News Archives - Wellspring Therapy & Training

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For more updates, see our latest blog posts below.

Leah shares her counselling story

August 2, 2021 By wellspring

Leah came to Wellspring earlier this year and here she shares about her counselling journey.

(Client and counsellor name have been changed to maintain confidentiality.)

I decided to access Wellspring’s service when I started experiencing sudden, intermittent bouts of depression. Sometimes, I would feel very tearful, and although it would pass, these bouts continued for about twice a month for a few months. I wasn’t sure if it was the result of being in lockdown. I also knew that I had some issues from my childhood that were constantly on my mind.

The counselling sessions at Wellspring were absolutely excellent. I was relieved that there was a service that I could access. I’d had some counselling many years ago, but I got a much better outcome this time than I had before.

My counsellor reassured me that my thoughts and feelings were normal and that lots of people have these problems. I was able to accept my past and to stop thinking about it all the time. Since my counselling sessions, I feel completely positive. The past is dealt with and it’s no longer on my mind.

I have already told a couple of friends about my great experience at Wellspring. The counselling has been very helpful.

If you would like to help us support more people like Leah, you can set up a regular donation over on our Donate Page. Thank you.

And if you are interested in exploring the possibility of counselling for yourself, please find out more about the Counselling Services we offer here .

Job vacancy: school counsellor

May 21, 2021 By wellspring

Exciting opportunity to work 4 days per week in a school on behalf of Wellspring

We are looking to appoint a counsellor for 26 hours per week to work in a local secondary school for the 2021/22 academic year. You will need a qualification in counselling/psychotherapy and experience of working with young people. You will offer counselling sessions to students and support to staff. You will work alongside the staff team to facilitate a whole school approach to good mental health and wellbeing.

The deadline for applications is 21 June 2021 (midnight).

Interviews will take place at the school on 16 July 2021.

For more details, please see the Job Description and Person Specification. To request an application form please email jobs@wellspringtherapy.co.uk .

If you would like more information please contact our office on 01423 881 881 and ask to speak to Sarah James (Therapeutic Lead).

Stress Awareness Month

April 23, 2021 By wellspring

Stress Awareness Month has been held every April, since 1992 to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures for our modern stress epidemic. In today’s blog post, Alex helps us to understand what stress is and how it can lead to burnout.

Stress is a bodily reaction to threat. It is hardwired into all of us. In other words, it involves automatic, ancient programming over which we have little control. If a predator is chasing us we don’t have time to think about our reaction, we experience the stress response in our bodies. We recognise the flight/fight/freeze response in a change to our physical state. The rise of adrenaline and cortisol is programmed to stimulate our muscles to move, our blood supply to surge energy to those muscles and any prospect of resting or digesting food is temporarily halted. We are primed for our best response.

So far so good, in survival terms. However, this is more problematic when we find ourselves stuck here, on a constant loop of these hormonal surges, and no respite to be found. This is chronic stress. Stress that is never given a chance to leave our bodies before the next threat is recognised. It’s like the story of the frog in boiling water. You may be able to cope in the moment, like the frog in warm water but if you gradually increase the temperature eventually the frog will die as it didn’t notice the gradual build up of heat. Our bodies still respond with the automatic programming. The causes of stress may often be personal, but they are universal in the stress response they trigger.

This is burnout.

Resting and healing from burnout needs to address both the immediate distress and the longer term chronic problems of pressure. We need to learn to complete the stress cycle (see previous blog post on this) so all our stresses do not build together over time. Counselling can help with this, and with addressing any overwhelming stress that has been hanging around too long.

For more information about how to deal with stress, see ‘Burnout’ by Emily and Amelia Nagoski or visit www.stress.org.uk.

Written by Alex Brook-Dobson [Wellspring Counsellor]

If you would like to refer yourself for counselling, please use the link at the bottom of our Therapy page.

Wellspring House has now re-opened for a limited number of face-to-face counselling sessions. Zoom and telephone counselling are continuing to take place. Most of our clients live within a radius of up to 20 miles. However, if you live outside this area (but still in the UK) and do not have access to a local counselling service, you can still contact us through the online form as we do have capacity to see a limited number of adults from outside the area.

See our Resources page for more support and links.

Wellspring’s New Animation

April 19, 2021 By wellspring

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and to share one of our client stories with you in this new Wellspring animation. You can read Becky’s* full story here.

Could you help us to support more people like Becky?

You can donate to our work as a one-off or sign up to give regularly on our Donate page.

If you would like to refer yourself for counselling, please use the link at the bottom of our Therapy page.

Wellspring House has now re-opened for a limited number of face-to-face counselling sessions. Zoom and telephone counselling are continuing to take place. Most of our clients live within a radius of up to 20 miles. However, if you live outside this area (but still in the UK) and do not have access to a local counselling service, you can still contact us through the online form as we do have capacity to see a limited number of adults from outside the area.

See our Resources page for more support and links.

*The client and counsellor name in the animation have been changed to maintain confidentiality.

Job Vacancy: Route One to Wellness

March 26, 2021 By wellspring

Route One to Wellness Partnership Co-ordinator

Initial 1 year contract – extension subject to funding.

Route One to Wellness is an innovative mental health and wellbeing focused VCS partnership based in the Harrogate district comprising Orb Community Enterprise, MIND in Harrogate, Claro Enterprises and Wellspring Therapy and Training.

The successful postholder will be responsible for the day to day running of the Route One to Wellness referral pathway, working closely with staff at the four partner organisations and promoting and developing relationships with referring organisations. You will manage a caseload of service users, assessing their needs and ensuring they are provided with the most appropriate and effective support and helping them to overcome barriers they may face in participating in their chosen service.

You will need to network and keep abreast of changes of local services, VCS agencies and other sources of help and support so you can signpost to other local agencies and services when appropriate.

Orb Community Enterprise will be the official employer and be responsible for all matters relating to the employment, payroll and line management. You will be required to spend one day a week at each partner organisation.

Salary: £23,451 pro rata. Hours: 30 hours per week over 4 days.

For an application pack please contact Elizabeth Marshall, Orb’s Operations Manager, on 01423 202028, or via email: elizabeth@orb-arts.org. We are happy to provide further information if required.

Completed applications should be emailed to: elizabeth@orb-arts.org by 9 am on Monday 19th April. Interviews will be held via Zoom on Thursday 29th April.

The four partner organisations are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Vulnerable Adults and all successful applicants will be required to apply for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and the right to work in the UK check.