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Off the Record
We are taking expressions of interest in our Counselling Service here. PLEASE NOTE, BY BOOKING HERE YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR CHILD'S NAME ON THE WAITING LIST. THIS IS NOT AN APPOINTMENT.
If you are new to Skylarks and would like to put your child on the waiting list for counselling with Off the Record, please REGISTER WITH US first.
You can do this here or you can go to our home page and then click on the REGISTER button in the top right hand corner.
Please note that this service is currently only available for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities aged 11 - 25 who live or study in the borough of Richmond. PLEASE NOTE THE MINIMUM AGE IS 11. IF YOUR CHILD IS YOUNGER THAN THIS, PLEASE CONTACT US WHEN THEY ARE APPROACHING THE AGE OF 11.
If you think your child or young person would benefit from counselling and if they are willing to engage, then please fill in their details to go on our waiting list for counselling with Off the Record.
We offer counselling mainly face-to-face at the ETNA Centre or at Heatham House or in Twickenham but it can also be availaable by Zoom. We offer counselling usually on Tuesday or Friday afternoons, although other times may be available.
We usually offer up to 12 sessions of 1:1 counselling. As with all our activities, this is free of charge, although donations are appreciated.
If your child is on the waiting list for CAMHS, or is receiving any form of therapy (such as play therapy), please let us know when you get in touch with us and we will discuss this with you. Counsellors can’t offer therapy if a client is already working with someone else,
We will contact you when a counselling slot becomes available or is likely to become available. You will then need to complete our referral form. We will then arrange a telephone conversation for you with the counsellor where you can discuss whether this is suitable for your child and arrange a suitable time and date for sessions to start.
You will be asked if your young person would be able to access online counselling, using Zoom or if they need to wait until our counsellor who is currently offered face-to-face sessions becomes available
There is usually a waiting list of between 4 and 12 weeks for this service.
Please note, you are asked to give 48 hours (2 days) notice if you can't make a session, otherwise that session may be lost. Your young person or you can text the counsellor directly.
We have put together an information sheet for children and young people about counselling - it can often help if you show this to your young person before they start.
