Havant · online by video, with the Hove room for occasional sessions
Depression counselling for Havant
This is depression counselling for people in Havant, Bedhampton, Leigh Park and Langstone who have felt heavy, numb or cut off for weeks or longer. We can talk by secure video, which spares you the trip on the hardest days, or in my room in Hove, a direct train from Havant. You can get in touch before you've found words for what's wrong.
If you are thinking about ending your life, call 999 or the Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night. More urgent help is on this page.
The practical facts for Havant
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Havant by car
- About 60 minutes with clear roads (41.5 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- Direct trains from Havant to Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire, 023 8038 3920
- 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 routine that keeps running while you don't
In a commuter town, a routine can keep running long after you've stopped feeling part of it.
You catch the same train from Havant in the dark, get through the day, come home in the dark, and at the weekend there's nothing left but sleep and the television. Nothing looks wrong from the outside, so nobody asks. Or you work locally, keep the house going, and notice you've stopped answering the phone and started dreading the walk through town. Depression can follow a redundancy, a separation or a long illness, and sometimes it arrives with no story at all, which can make it harder to justify to yourself. GP records in Hampshire showed depression for 16.4% of registered adults in 2024/25. That counts what GPs have recorded on their systems, which isn't the same as how many people live with depression. However it arrived, a low that has lasted weeks deserves attention, and you don't have to explain why first.
What depression counselling looks like week to week
Depression can make you dread a session before it starts, because you're sure you'll have nothing to say. That's fine. We can begin with how the last few days actually went: when you got up, what you ate, who you spoke to, and whether anything gave you even a flicker of interest. As the weeks go by, we can trace what the low may be tied to, whether that's grief, exhaustion, anger with nowhere to go, or a life that has drifted away from what matters to you. Some weeks there'll be one realistic thing to try before we next meet, such as cooking a proper meal or replying to one message. Other weeks the work is simply to be heard without anyone trying to cheer you up. If you're caring for someone, we make room for what that is taking from you. If you start thinking about hurting yourself, or that people would be better off without you, please tell me. I'll take it seriously, we'll make a plan for keeping you safe, and the urgent help box further down this page lists who to contact at any hour. Questions about antidepressants stay with your GP.
How low mood can look in Havant
Walks that lost their pull
If the harbour path at Langstone or a walk in Staunton Country Park used to lift you and now feels pointless, that loss of interest is worth bringing to a session.
Evenings are the heaviest
If the low is worst after dark, the Adults' Safe Haven at the Leigh Park Wellbeing Centre offers face-to-face support every evening of the year, alongside our sessions.
The low came back
A course with NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire, perhaps back when it was called italk, helped for a while, and now the heaviness has returned. We can look at why it keeps coming back.
Worn thin by caring
Looking after a partner or parent in Havant can leave you flat and empty. Carers here can turn to the Hampshire Carers Support Service, and a weekly session is one hour in which nobody needs anything from you.
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 Havant
Alongside private sessions, NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire takes self-referrals for low mood. Havant and East Hants Mind runs the Mental Health Hub in the Meridian, the evening Adults' Safe Haven and its new Instil Hope Counselling Service, in person and online. If someone you love has died by suicide, the Support After Suicide Service from Cruse Bereavement Support covers Southampton, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth. Off The Record in Leigh Park is for young people aged 11 to 25.
- Free NHS talking therapyNHS Talking Therapies Hampshire023 8038 3920Free 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 itInclusion Recovery Hampshire0300 124 0103Free and confidential.
- Local organisationThe Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Hampshire (Hampshire Carers Support Service)
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 HANTS to 85258. Local drop-in crisis support: Havant Adults' Safe Haven (Havant & East Hants Mind) (check opening times before you go).
What people in Havant ask before starting
How do I get NHS help for depression in Havant?
NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire, the service that used to be called italk, accepts self-referrals on 023 8038 3920, so you don't need to see your GP first, and it's free. It's also worth booking a GP appointment if low mood has lasted for weeks, so physical causes and medication can be considered. You can see me privately alongside either.
Some days getting up feels impossible. Could we meet by video from Havant?
Yes. Video sessions can happen from wherever you feel able, and it doesn't matter if you're in a jumper on the sofa. Getting to Hove from Havant takes about an hour each way, so video is often more realistic when your energy is low. If coming in person later helps to give your week some structure, that's open to you.
How soon could I start depression counselling, and for how long?
Start with the free 15-minute call from Havant. If we agree to work together, we find a first session at a time you can manage, and I'll tell you honestly how soon that can be. There's no fixed number of sessions; we review together every few weeks whether it's helping and how often to meet.
What if I have thoughts of ending my life?
Please tell me, or tell someone today. I'll take it seriously and we'll work out together how to keep you safe. If your life or anyone else's is at risk right now, ring 999. In Hampshire you can text HANTS to 85258 at any hour, Samaritans are on 116 123, and the Adults' Safe Haven in Leigh Park offers face-to-face support every evening.
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.
A gentle first call, whenever you're ready
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.