Recognised by the Caribbean & African Health Network (CAHN) for the Community Leadership and Empowerment – Strategic Excellence Award
The Black Women’s Project is a safe, supportive space created specifically for women from Black British, African, and Caribbean heritages, who live in the borough of Islington.
Although the Black Women’s Project is specifically for residents of Islington, our other services can be accessed by women who live in North London Boroughs; Barnet, Camden, Enfield (inc. Edmonton & Southgate), Hackney, Haringey & Islington.
We understand that Black women’s experiences are shaped by many layers — including racism, discrimination, misogynoir, and the impact of trauma and violence against women and girls.
Our aim is to offer representative, trauma-informed therapy that centres your voice, your story, and your healing – delivered by qualified and experienced therapists who understand the intercultural meaning of identity, race, and womanhood.
Our Black female counsellors and therapists create a calm and confidential space where you can explore your emotions, rebuild confidence, and begin to heal.
The project offers:
Each part of the Black Women’s Project has been created to support your mental health and wellbeing, build self-esteem, and help you manage cultural and gender role expectations, while addressing past trauma.
Through this project, we aim to reduce health inequalities for Black women in Islington by offering free, accessible therapy in spaces designed for you.
Whether you’re seeking individual counselling or group support, the Black Women’s Project is here to walk alongside you — with understanding, compassion, and care.
Women aged 18+ in North London boroughs. We welcome and prioritise women who have experienced domestic abuse, violence, rape, child sex abuse, trauma, discrimination, survivors of abuse or violence, women from minoritised communities, refugees, disabled women, LGBTQ+ women, and migrants. If you’ve experienced abuse, violence, trauma, or discrimination, you are very welcome here.
Children or animals (except guide dogs or certified support animals) cannot accompany you to the centre.
No. You can self-refer directly – please see our referrals page, otherwise referrals can be made by a GP, a support worker, or other organisations, but this is optional. We process referrals on a first come, first served basis.
Primarily, clients from minoritised communities with trauma from domestic violence, abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual violence and abuse, are prioritised in line with our funding criteria. We also prioritise women on low incomes with a household income of less than £30K.
Provision for those experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, relationship difficulties, low self-worth, and stress can be provided where we have funding capacity, otherwise we will refer you on to services that do or back to your referrer or GP.
Since we encourage face to face sessions, we do have lift access for those with mobility issues.
We are a charity, so we aim to keep therapy as accessible as possible.
Sessions are free and length of counselling contracts depends on funding criteria. Though sessions are free at the point of service to the client, it costs the centre £95+ per session to deliver one counselling session. Therefore, cancellations and DNAs come at a great cost to the centre in terms of time, money and resources.
Once you get in touch:
If we are full, we will be honest about waiting times and help you look at other options if needed.
Yes. All therapists are fully qualified, trauma-informed, and professionally supervised. We also have monitored and supervised trainees who are on placement.
Yes. All our therapists are qualified professionals and are trained in trauma-informed, survivor-centred therapy.
They understand how abuse, racism, poverty, migration, disability, and inequality can affect mental health. You are not expected to explain or justify your experiences.
Yes. What you share is confidential, with limited safeguarding exceptions. The only time we may need to share information is if there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else. If this ever came up, we would always try to talk with you about it first.
Yes. Demand can be high and waiting times fluctuate. We aim to not exceed six months of waiting times -this is why we ask people to consider readiness for therapy and to support the referral process. By providing up to date availability, specific counsellor matching requests (if preferred and upon availability) and to not accept an offer of assessment or sessions if you feel you are not going to be ready when contacted after referring/being referred ensures that the waiting list moves quickly. See ‘What helps speed up the process of making a client referral?’ below.
That is okay. You may feel unsure at first and this is a normal feeling. If you think that after making the referral and when we contact you to offer an assessment appointment, you are not ready for therapy please let us know by responding quickly so that the space can be offered to someone else.
If you do start sessions, you do not have to know what to say or where to start once you are in the room. Therapy can move at your pace, and you are always in control of what you share.
Please watch our video on the home page ‘ What to Expect From Therapy at The Maya Centre’ as this will help you decide on whether to access therapy now or wait until you feel certain.
