Woking · online by video, with the Hove room for occasional sessions
Counselling and therapy for Woking
Whether home is Horsell, Knaphill, Goldsworth Park or the middle of Woking, the counselling we do happens over secure video, just the two of us, at a weekly time we settle between us. My only room is in Hove, about 73 minutes' drive away, so from here the work happens on screen. You don't need a name for the problem before we begin.
The practical facts for Woking
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Woking by car
- About 73 minutes with clear roads (57.5 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From Woking, change at Clapham Junction 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.
A borough that grew up around its station
Woking was built up from the 1860s around its railway station, and by 2021 the borough had 103,900 residents.
Off-peak, twelve trains an hour run to London Waterloo, the fast ones in about 26 minutes, so a working day can easily be spent somewhere else. Woking has its own employers as well, in motorsport and IT, and the McLaren Group has its headquarters at the McLaren Technology Centre. It is a diverse town: the Shah Jahan Mosque, the first purpose-built mosque in the UK, is here, and Knaphill has a Buddhist temple. About 60% of the borough is Green Belt, taking in heathland such as Horsell Common, and the Basingstoke Canal runs through it. Since 2023 the borough council has also been in financial crisis. Any of this can come into a counselling hour, from a commute that uses up your evenings to a family whose expectations differ from your own.
Counselling that fits a Woking week
General counselling suits you if something is wrong but you can't yet say what, or if several things have piled up at once. In the first session I'll ask what has been happening and what you hope will change, and we'll decide together where to start. From Woking, the practical questions come early. If your weekdays run on the Waterloo line, we can look for an evening slot once you're back in Horsell, Pyrford or West Byfleet, so the session doesn't add a second trip to the day. If you work at the McLaren Technology Centre or in one of the town's IT firms and the job follows you home, we can look at where it ends and the rest of your life starts. If the council's financial crisis since 2023 has reached your work or the local services your family uses, that uncertainty is a fair thing to bring. Whatever your faith or background, you won't be asked to leave it outside the session. Some things need more than counselling: your GP is the person for medication or physical health, and St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey provides the accident and emergency service for Woking.
Reasons to get in touch from Woking
Worry on the Waterloo line
Anxiety that starts on the platform before the fast train to Waterloo and is still there when you get back to Woking in the evening.
When the job follows you home
Work at the McLaren Technology Centre or one of Woking's IT firms that you are still turning over at the weekend, until rest no longer feels like rest.
Between two cultures
In a town as mixed as Woking, home to the first purpose-built mosque in the UK, you may be holding your family's expectations beside your own and want room to think about both.
Drinking to switch off
When a glass or two after the commute has become the only way to stop. Talking about it here carries no judgement, and i-access, Surrey's drug and alcohol service, is there 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 Woking
Free help runs alongside this work. Mind Matters Surrey accepts self-referral for anxiety or a flat mood. SearchLight Counselling and Therapy, formerly Relate West Surrey, is a counselling charity in Woking itself. On a hard evening, Woking Safe Haven at the Moorcroft Community Centre in Westfield is a drop-in for adults aged 18 and over, open 6pm to 11pm every day of the year. If drinking is part of it, i-access runs a Recovery Café and group support.
- 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.
- Local organisationCatalyst Counselling: families, friends and carers (Catalyst Support)
- Local organisationAction for Carers Surrey
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. Local drop-in crisis support: Woking Safe Haven (check opening times before you go).
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 Woking ask before starting
How soon could I start counselling if I live in Woking?
First we have the free 15-minute call. Should it feel like a good fit to you and to me, I'll tell you which weekly times are open and we settle on one, ideally one that works around your commute or your working day. Should my free times not match your week, you'll hear that on the call itself, not after weeks of waiting.
Where can I find free counselling or mental health support in Woking?
For anxiety or low mood, people in Woking can contact Mind Matters Surrey directly on 0300 330 5450; it is the county's NHS Talking Therapies service and costs nothing. SearchLight Counselling and Therapy, the local charity that used to be Relate West Surrey, offers relationship, individual and family counselling, so ask them directly about costs and waits. Seeing me privately means you pick who you talk to and when.
Is there anywhere near Woking I can see you in person?
You can, but only in Hove, because that's where my one room is. It's about 73 minutes away by car, so weekly visits would be a lot to ask of yourself. From Woking, video is the practical choice, with the Hove room kept for an occasional longer session if you want it at all.
Will my employer in Woking find out I'm having counselling?
Not from me. What you say stays between us, and I don't contact employers, GPs or family unless you ask me to. The exception is if I became seriously worried about your safety or someone else's, and even then I'd want to talk it through with you first. Using a personal device rather than a work laptop helps too.
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.
Start with a short call, from home in Woking
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.