We offer free counselling for women living in Islington, with some spaces for women from North London Boroughs of Hackney, Haringey and Camden depending on the criteria.
Our Criteria
Women attending our services must be:
We prioritise inclusion and diversity across all our services and we welcome women:
- with historical experience of domestic or sexual abuse, childhood sexual abuse or harmful practices
- from minoritised communities who have experiences of racism, discrimination or social exclusion
- from refugee backgrounds with experience of trafficking or other human rights abuses
- from migrant backgrounds where English is not your first language
who are LGBTQ+
Irish Women’s Service Referrals
We offer a number of session for any women who fit the following criteria:
over 18
in receipt of benefits-level income (except for ACCEPT referrals, see below)
not currently attending another psychotherapy or counselling service
was born within the 32 counties of Ireland (inclusive of Northern Ireland);
and/or have at least one Irish parent or grandparent
resident of any London borough
Please click
here for full details.
Accept Referrals
We also offer 12 weeks of counselling for any women who are registered with an Islington GP and who fit under these criteria:
Please consider the following when making a referral as we may decide to turn down or postpone a referral , where a woman:
- has a current and severe complex mental health diagnosis, substance abuse issue or severe eating disorder
- is seeking counselling in order to support a court case or is court-mandated for therapy
is currently living with a perpetrator of domestic or sexual abuse
is attending therapy with the purpose of gaining letters for example, PIP applications
- has not fully completed the referral form
An assessment is not a guarantee of counselling, but we will always work with you to find the right service, whether at the Maya Centre or another organisation. In order to avoid long waiting times and disappointment, do consider the/your referral carefully.
Though we assess on a case-by-case basis, it can be the case that The Maya Centre is not the right place for you at this time. In order to avoid long waiting times and disappointment, please think through your referral .
What to expect in your Counselling Session …
Counselling sessions last for 50 minutes and are usually in person – there is some scope for telephone and online sessions however these are limited to those who cannot attend in person for specific reasons.
Sessions take place weekly, at the same day and time, agreed with your counsellor during or after the assessment appointment once they are agreed. Sessions are offered free of charge, so we ask that you come on time, commit to every session and attend all the sessions offered.
It is normal to feel a bit nervous about counselling if you have never tried it before and it can be a challenging process at times that can be quite emotional. At the start of your session, your counsellor will greet you, make you feel comfortable, and may ask you some questions about what has brought you here and how you are feeling today.
Frequently missed sessions or no shows at assessment appointments and counselling sessions will lead to your referral being closed and sessions ended. This will be explained further during the assessment appointment and first counselling session. It is useful to let the counsellor know if you have any upcoming appointments to avoid missing sessions or having your referral closed.
Your counsellor cannot help you with practical issues such as housing or immigration, but she may be able to direct and signpost you to other services alongside your counselling for help with these issues. She will listen to you in confidence, will not judge you or tell you what to do and trust that with time and support, you may work out what you need to feel better.
If you have issues with mobility and/or accessibility please let us know. Thank you.
The Maya Centre Team
