Counselling charity with record waiting lists for urgent help appeals for community and business support.

By Mental Health Correspondent, Jill Dando News

A fast expanding counselling charity is reaching breaking point after a surge in demand for its mental health support from young people and adults..

Wellspring Counselling, based in Nailsea, North Somerset, UK has expanded its affordable Counselling services to adults and young people.

However, demand has rocketed with record-breaking waiting lists to use their services.

There are over 100 young people aged 11 to 18, on the waiting list, and similar numbers of adults.

Due to the pandemic, financial hardship and other social factors, there has been an explosion in numbers across the area desperate for help.

The charity has set up a GoFundMe page here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-wellspring-counselling-to-help-others?utm_campaign=p_cp+fundraiser-sidebar&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer(https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-wellspring-counselling-to-help-others?utm_campaign=p_cp+fundraiser-sidebar&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer)

CEO, Wendy Griffin said: “The demand for counselling to support mental health is off the scale and because of social media, addiction and recent disastrous world news, is increasing all the time.

“People are reaching crisis point, and the level of suicides across the UK is rocketing.

“We are eager to help more and more people who are needing help before it gets to this  point. We are appealing to businesses, people in the community and more to help us to be able to meet the need for early intervention, which often helps reduce sickness absence in the workplace.”

The charity has seen 50 men and women recently attend their MENtal Fitness course across North Somerset with excellent results.  They also run a workshop for unpaid carers, a low mood and stress course and a course to help young people with their mental wellbeing.

The charity has been going for 30 years and now has 25 professionally trained and supervised counsellors.

Last year almost 5000 one-to-one counselling sessions were provided, and the numbers are expected to go up under the demand this year.

Wendy has been a counsellor for over 10 Years and recently did a Masters Dissertation on the impact of social media on young people’s mental health. To help her counsellors further develop their expertise, she has organised training events for them on working with trauma, neurodivergence, anxiety and low mood.

She said: “There is no doubt that mental health issues are now a national crisis and we are seeing this across the South West.

“We are looking to boost our services to help people in any way we can but there is no doubt that the problems are going to get far worse.  Our wonderful team of counsellors is not a crisis team but does help people avoid reaching rock bottom with their mental health, time and time again.

“The more counselling we provide, the less likely people are going to be desperate for urgent care from NHS services.

“It’s the pace of life, struggles over bills, the state of the world as well as the huge effects of the pandemic including so much loss.”

Wellspring was originally set up in 1994 by people who wanted to support those around who were struggling with life.

Other initiatives include:

•    Carers’ Workshops for unpaid carers in North Somerset to receive support and tips with their demanding roles

•    Groups for young people who struggle with anxiety, gender issues and eating disorders.

• Living Life to the Full course helping adults who struggle with low mood and stress

• The charity has strong links to GP surgeries, churches, schools, and the wider community.

The charity has a friendly admin team so people can chat to via phone or email to find out about the support they offer.

The office is open Monday 1.30-5.00pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.30am-5.00 pm.

If you need to contact them at other times, please leave a message on their confidential answering service and someone will call you back during their office hours.

Email: reception@wellspringcounselling.org.uk

(https://www.wellspringcounselling.org.uk/contacts/reception@wellspringcounselling.co.uk)

Facebook WellspringCounselling or call 01275 810879.

For more stories from Jill Dando News click: http://www.goodnewspost.co.uk