We are a not-for-profit counselling service providing affordable, high-quality support to low-income residents throughout the Lewes community. Our mission is to ensure counselling is accessible to everyone who needs it, regardless of their financial circumstances.
We are a small, local counselling service operated entirely by volunteers, providing confidential and safe therapeutic support for adults aged 18 and over.
Our goal is to create a welcoming space where clients can openly explore emotional and psychological issues affecting their lives, empowering them to manage their challenges and improve their well-being.
We offer individual counselling tailored to each client's needs, available on a short-, medium-, or long-term basis, for periods of up to two years. Due to limited resources, we cannot extend counselling beyond this time. Clients who commit to counselling are asked to regularly attend scheduled sessions, except in unforeseen circumstances.
Our work is guided by ethical frameworks established by professional counselling organisations.
We operate Monday to Friday, with hours varying according to counsellor availability.
People who require counselling need to contact us directly and not through a third party.
Typically, each counselling session with us costs between £10 and £30, depending on circumstances. A lower fee may be negotiable in cases of hardship.
We are an independent organisation without regular external funding.
Lewes Low Cost Counselling Service cannot respond to requests for immediate or emergency counselling. Please find below numbers for organisations that may be able to provide help at these times.
National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK 0800 689 5652 www.spbristol.org/NSPHUK
Helpline offering a supportive listening service to anyone with thoughts of suicide, available 24/7
Lifeline 08088088000
Free, confidential advice available 24/7
Mental Health Rapid Response Service (MHRRS) Call: 0300 304 0078
For those feeling suicidal
A 24/7 mental health crisis support for individuals that think they are at risk of harming themselves or others.
Website: www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/MHRRS
Sussex Mental Helpline 08000309500
Beachy Head Chaplaincy Telephone: 01323 301200
search and rescue charity that seeks to save lives at Beachy Head, East Sussex
NIMH text 998, text HELLO to 741741
Available 24/7
Samaritans call 116123
Providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide
SANELINE 03003047000
national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering specialist emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including family, friends and carers, normally open every day of the year from 4pm to 10pm
SHOUT text 85258
Free mental health text support available 24/7
PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK 0800068414
For under 35s, weekday 10am-10pm, weekend 2pm-10pm
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALMZONE) 0800 58 58 58 thecalmzone.net
Provides listening services, information and support for anyone who needs to talk, including a web chat
The Mix 0808 808 4994 85258 (crisis messenger service, text THEMIX) themix.org.uk .
Support and advice for under 25s, including a helpline, crisis messenger service and webchat.