Havant · online by video, with the Hove room for occasional sessions
Trauma therapy for Havant
If something frightening or overwhelming still lives in your body, your sleep or your temper, trauma counselling is a place to work towards feeling safer in your own life. From Havant we can meet by secure video, or in a quiet room in Hove that is one direct train away. You decide how much you say, and when.
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.
When an ordinary Havant day sets off the alarm
Trauma often shows up in ordinary moments.
A siren outside, a raised voice in a queue at the Meridian, a smell or a date on the calendar, and suddenly your heart is pounding and you're somewhere else. It might come from something that happened once, a crash, an assault or a sudden death, or from years of living with fear at home, or growing up without anyone safe to turn to. It might be a job that put you in front of things most people never see. From the outside you may be holding it all together, working along the coast or up the London line, looking after a family in Bedhampton or Leigh Park. Inside, part of you may still be on guard for a danger that is long over. That watchfulness is your nervous system still doing the job it learned when it had to, and it can take time to settle.
Building ground to stand on before looking back
Trauma work with me goes in stages, and you lead each one. First we build steadiness: ways to bring yourself back to the present when your body reacts, and a clearer picture of what sets it off. Only when that feels solid do we turn towards what happened, a little at a time. With the Rewind Technique, a memory can be worked on without you describing it aloud in detail, which matters if retelling it feels impossible. We also make room for the parts of you that cope by going numb, staying busy or keeping watch, without asking them to stop before they're ready. You can pause or change direction at any point, and saying no is always allowed. Trauma sometimes comes with thoughts of self-harm or of not wanting to live. If that's true for you, I'll ask about it gently and we'll plan for safety together. Between sessions, the urgent contacts listed lower on this page answer at any hour. Medical needs and emergencies are for your GP, NHS 111 or 999, and our counselling works alongside them. If you're already under NHS care in Hampshire, our sessions can run alongside it.
Traces trauma can leave
Not wanting to be alone with it
When a memory resurfaces after dark and home feels too quiet, Leigh Park's Adults' Safe Haven gives you people to sit with face to face, open each evening, all year round.
After a death by suicide
A sudden loss to suicide can bring shock as well as grief. For people bereaved this way across Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, Cruse Bereavement Support has a dedicated Support After Suicide Service.
Fear that came from home
Years of living with someone frightening can leave you on guard long after you've left. If it's still going on, the free domestic abuse number further down this page answers day or night.
Your teenager's trauma, and yours
When a young person you love has been through something frightening, Off The Record in Leigh Park supports 11 to 25 year olds and their parents, while you have your own space here.
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
Up on the first floor of the Meridian Shopping Centre, Havant and East Hants Mind has a Mental Health Hub, and since September 2026 the charity has also offered the Instil Hope Counselling Service, in person in South and East Hampshire and online. The evening Adults' Safe Haven in Leigh Park is run jointly with the Southern Health NHS mental health crisis team. Trauma counselling with me can carry on beside any of these.
- 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.
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 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. 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
Where can I find free help in Havant after something traumatic?
Anxiety or low mood after something frightening is within what NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire helps with, and it takes self-referrals, free of charge, on 023 8038 3920. If you're unsure where to start, your GP can talk through the NHS options in Hampshire. Havant and East Hants Mind, listed on this page, offers free support too. Private trauma counselling can sit beside any of these.
Do I need to explain what happened before we begin?
No. On the free 15-minute call you only need to tell me that something in your past still affects you now. Early sessions build steadiness, and the details can wait. When we do turn towards the memory, you decide what to share and when, and you can call a halt whenever you need to.
Should I travel from Havant for trauma sessions, or stay home on video?
Go with where you feel safest. A private room an hour from Havant, away from your usual surroundings, can help you settle, and the direct train keeps the trip simple. If home is where you feel most secure, and you can't be overheard there, video works well. You can try one and switch.
Can I have trauma counselling while I'm on an NHS waiting list in Havant?
Yes. If you're waiting for NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire or another NHS service, private sessions can give you support in the meantime. If you're unsure whether that affects your place, ask the service. If the NHS service then starts, we'd talk about whether to pause, carry on alongside it, or finish, so you aren't pulled in two directions.
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 with a call where you set the limits
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.