PSYCHOTHERAPY
& COUNSELLING

PLC – Prospex Listens and Cares

Prospex's one-to-one psychotherapy and counselling service, which we call Prospex Listens and Cares (PLC), offers counselling for young people 8 to 25 years of age who access our services in Islington, London.

Why do people go to psychotherapy or counselling?

People go to psychotherapy for many different reasons. You may have a specific issue, concern or problem you want to discuss. You may have a general feeling such as anxiety or low mood that has been bothering you. You may want someone to talk to that isn’t a friend or family but that you can trust.

Talking to a therapist is different from talking to someone who knows you. A psychotherapist is focused on you and what you bring to the sessions, so they don't listen and talk to you in the same way as someone who knows you. Psychotherapists have had a lot of training and experience!

If I would like therapy through Prospex, what do I do?

If you decide that you would like to speak to a therapist through Prospex, you can be referred through any of the youth workers at Prospex.

If you prefer to self-refer you can contact Donna Billington, the psychotherapy supervisor, directly by email: donna@prospex.org.uk.

Holly, the psychotherapist who works on-site at Prospex, also offers drop-in sessions. Check the signs around the Prospex Underground Youth Centre for further information about times.

What can I expect if I choose psychotherapy?

If you are referred through your keyworker, or if you contact Donna directly, then you will be offered an initial online session with Donna who looks after the psychotherapy service at Prospex.

In the online session, Donna will chat with you about how you hope psychotherapy can help and what has brought you to the decision to seek support. She will check that you are keeping safe and explain what happens next.

You will then be referred to the most appropriate service. This could be Holly, our on-site psychotherapist, or other off-site services. Donna will discuss all of this with you at the initial session.

If you attend a drop-in session with Holly, then she will discuss the ‘self-referral’ with Donna and then will get back to you about next steps.

How many sessions will I have?

This is dependent on the waiting list and how many sessions you would like or want. You might have 6 to 8 sessions, or longer, depending on what you bring to the sessions. If you want to end therapy at any time, just talk to your therapist about this.

Is the therapy confidential?

The therapist will discuss confidentiality with you at the beginning of working with you. In most circumstances, what you discuss with your therapist remains between you and them. However, we may need to break confidentiality if there is a risk of harm to you or someone else. The therapist would normally discuss this with you before reporting any safeguarding concerns.