We offer free and confidential pre-trial therapy counselling service of up to 24 sessions with a specially trained counsellor. These are currently delivered by phone or though a secure online platform. We are working hard to resume face-to-face sessions as well. From the point where you report what happened to the police to the time when all court proceedings are complete, we offer a limited style of counselling to ensure that you feel emotionally supported whilst not influencing the evidence that you would give in court.

If you are going through the criminal justice process your counsellor will not ask you to recall the detail of the allegation. If you want to talk about your abuse, you will not be stopped. However, any new information about the allegation under investigation or new disclosures will need to be recorded and shared.

Your counsellor cannot use certain techniques, including hypnotic age regression, deliberate attempts to recover forgotten memories, leading questions and recovered memory therapies. They will record minimal session notes during pre-trial therapy. Confidentiality applies unless you give your consent for information to be shared with a third party or if you disclose that you or someone else are at risk and need safeguarding.

As part of the criminal justice process, the police or CPS may seek your consent for the counsellor to share their session notes. The counsellor will confirm consent with you before sharing the notes. If you do not consent to your session notes being shared, a Crown Court can issue a court order or subpoena for the notes but we will support you and keep you informed if this were to happen.