Kingston upon Thames · online by video, with the Hove room for occasional sessions
Depression counselling for Kingston upon Thames
When low mood settles in, the things that used to lift you stop working, and it can be hard to explain why. If you are in Kingston upon Thames and feel flat or numb, counselling by secure video gives you a weekly hour to say how it really is, with no long trip to make first.
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 Kingston upon Thames
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Kingston upon Thames by car
- About 74 minutes with clear roads (52.9 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From Kingston, change at Clapham Junction for trains towards Brighton and Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- Kingston Talking Therapies, 020 3513 4440
- 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 the town keeps moving and you don't
When you are low in a town as busy as Kingston, everyone else can seem to be getting on with it.
The shops stay full and the trains keep running to Waterloo. Perhaps you have stopped walking by Canbury Gardens, or a whole season at the Rose Theatre has come and gone without you. Perhaps you are a student who has quietly stopped going to lectures, or someone in Norbiton who has looked after a partner for years and can't remember the last thing you did for yourself. Sometimes there is a clear cause, such as a death, a separation or a lost job. Sometimes there isn't, and that can feel harder to justify, though it shouldn't. Grief in particular can turn, over time, from tears into a long, quiet flatness that the people around you mistake for coping.
What we do with a heavy week
We start where you are, with no need to perform being fine. I will ask about sleep and appetite, the people you still see and what has dropped out of your days, and whether there are moments, however short, when the weight shifts a little. Then we look at what is holding the heaviness there. Often it is a mix: an inner voice that criticises everything you do, days with no shape, a loss that has never had room, or caring for someone while nobody cares for you. Any changes stay small and are yours to choose, perhaps answering one message, or a slow walk to Kingston Bridge and back. On days when talking is hard, we can go slowly and sit with that too. Medication is a question for your GP, whether you already take antidepressants or are weighing them up, and our sessions sit beside that conversation rather than replacing it. If thoughts of suicide or of harming yourself come up, please tell me. We can talk about them plainly, and if you need help before our next session, the urgent support box on this page sets out who to call or text.
The shapes low mood takes in Kingston
Grief that went quiet
A death months or years ago that left numbness rather than tears. Kingston Bereavement Support, an independent local charity, offers bereavement help, and weekly counselling can sit beside it.
Carers running on empty
Years of looking after someone at home can drain you slowly. Kingston Carers' Network supports carers, and our hour is kept for you alone.
The student who stopped going in
Missed lectures at Kingston University, unopened emails and whole days in your room. The Mind in Kingston Counselling Service also sees adults who study in the borough.
Flat after a hospital stay
Coming home from Kingston Hospital after illness or surgery can bring a heaviness nobody warned you about, even while your body is mending.
Free and low-cost support for Kingston upon Thames
Kingston Talking Therapies, the borough's NHS service for low mood, costs nothing and accepts referrals directly from you. Mind in Kingston runs drop-in cafes at the Alfriston Day Centre in Surbiton, with no booking needed. Kingston Samaritans, the local branch, listens on 116 123. Private counselling with me can run beside any of these.
- Free NHS talking therapyKingston Talking Therapies020 3513 4440Free 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 itKingston Wellbeing Service (KWS)0300 303 4614Run by Via. Free and confidential.
- Local organisationKingston Bereavement Support
- Local organisationKingston Carers' Network
- Local organisationMind in Kingston Drop-in CafésMental health drop-in café.
For gambling, the National Gambling Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 8020 133 (NHS gambling support).
Private counselling with me can run alongside any of these; you do not have to choose one or the other.
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.
The South London NHS Mental Health Crisis Text Service is another option: text 80991.
What people in Kingston upon Thames ask before starting
Can I get free help for depression in Kingston upon Thames without seeing my GP?
Yes. Kingston Talking Therapies takes self-referrals for low mood and depression on 020 3513 4440. It is free, though you may have to wait. The Mind in Kingston Counselling Service needs no referral either and is fee-paying. If you would rather choose your own counsellor, private sessions with me are another option.
I feel flat rather than sad. Is depression counselling from Kingston still for me?
Yes. Depression often shows up as numbness, tiredness or losing interest, more than tears. If things you used to look forward to now feel like effort, that is worth talking about, whatever you call it. There is no label to earn and no letter to fetch first; the free 15-minute call is all it takes.
Is video from Kingston enough for depression counselling, or should I come to Hove?
Video is enough. With Hove about 74 minutes away by car, it is also the practical choice from Kingston, and on heavy days it means you can join without getting dressed up or travelling. If you ever want a session in the room, it can be arranged, but the work doesn't depend on it.
What if I feel unsafe while I'm waiting to start counselling in Kingston?
Don't hold on for a first appointment. If you think you might act on thoughts of suicide, ring 999, and for urgent advice ring NHS 111 and pick the mental health option. Texting 80991 reaches the NHS crisis text line for South London, and Samaritans answer 116 123. Out of hours, the Kingston Recovery Hub in Surbiton is a crisis cafe.
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 have the energy for one call
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.