Counselling Overview:

Welcome to Coisceim is a confidential low-cost counselling programme operated by SHEP.

Counselling is a talking therapy that involves a trained psychotherapist listening to you and supporting you to find ways to deal with issues you may be experiencing. You will be encouraged to talk about your feelings and emotions and within that experience, being listened to and supported without judgment or criticism. Sessions are conducted within a safe and confidential setting to facilitate this. The hope is that this may support you to more fully understand what you are experiencing so that you may move towards a resolution.

Counselling can support you around dealing with:

• Feeling troubled or stressed and looking to find a better way forward having anxiety or low mood; perhaps low in energy, changed appetite or sleeping pattern, difficulty concentrating or experiencing general overwhelm.
• Experience of bereavement or other losses
• Managing difficult emotions, for example, low self-esteem or anger;
• Relationship difficulties
• Trauma e.g. experience of abuse; verbal, physical or sexual.
• Exploring sexual or gender identity.

Confidentiality:

All personal information is treated in the strictest confidence. Coisceim Referral Officers who complete assessments are trained counsellors. All Counsellors on the panel are ethically bound to practise in accordance with the Code of Ethics of their professional organisation and the ethos and policies of Coisceim.

Within counselling, confidentiality is limited in the following circumstances: if a counsellor believes you might be at risk of seriously harming yourself or someone else, would include concern for a child, and child protection procedures. Staff at Coisceim and counsellors on the panel fall under the Children First Guidelines which means any report of current or retrospective abuse must be reported to Tusla. This information will be explained further at your first meeting with your counsellor