Counselling Service

Counselling is a confidential process where people are provided with a safe, supportive and non-judgmental space to discuss issues, concerns, emotions & behaviours.

Our counsellors can help support you with a variety of issues, including (but not limited to):

• Self-esteem issues.
• Relationship issues.
• Loss, bereavement, and separation issues.
• Depression and Anxiety.
• Family issues.
• Workplace or educational difficulties.
• Emotional problems related to physical health issues.
• Life stage issues and transitions such as becoming a parent, or retirement.

However, if you can't find the answer you're looking for, or need further help or information, do not hesitate to contact us at 01392 499388 or email counselling@ironmill.co.uk. 

You can expect to be provided with a non-judgmental approach by a respectful, open, and genuine person.

Your counsellor will not give advice, direction, or solutions to problems or issues, but they will support you in gaining insight and new perspectives. Each session lasts 50 minutes and you will meet with your counsellor on a weekly basis. You may terminate therapy at any time. We have male and female counsellors and a choice of weekday and evening appointments.

Sessions with your counsellor are confidential. However, counsellors are obligated to break confidentiality if you disclose that you intend to harm yourself or another person or if you reveal current abuse of a minor.

Exeter Campus

Iron Mill Counselling Service is based in 'The Quadrangle' at Iron Mill College in Exeter, 7 Barnfield Crescent, Southernhay East, EX1 1QT (just to the rear of 'Morwenstow') and at Acorn Business Park, Unit C, Lower Ground Floor, Ling Road, Poole, BH12 4NZ. 

For full details of our location, public transport, and parking, click here. 

The service operates from 9:30 until 17:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and from 9:30 until 20:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Please note that we are closed during bank holidays and for a period over Christmas – please see notifications on the home page during this time for details of the college closure period.

Poole Campus

The service operates Monday to Friday, with evening appointments on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

When you first get in touch, we’ll arrange a free initial consultation to assess your requirements. You will then be matched to a suitable counsellor for subsequent sessions, which last 50 minutes and cost £25. 

The service also offers a limited number of further reduced-cost spaces for those facing financial hardship.

Our counselling service is a not-for-profit initiative of Iron Mill College and aims to make counselling more accessible - offering a safe, professional yet affordable service.

To book an initial consultation, please call 01392 499388 or email counselling@ironmill.co.uk. 

We’ll arrange a free assessment session, and you will then be matched to a suitable counsellor for subsequent sessions, which last 50 minutes.

What can IMCS not help with?
IMCS is very careful to ensure we offer a safe service, which means we will only offer a counselling place to you if we believe we have therapists on the team who can help you and who have an appropriate level of skill and experience. We cannot offer counselling support to people who

• are in acute mental health crisis
• are not registered with a GP locally
• have current serious untreated addiction issues
• are under 18 years of age
• do not have the capacity to give informed consent for counselling
• have requirements that sit outside the expertise or capacity of the service

If we cannot help, we will explain why, and where possible will signpost you to suitable sources of support.

What is an initial phone call/consultation?
Most people will be offered an initial telephone consultation. This is not a counselling session. The purpose is to give you the chance to speak with a senior member of the team, who will

• listen to the reasons you would like counselling, and help assess whether this is the right service for you at this time
• explain more about the service, and give you the chance to ask questions so you can make an informed choice
• establish your availability and any other preferences
• talk about the process and what to expect
• talk about practicalities such as cost/ payment and take some initial information

How long will I have to wait?
The service cannot give a ‘one size fits all’ answer to this question, as every arrangement is unique. Factors depend upon how many people are waiting for counselling, what your availability is, what you might need, and when a suitably experienced therapist becomes available. The wait can be from three weeks to several months. Sometimes if we have been trying for 3 - 4 months and are still unable to secure a suitable arrangement, despite our best efforts, we will contact you to reassess the situation. The service does not routinely contact people on the waiting lists until an arrangement has been made, but you may phone to check on progress at any time while on our waiting list.

I need help urgently – can someone see me?
We are not able to manage emergencies or provide ongoing crisis support, but if you or someone you know needs urgent help relating to their mental health, please refer to our downloadable document below.

Can I have flexible appointments?
Our counsellors offer you a commitment and reserve your weekly session and will not allocate this time to anyone else. For this reason, we ask you to commit to attending weekly sessions. We cannot offer sessions fortnightly, monthly or intermittently, and we cannot offer extended or repeated breaks during your counselling contract.