Farnborough · online by video, with the Hove room for occasional sessions
Trauma therapy for Farnborough
If something that happened, recently or long ago, still catches you off guard in Farnborough, trauma counselling with me takes place over secure video. You set the pace, you won't be asked to describe more than you choose, and you can join from wherever feels safest. My only room is in Hove, about 85 minutes' drive away.
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 Farnborough
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Farnborough by car
- About 85 minutes with clear roads (71.8 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From Farnborough North, change at Gatwick Airport for trains towards Brighton and 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.
When your body remembers before you do
Trauma isn't measured by how dramatic an event looks from the outside.
It might be a car crash on a road you still have to drive, a frightening birth, a spell in intensive care, an assault, or years of growing up in a house where you never knew what mood you'd walk into. It might be the sudden death of someone close. Afterwards, ordinary things can set off an alarm that seems out of all proportion: a raised voice in the next garden, a smell, or, in an aviation town, the roar of an engine overhead. Your body can react before your mind has caught up, with a pounding heart, a freeze, or an urgent need to get out. You might be sleeping badly in Cove or North Camp, keeping busy so nothing can surface, and telling people you're fine. Those reactions are your nervous system trying to protect you. They aren't weakness, and they are something we can work with.
Steadiness first, the memory only when you're ready
Trauma counselling with me is led by you. Before we go anywhere near a memory, we work on steadiness: noticing the early signs that you're being pulled back, and finding what brings you into the present again, whether that's your feet on the floor, your breath, or the objects in the room around you. That matters more on video, because you're at home and there's no counsellor's room to leave the work in, so we also agree how each session will close and what you'll do in the half hour afterwards. When you're ready, we turn towards what happened a little at a time. The Rewind Technique lets a memory be worked with without you describing it aloud, so the details can stay yours. We also get to know the reactions that numb you or keep you on guard, without blaming you for any of them. If you're afraid of someone you live with, a session from that home may not be private or safe, so please start with the domestic abuse contact further down. If you're already under NHS care for what happened, our sessions can sit beside it.
What can stay with you after something frightening
Jolted by everyday noise
If a sudden engine noise over Farnborough, a slammed door or a shout still sends you somewhere else, we work on what your body does in that moment.
After a stay in hospital
Time in Frimley Park Hospital after an accident or emergency can leave fear behind long after your body has healed, and that fear deserves attention too.
A sudden or traumatic loss
Grief after a sudden death can carry shock as well as sorrow. For people bereaved by suicide, Cruse Bereavement Support has a Support After Suicide Service covering Hampshire.
Nights when it comes back
If evenings or weekends are the worst, the Aldershot Safe Haven is a walk-in for adults, and Shout takes texts with the keyword HANTS to 85258.
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 Farnborough
Private trauma counselling can sit alongside free help. You can refer yourself to free NHS talking therapy for the anxiety or low mood that can follow a frightening event, and your GP surgery can tell you which service covers you. Cruse Bereavement Support offers help after a death by suicide. In a crisis, 0800 915 4644 is the NHS mental health line for North East Hampshire, open day and night.
- Free NHS talking therapyNHS Talking Therapies Hampshire023 8038 3920Free NHS talking therapy for anxiety, low mood and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 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 organisationAndover Mind - Hart and Rushmoor Wellbeing CentreMental health charity.
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 have experienced rape or sexual abuse, at any time in your life, the Rape Crisis 24/7 Support Line is free on 0808 500 2222 for anyone aged 16 or over in England and Wales.
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. Locally, the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Mental Health Crisis Helpline is on 0800 915 4644. Local drop-in crisis support: Aldershot Safe Haven (check opening times before you go).
What people in Farnborough ask before starting
Can I start trauma counselling from Farnborough without saying what happened?
Yes. During the free 15-minute call it's enough to tell me something happened, and you can leave out what it was. The first sessions focus on feeling steadier, and later on there are ways to work with a memory without describing it aloud. You decide what you share and when, and you can stop or slow down at any point.
Is there free trauma support in Farnborough or nearby?
I can't point you to a specialist trauma service in Farnborough itself. You can also refer yourself to free NHS talking therapy for the anxiety and low mood that can come afterwards; ask your GP surgery which service covers your address. Cruse Bereavement Support helps after a loss to suicide, and the Aldershot Safe Haven offers an evening and weekend drop-in. Private sessions can sit beside any of these.
Is it safe to do trauma counselling by video from home in Farnborough?
It can be, as long as home feels safe and private to you. We plan how each session ends so you aren't left stirred up in your own living room, and you can keep something calming nearby. If home isn't safe, or someone there could overhear, tell me, and we'll think about other options first.
What if I feel worse after a session, late at night in Farnborough?
Feeling unsettled after trauma work can happen, and we'll plan for it. If it becomes more than you can manage, ring 0800 915 4644, the Surrey and Borders number that is staffed around the clock, text HANTS to 85258, or call the Samaritans on 116 123. If you are in immediate danger, dial 999.
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.
Begin at a pace that is yours
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.