Client A.W. from Plymouth told us that she contacted Simply Counselling because she was wanting to deal with her anxiety.  She says "I Felt nervous, but keen to get started, I thought I would find it awkward".  A.W. told us that counselling has helped her with her anxiety and that she would tell others to "give it a go".  We asked her what she thought about our service and she told us that she found it very good, discreet, welcoming and supportive.  A.W. told us that overall, her experience of counselling at Simply Counselling was "very posiitve".

Client G.M. This client came to Simply Counselling because she found that she was experiencing anxiety and depression and that her past experiences in life were "dragging her down".  She felt positive and relieved to have found a suitable counselling service when she came along to her first session.  Client G.M. told us that the first session was better than she thought it would be and that her counsellor, Gerry, was "very understanding and professional".  This client says that "counselling very much helps me with my problems-it helps me to put things into perspective and I always feel much better after talking about things that are troubelling me, to someone I can trust". Client G.M. acknowledges that talking therapies are not for everyone but she would encourage people to try it and she would certainly recommend Simply Counselling.  She says that we offer "an excellent service!"  The first words that came to mind when we asked her what she thought of our service were "professional, confidential, low cost, available to all, friendly and helpful". Client G.M. would be very likely to return to counselling in the future and speaks very highly of her experience of working with Gerry, one of our counsellors.  Finally, we asked this client if there were any other comments she would like to make and she told us that "Plymouth is very lucky to have a service like Simply".

Julie Griffiths Julie tells us that when she first contacted us, she wanted some help with stress.  When she first came along to Simply Counselling for her first session, she felt very nervous and ashamed that she needed any help.  However, she found the first session went well and she found her counsellor very approachable. When we asked her about how counselling had helped Julie with her stress, she told us that "the counselling has helped me to come to terms with my situation and face up to the future.  It has helped me speak up when it is needed and therefore I do not feel so taken for granted by others" Julie’s advice to others who may want to have counselling is that she would recommend trying it, but feels that you only get back, what you put in.  She advises "be open and honest". Julie describes our service as "very good, supportive and no pressure" and she adds that she would not hesitate to return to Simply Counselling in the future. Finally, Julie told us that she felt that she could talk to her counsellor about anything and she never felt embarrassed and that her experience of counselling at Simply Counselling was a positive one.

Client J.R. A former client of Simply Counselling, who wishes to be identified only by her initials, wrote in to say how much the service had helped her.  She has given permission for her comments to be shown on the website. "I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to you for all of your help and kindness, it really has been appreciated by me.  Somewhere along the line, you have helepd me to overcome some of the problems and anxieties I was feeling and life certainly feels much better now. Thank you for all that you have done for me"

Karen Murphy Karen came to Simply Counselling as she was experiencing domestic violence and low self esteem. She says that she was "nervous" when she first came to counselling. However, she felt that "the first sesstion was better than she had expected it to be." She tells us "I was unsure how to start the conversation, but felt fine once I got going. I felt very comfortable when I met my counsellor". We asked Karen how she felt that the counselling she received at Simply Counselling had helped her. Karen replied that "the counselling I have received so far has helped me to revognise things and see things clearer and in return I have become a stronger person". The advice that Karen would give to others who may be thinking about going for counselling would be "tell them not to be bervous and go for it, they will feel better". Karen told us that she found the service here at Simply Counselling, and from her counsellor was "excellent" and that she would definately return in the future".

Client S.C. SC Came to Simply Counselling as she was experiencing panic attacks and suffering from bereavement. She told us that < felt>when she came along for her first session. She added that the first session was better than she expected and that she found it easy to talk, although much of the time was spent crying, a relief in it’s self" SC says that counselling has "put life back into perspective" She has also learnt not to be so hard on herself. SC says that she would tell people who are considering having counselling that "it is the best thing ever to have someone to listen, who does not judge". SC thinks that the service we provide is "a way of quickly getting attention, when you need it, there are no long waiting lists". SC tells us that her relationship with her counsellor was excellent and that her counsellor was caring, understanding and helpful". She describes her experience with us as being"very much positive". Her final thought to others who may be worried about taking their first step in coming to see us is ."Don’t worry, they help"

Mo Rudling Mo came to our service at a time in her life when she was lacking in confidence, self esteem and was unable to deal with her feelings. She was nervous when she first came along, but says that her counsellor, Sue put her completely at ease. She feels that her "counselling has helped her to deal with many issues and that as a result her confidence has been built greatly". Mo describes the service she received at Simply Counselling as excellent, as was her experience with her counsellor.She adds that she would return again in the future, if she needed to. Mo’s final comment to Simply Counselling is "I find all the counsellors helpful and friendly and that her counsellor Sue, was perfectly matched to my needs".

Client H.F. H F Came to us when she was experiecning angry outbursts which were affecting her relationship with her partner. At first she was "curious and a little anxious". She says that after the first session, she felt that her counsellor was someone that she could relate to and work with and that she liked her approach. H F says that she thinks that the counselling is helping her to have a greater understanding of herself and why she operates the way she does and what is going on behind the scenes. she adds that "my growing understanding is enabling me to (slowly) develop different, more effective ways of being and responding to difficult situations". H F knows that it can be difficult to make the initial contact and that it is a BIG DEAL. She advises that people considering counselling, hold on to why you are wanting to do it and what you want to achieve, then pick up the phone. H F says that the service at Simply Counselling is fantastic and that our service is so accessible. She advises others to make sure you work with a counsellor you feel comfortable with and that if you don’t feel comfortable with a counsellor, ask for another one. Something that we at Simply Counselling fully understand and are happy to support. H F would return to Simply Counselling again in the future as she has found her experience here helpful and considers it to have been positive. H F says that "it’s a great service. It’s made a really positive difference to me and I’m really grateful for it".

Client K.H.P. K H P came to us when she felt that she had a lot of different issues in her life, that she had been afraid to confront before. Like most people, K H P was nervous before she came to us, but says that she had reached a point where she knew that she had to speak to someone about what had happened in her life. When she arrived for her first session, K H P was apprehensive at first, but was made to feel at ease. She says "I felt calm and I knew from the first session that doing this would be extremely beneficial to me"

K A P tells us that at first she felt slightly ashamed that he needed to see a counsellor because there is a sort of stigma about it. However, she says that the sessions she is having are helping her so much because it is helping her to look at what has happened in her life, face up to it and get a positive out of it. When we asked K A P what she might say to others who are thinking about going for counselling she said "I would say that even though it is very nerve wracking to speak to a stranger, it will honestly do them the world of good". She adds that "the service is brilliant and that they give you the support where you didn’t think there was any". We asked K A P how she felt about her relationship with her counsellor and she told us that "I really like her very much. She is lovely and I think very highly of her. She has helped me when I was very low and now I’m feeling better than I did before and I know it is down to seeing her". K A P’s final piece of advice to people thinking about coming and working with us is "don’t be nervous, people are there for you, you just have to take the first step. I am very thankful for this service because I was at my lowest point when I first started here and now I can see that ther eis a light at the end of the tunnel.

Simply Counselling

1st Floor 18 Harwell Street

Plymouth PL1 5BP

01752 266333