Frequently
Asked Questions

You can call 0161 440 0055 for more information about our services and to register for counselling.

Currently we work on a self-referral basis, meaning that if you’re worried about someone else you should encourage them to get in touch with our office.

If your place of work is part of our employee assistance programme, get in touch with your manager or HR department for more information about how to get a referral.

If you’re a parent or guardian, we do offer private practice appointments for young people which you can enquire about on behalf of your child/young person by calling 0161 440 0055.

If you’re worried about someone’s immediate wellbeing the following numbers may be helpful:

• • Samaritans: 0161 480 2222 / 08457 90 90 90
  • CALM: 0800 58 58 58
  • PAPYRUS HOPELineUK: 0800 068 41 41
  • Mind: 0300 123 3393
  • The Sanctuary Manchester: 0161 637 0808

We offer counselling at our main site in Stockport town centre as well as other community venues. We also offer telephone or video appointments across our services for those who may find accessing our location difficult.
We counsel children and young people at Beacon House, in schools, and through our community projects. We offer counselling in more than 25 schools across Stockport and Greater Manchester.
We offer counselling for children and young people of any age through our private practice, at a range of times throughout the week, including after school hours. Some of our community projects are also specifically for young people.

When you register for counselling you will be offered an appointment at the earliest opportunity. If you would like to specify a male or female counsellor, you can.

On our private practice services you can specify a counsellor if you’d prefer, but to see a counsellor as quickly as possible we would encourage you to see the first available counsellor.

Counselling works best when attended regularly. At Beacon, we offer weekly counselling appointments.

We work hard to keep wait times as short as possible. Please call us on 0161 440 0055 to discuss the most suitable service for you and to get the latest information on current wait times.

Our individual counselling works best when you can build a one-to-one relationship with your counsellor. If you’d like a friend or family member to come with you, they’re welcome to wait in the waiting room. 
As well as one-to-one counselling, we also offer a couples counselling service which is designed to work with you and your partner together. These sessions will be attended by both you and your partner.

We understand that sometimes you may not be able to attend your appointment. If this happens, please call our team on 0161 440 0055 as soon as you know so we can rearrange it.

We offer counselling sessions remotely as well as onsite. These take place either by telephone or video link. If you decide that video would suit you better, these sessions are carried out using Microsoft Teams – an application similar to Zoom,  Skype or Facetime.
For the counselling sessions to be effective we ask you to be in a safe, quiet and undisturbed space for your appointment. The sessions last up to 50 minutes.

We’ll work with you to find the approach that suits your organisation best. Employees can self-refer directly when they need support, or appointments can be arranged through referrals you’re your managers, HR, or other departments.

Our counsellors are all qualified to Diploma level or higher and bring extensive experience working with adults, children and young people.
We are the chosen partner for Mental Health Support Teams in Stockport and an approved partner of NHS, ICB and CAMHS services.
Each member of our team is skilled in using a wide range of age and development appropriate therapeutic approaches, allowing us to tailor our support to the unique needs of every child or young person.

We aim to offer an initial assessment soon after registration to determine if our service is suitable. High demand may cause waiting lists. Counselling usually begins the following week, often for six sessions with a review, extending up to twelve.