Carr Gomm is providing in-person counselling to people from the Niddrie area of Edinburgh. This has improved the wellbeing of the local community by giving access to otherwise inaccessible mental health support.
People are referred to our service by a Community Link Worker, who operates out of one local GP practice, near to Carr Gomm’s national office. As a result of these counselling sessions, people have experienced notable improvement in their mental wellbeing. On average, there was a reduction in people’s psychological distress by 13 points (on the 40-point CORE-10 scale).
This service is an extension of our online counselling service for staff, and provides student counsellors with the required in-person placement hours to qualify.
Student Counsellor, Colm, said: “The project is enabling access otherwise denied, for people in our local community, which in turn is helping them cope, adapt, develop and grow. And it provides essential experience and growth for me personally too. Playing a key part in this has been humbling and inspiring, leaving me feeling I am a part of something very special, within a truly person centred, caring organisation.”
Around 60 people from the local community would benefit over the year from this service, with 19 people already having received or about to receive counselling.