ACCESS was founded in December 2011, out of need, after a local service closed. The volunteers from that closed service looked into providing an affordable counselling service to serve the Lancaster, Morecambe and surrounding areas.
Here at ACCESS all our counsellors are members of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and attend individual supervision.
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Services Offered
Person - to - Person Counselling
Person Centred Therapy (PCT) was developed by Carl Rogers in the 40's and 50's. It is a non-directive approach to therapy, "directive" meaning any therapist behaviour that deliberately steers the client in some way. Directive behaviours include asking questions, offering treatments, and making interpretations and diagnoses.
A non-directive approach is very appealing to many clients, because the client gets to keep control over the content and pace of the therapy. It is intended to serve the client, after all. The therapist isn't evaluating them in any way or trying to "figure them out".
Couples / Family / Group Counselling
We provide affordable counselling and emotional support to children, adults, families and groups thru mediation.
Mediation is a process where an independent third party, (the mediator/s) supports parties in dispute to communicate with each other. The outcome of mediation is that, hopefully the parties will reach mutually accepted resolutions to any issues they may be experiencing without recourse to formal or legal procedures.
Mediation is invaluable in helping families to see each other as individuals with individual beliefs and ideas. This can enable family members to understand and accept each other's differences. This then promotes the ability to feel mutual respect for one another.
Fees and Payment
This is a registered charity.
If your financial circumstances do not fit into one of these categories please don't hesitate to get in contact to discuss further.
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Were You Able to Make an Appointment?
One quick last question. Who was seeking counseling today?
Do you know the reason they are not accepting clients?
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.