Arundel · in person in Hove or online
Counselling and therapy for Arundel
Whether you live on the slopes under the castle or in the newer housing across the main road, you can start one-to-one counselling with me before you're sure what to call the problem. Behind that sits more than 25 years of practice and BACP registration. You can come to my room in Hove, just over half an hour east by car, or join from home on secure video.
The practical facts for Arundel
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Arundel by car
- About 34 minutes with clear roads (19.0 miles); longer at busy times.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – West Team, 01273 265967
- Fees
- £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90, £120 for 120. The first 15-minute call is free.
- Registration
- BACP registered member, no. 109340 (check the register); UKCP student member in advanced psychotherapy training.
Living where the castle sees everything
Arundel is small. At the 2011 census it had 3,475 residents and an average age of 47.2, and in a town that size the person behind the counter on Tarrant Street may also be the parent you stand next to at the school gate. That closeness is part of what people love about it, and it can also make it hard to admit you're struggling. The year has its own rhythm too. Visitors come for the castle, the cathedral and the Wetland Centre, the ten-day Arundel Festival fills the August Bank Holiday, and Arundel by Candlelight lights up the shops at the start of December. If your living depends on those busy weeks, the quieter months can bring their own worries. And with an older population, plenty of people here are looking after a partner or a parent while trying to keep their own lives going.
When you can't quite say what's wrong
Counselling is a reasonable first step even when you're unsure what you need. Some people arrive with something clear, such as a loss, a marriage under strain or a habit that has started to worry them. Others only know that sleep has gone, or that they snap at people they love, or that the things they used to enjoy around the town have lost their pull. We start with whatever is there. In the first sessions I'll ask about your life as it really is: the work, the people at home, the caring, the seasons that are hard. From there we find what keeps the difficulty going and what has helped before, and we work at a pace that suits you. For some people it helps to know they're far from alone. Across West Sussex in 2022/23, 24.5% of adults gave a high score when asked how anxious they had felt, a share statistically in line with England's 23.8%. That figure says nothing about you in particular, and you don't need a label to begin. Seeing a counsellor outside the town can also mean the conversation stays separate from the High Street. I came to counselling through recovery of my own, and alongside that I hold BACP registration and an integrative way of working that adapts to the person in the room.
What an Arundel life can bring into the counselling room
Unpaid caring in an older town
Looking after an older parent or a partner who is unwell, with little time left for yourself. The monthly Arundel Carer Hub can support you alongside our sessions.
A town where everyone knows you
In a place of around 3,475 people, it can feel safer to talk to someone in Hove than to risk being recognised in a waiting room on your own street.
Busy seasons, quiet months
If your work rises and falls with the visitors who come for the castle, the festival or Arundel by Candlelight, the uncertainty in between can wear you down.
Loss and what comes after
A bereavement that has left you flat or angry. The Arundel Cathedral Ministry of Consolation offers faith-based support, and counselling gives a separate, private space as well.
Public health figures for the area
These are local authority figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. "Similar to England" means the difference is not statistically significant. The figures describe a whole population over a period, not any one person.
Free and low-cost support for Arundel
Free help nearby can run alongside private counselling. When worry or a low mood weighs heaviest, a self-referral is welcome at NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies, with Arundel inside the patch of its West Team. Arun Wellbeing is a free hub for the district, and Carers Support West Sussex runs a monthly Arundel Carer Hub for unpaid carers, including those looking after someone with mental health problems.
- Free NHS talking therapyNHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – West Team01273 265967Free NHS talking therapy for anxiety, low mood and related difficulties. You can refer yourself, with no GP referral needed.
- If drinking or drug use is part of itWest Sussex Drug & Alcohol Wellbeing Network (DAWN)0330 128 1113Run by Change Grow Live. Free and confidential.
- Local organisationWest Sussex Wellbeing – support for family and friends (council-run)
- Local organisationArundel Cathedral Ministry of ConsolationParish bereavement support team.
- Local organisationSt Barnabas House bereavement services
For gambling, the National Gambling Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 8020 133 (NHS gambling support).
If someone at home is hurting, threatening or controlling you, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 2000 247.
If you need urgent help now
If you need help right now, please don't wait for a session.
In this area you can also text SUSSEX to 85258.
If you drink heavily every day, or take drugs such as benzodiazepines or GHB daily, do not stop suddenly without medical advice. Withdrawal can cause seizures and can be dangerous. Your GP or the local drug and alcohol service can arrange medically assisted withdrawal. Call 999 or go to A&E if someone in withdrawal is shaking visibly, unusually restless or agitated, confused, seeing or hearing things that are not there, or has a fit. For milder symptoms, such as a slight tremor or sweating, contact your GP or NHS 111 the same day (NHS guidance). Counselling works alongside medical support, not instead of it.
What people in Arundel ask before starting
Is in-person counselling possible from Arundel, or only video?
Yes, in Hove. Driving from Arundel to Intergen House on Western Road takes around 34 minutes, which suits a weekly or fortnightly visit. By rail you'd change at Ford or Barnham for the coast line. If some weeks are easier at home, we can switch to secure video, so you don't have to choose one or the other for good.
Where can I get free support from Arundel while I decide?
You can refer yourself, without seeing a GP first, to NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies on 01273 265967 for anxiety or low mood; the West Team covers Arundel. Arun Wellbeing is another free option for the district. Private sessions can run alongside either of them, and a free 15-minute call lets us talk through which mix suits you.
I care for my husband in Arundel and rarely get out. Is video counselling realistic for me?
It is. Video sessions mean you can talk from a quiet room at home in Arundel without arranging cover for a drive to Hove. We can find a time that fits the caring routine. Carers Support West Sussex also runs a monthly carer hub in the town, which some carers find useful alongside counselling.
How quickly can I start therapy from Arundel?
Start with a free 15-minute consultation, where you can put your questions to me and judge if the way I work feels right for you. Should you want to continue, I'll name the times I truly have free, either in Hove or on video, and you choose the one that fits around life in Arundel.
How much do sessions cost, and is the first call free?
Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for 120 minutes, the same in person in Hove or by video. The first 15-minute call is free, with no obligation to book. There is no NHS referral needed to see me privately.
When you are ready to talk, from below the castle or beyond
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.