Horsham · in person in Hove or online
Depression counselling for Horsham
When getting up or answering a message takes everything you have, and the things you used to enjoy around Horsham no longer reach you, depression counselling offers an hour a week that asks very little of you at first. I see adults in Hove or by secure video, and the pace follows how much you have in you that week.
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 Horsham
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Horsham by car
- About 36 minutes with clear roads (23.4 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From Horsham, change at Three Bridges for trains towards Brighton and Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – North Team, 01403 620434
- 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.
When a full life goes quiet inside
In a commuter town like Horsham, low mood can look like someone who still catches the train, still does the job and still turns up for the school run, then spends the whole weekend on the sofa in Holbrook because there is nothing left.
It can be a carer who hasn't had a day to themselves in a year. It can be the flatness after redundancy from a long career in financial services, once the routine that held the week together has gone. It can be grief that has stopped hurting and turned grey. A walk by the River Arun, the Weald on a clear morning, an evening with friends: when you're low, each one costs more effort than it seems to give back. West Sussex GP practices had depression on record for 14.5% of their adult patients in 2024/25 (England: 14.3% in 2024/25). It counts what GPs have written down, not everyone quietly struggling, and it tells you nothing about yourself.
Small, chosen steps on the heaviest weeks
Low mood saps the energy that change seems to need, so we don't ask much of you at first. Early sessions are about understanding how your days really go: when you wake, whether you're eating, who you still see, and whether the heaviness ever lifts, even for an hour. Low mood often has a story behind it, and we make room for that story, whether it's a loss that was never properly grieved, years of putting other people first, or a working life that left no space for you. We also look at what's missing now, because people tend to struggle when connection, purpose and a sense of some control are in short supply. Any change we try is small and yours to choose, perhaps one slow walk round Horsham Park or one reply to a friend. On flat days we can simply talk. If you take antidepressants, that stays a matter for you and your GP, and counselling can run beside it. If you've had thoughts of suicide or of harming yourself, I'd want to hear about them. I'll ask calmly and directly, and the crisis numbers further down this page are there for the moments between sessions.
Ways low mood can settle in around Horsham
Looking after someone, year after year
Caring for a parent, partner or child can wear you down without anyone noticing. Carers Support West Sussex helps carers directly, alongside anything we do in sessions.
After a long career ends
Redundancy or retirement from insurance or financial services can take away routine, standing and colleagues at once, and the emptiness that follows deserves attention.
When the commute is the whole day
Leaving early for London or Gatwick and getting home late can crowd out the things that used to keep you well, until you no longer notice they've gone.
A free NHS route for low mood
NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies offers free help for depression and low mood. Its North Team covers Horsham and takes self-referrals on 01403 620434.
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 Horsham
Alongside private sessions, Horsham District Wellbeing is a free council wellbeing service, Mind in Brighton and Hove runs services across West Sussex, and Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group CIC offers counselling on a sliding fee scale. If a long night alone feels unbearable, you can text SUSSEX to 85258 for crisis support.
- Free NHS talking therapyNHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – North Team01403 620434Free 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 organisationCarers Support West Sussex
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.
What people in Horsham ask before starting
I've felt flat for months in Horsham. Do I need to see my GP before depression counselling?
No. Booking the free 15-minute call doesn't need a referral, and a rough sense of how long things have been like this is plenty. It's still worth telling your GP how you feel, especially if you're not sleeping or eating, or if medication might help, because that side belongs with them. Counselling can begin while that's under way.
Is there free help for depression on the NHS in Horsham?
Yes. NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies offers free therapy for low mood and depression, and the North Team for the Horsham area takes self-referrals on 01403 620434, though there may be a wait. Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group CIC is a lower-cost alternative. Private counselling suits you if you want to choose your counsellor or start sooner, and it can sit beside either.
Do I have to travel to Hove for depression counselling, or can we talk by video from Horsham?
Video is fine, and on days when leaving the house feels impossible it means the session still happens. Sessions on screen follow the same shape as in the room. If you'd find the 36-minute drive useful, as a reason to go out and a space away from home, you can come in person and swap between the two as your weeks change.
What should I do if I start thinking about suicide while waiting to start counselling in Horsham?
Reach out now rather than holding on for a first appointment. Call 999 if you're in danger or feel close to acting. NHS 111 has a mental health option for urgent help, and texting SUSSEX to 85258 reaches crisis support by text. Samaritans pick up on 116 123 at any hour. Telling me on the free call is fine too, and we can talk about how to keep you safe.
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 short call, when you feel able
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.