To register for Counselling please read the following information and then complete the online registration form below.
Once completed we will then contact you to offer an initial assessment appointment with an experienced Counsellor. This assessment will take place during the day and will last for around 30-40 minutes. During the assessment which is usually a phone call, your assessor will ask you several questions so that we can place you with a counsellor best suited to help you. It is important that you are in a private and comfortable space for this assessment.
Please note that we are unable to accept students who are currently studying for a counselling qualification.
We are also unable to accept third-party referrals. If you are a professional with a query about our services, we will be happy to talk through our referral process with you. Please email manager@olivebranchcounselling.org.uk.
Olive Branch Counselling has both fully qualified counsellors and counsellors in training. All our counsellors undergo a rigorous selection process before joining the Olive Branch team. Completion of this form signifies that you understand that the counsellor assigned to you may be undergoing training.
Assessments will generally be booked within a few weeks to a month, but there is usually a longer wait to be assigned a suitable counsellor.
Wait times can vary and are dependent on:
Our Current Wait-list Times:
Olive Branch is a registered Charity based in Chippenham that has been providing a professional counselling service to anyone in need within the Wiltshire area for over 30 years. All our Counsellors are volunteers. The first step is to get registered. We then organise an Assessment Appointment for you with one of our experienced Counsellors. Following this appointment there will then be a wait (which could be up to four months) whilst we allocate you to a Counsellor best suited to your needs.
We do not offer counselling to clients under 18. We don't counsel clients who are receiving counselling elsewhere. We are not addiction specialists, however, we will offer counselling to those who are in some form of recovery from addiction. It is important that you share this information with us during your assessment so we can offer you the right support and work out if we can help you. There may be occasions in an assessment session where it is felt that you may be better off seeking more specialist help for an area that you want help with. This is what the assessment session is for, for us to establish whether we are the right place for you, and for you to decide if you want to come to us.
We have availability from Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 8.00 pm.
As a charity, we rely on client donations to contribute towards our running costs. The amount you can donate will be discussed during your initial assessment taking into consideration your current circumstances. Please know, that at Olive Branch we are committed to providing affordable counselling to everyone who needs it, and no one is ever turned away on financial grounds.
Private counselling usually costs £50 per session. It costs us at Olive Branch £35 to provide a counselling session. Contributions from clients are our biggest source of income, so if you can afford to be generous, it will help us to continue seeing clients on low incomes who are only able to make a small contribution.
The donation that you feel that you can contribute will be decided during your Assessment Appointment. This can be always be renegotiated at a later date with your counsellor if your circumstances change.
During your Assessment, your assessor will discuss with you as to the level of support you need and the timescales involved. The length of time that you could expect to receive counselling from Olive Branch is usually in the region of six months. This is normally around 20-24 sessions. We also offer short-term therapy which again is discussed during assessment. This is usually around 10-12 sessions. Once, you have been assigned a counsellor, they will regularly review this with you.
We are unable to contact someone without their consent and therefore forms filled in by third parties cannot be accepted. If you would like to explore options around this, then please email manager@olivebranchcounselling.org.uk and we will explore options and how we might be able to help.
I had had the worst year of my life with family tragedy and trauma. Olive Branch Counselling helped me more than I expected it would.
Caring, compassionate and a true supportive hand to get me back on a clear and positive path.
I laughed again.
