summer and turned out to be exactly what I needed in order to help me sort out my issues.She is very down-to-earth and sensible and after asking questions and really listening to what one has to say, has a lot of insight into what may be troubling you - which she easily translates into ways that show a depth of discernment with understanding and sympathy, combined with practical help based on both theory and practical experience.Within weeks I was able to see a way forward and regain my sense of purpose.I cannot recommend Vanessa highly enough.

Claire Edwards

09:04 08 Feb 22

Vanessa is a very caring, compassionate and experienced counsellor. She makes you feel at ease even when it may feel hard to open up, I found her very easy to talk to. There are no words to completely describe just how much she has helped me and how our sessions have already had such a positive impact on my life. I highly recommend Vanessa and thank her from the bottom of my heart for helping me.