Caterham · in person in Hove or online
Counselling and therapy for Caterham
Caterham adults carrying something heavy, with or without a name for it yet, can come to me for one-to-one counselling. As a BACP-registered counsellor I see people at Intergen House in Hove, around 49 minutes south by car, or over secure video wherever you live, up on the Hill or down in the Valley.
The practical facts for Caterham
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Caterham by car
- About 49 minutes with clear roads (38.8 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From Caterham, change at East Croydon for trains towards Brighton and Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- Mind Matters Surrey, 0300 330 5450
- 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.
Hill, Valley and the branch line to Purley
Two parishes make up the town, and they feel quite different.
Caterham Valley holds the shops, Church Walk and the station at the end of the line, while Caterham on the Hill keeps the older High Street and, where the Foot Guards had their depot until 1995, a housing estate with The Arc and Skaterham in among the homes. For plenty of households the week runs on the branch to Purley and on to London Bridge, around 50 minutes off-peak, so a working day can begin early and finish late with little left over for yourself. Tandridge also has a growing number of people caring for someone: the share giving at least 50 hours of unpaid care a week rose from 1.8% in 2011 to 2.2% in 2021. If you're juggling a job with a parent who needs more help each month, or the house has gone quiet and you can't say why you feel flat, it can be hard to admit to anyone that you're struggling.
Starting somewhere when the problem has no name yet
You don't have to arrive with a label. You might get in touch because you keep snapping at the people closest to you, because sleep has gone, or because a heaviness has hung around for months and you can't explain it. Any of those is a reasonable place to begin. Our early sessions are for mapping what's going on and what keeps feeding it, so we can choose together the kind of work that fits. From Caterham that can mean looking honestly at the shape of an ordinary week: the early train from the terminus, the change at Purley, the evenings that disappear, the Saturday spent driving someone to an appointment at Caterham Dene. If the pressure comes from caring, there is room here for the guilt, tiredness and quiet resentment that rarely get said aloud. If something from the past is pressing in, we go at a pace you set, and you decide how much to say. I take an integrative approach, so the way we work is shaped around you rather than fixed in advance. I came to counselling through recovery of my own, and over more than 25 years in practice that history has stayed close to how I listen.
Pressures that build up quietly on the Hill and in the Valley
Days set by the commuter line
With London Bridge about 50 minutes away off-peak and every train starting at the terminus, long days can leave you with no time to notice how you actually are.
Looking after a parent or partner
Tandridge has more people giving heavy unpaid care than it did a decade ago. Counselling gives the carer an hour that belongs to them, and Action for Carers Surrey can help practically.
Working in a busy school
Caterham School and de Stafford are two of the town's large employers. If you teach or support pupils there, term-time pressure can follow you home in the evenings.
Feeling cut off lately
If you've drifted away from people, The Westway Centre on Chaldon Road runs weekday groups and cooked lunches, and counselling can sit alongside getting out again.
Public health figures for the area
These are local authority figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. The figures describe a whole population over a period, not any one person.
Free and low-cost support for Caterham
Alongside weekly counselling, several free services nearby are worth having to hand. Caterham residents dealing with anxiety or low mood can ring Mind Matters Surrey on 0300 330 5450 to refer themselves to this Surrey and Borders Partnership service. Action for Carers Surrey supports people looking after someone, Tandridge Voluntary Action runs the Tandridge Befriending Scheme, and The Westway Community and Wellbeing Centre offers weekday groups and lunches open to everyone.
- Free NHS talking therapyMind Matters Surrey0300 330 5450Free 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 iti-access0300 222 5932Free and confidential.
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.
Locally, the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS FT Mental Health Crisis Helpline is on 0800 915 4644.
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 Caterham ask before starting
How do I start counselling from Caterham, and how soon could we meet?
Book the free 15-minute consultation first. In those fifteen minutes you can give me an outline of what's been happening and ask whatever you need to before deciding. If we both feel it's worth going ahead, I'll offer you the times I have open and you choose one. If you'd like free NHS support for anxiety or low mood in the meantime, you can refer yourself to Mind Matters Surrey on 0300 330 5450.
Can I get talking therapy on the NHS while living in Caterham?
Yes: Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust runs its NHS Talking Therapies service as Mind Matters Surrey, and anyone in Tandridge can ring it directly when anxiety or low mood takes hold. Private counselling with me can come before, after or alongside it, for example if you'd like a longer session, a regular weekly time or to choose who you see.
Is it worth travelling from Caterham to Hove, or is video more sensible?
It depends on your week. The drive is around 49 minutes each way, and by train you change at East Croydon, so a session in person takes up a good part of a morning or afternoon. If that suits you, the room is there for you. If you commute into London or care for someone, video from home in Caterham saves the travel, and you can switch whenever you need to.
I look after my mum in Caterham and feel guilty wanting help for myself. Is counselling for me?
Yes. Counselling is for anyone who is struggling, and carers can go a long time putting themselves last. We can talk about the tiredness, the frustration and the love together, without judgement. Action for Carers Surrey supports carers across the county, and if memory loss is part of the picture, the Activity Café at St John's Church Hall in Caterham Valley welcomes you both on Monday afternoons.
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.
Fifteen minutes on the phone, from wherever you are in Caterham
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.