Empty Chair - UK Counsellors Forum

Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. We are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. For over 38 years, Crisis has opened Christmas centres across London from 23-30 December. These centres offer vital companionship, hot meals and warmth, and a wide range of essential services that homeless people often miss out on.

In 2010, we are expecting to welcome over 2500 guests across 9 centres in central London. We are looking for volunteers to help deliver a number of services, including our Befriending Service.

Our Befriending Service works with our more withdrawn guests in a floating support role across all our centres. Our befrienders encourage guests to use the services on offer to them in the centres, work closely with the healthcare and advice teams, and provide support in cases where mental health problems are involved.

We are looking for trainee and qualified counsellors and therapists to volunteer. Applications from qualified social workers and nurses will also be welcome

Further information is available at http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/service-volunteers.html

This is a site where counsellors and trainee counsellors can chat, exchange ideas and help each other out. There are no rules but these guidelines aim to help the site run smoothly:

1. Please respect the site and maintain confidentiality as you would in the real world.
2. Please respect your fellow members and:

• Avoid swearing and and unnecessary explicit or adult details


• Be patient and helpful if others do not know as much as you


• Remember the web can be less clear than a conversation. It helps to make use of smilies to show if you are joking and to be prepared to explain yourself if your comments are unclear to others.


• Make no overly personal comments - some things are better solved off line, through private massages or with the help of mods/admin

3. There are all levels of expertise with room on here for them all. So please be patient with newcomers but do not be afraid to ask a question, ask for advice, recommendations or for clarification.
4. In extreme circumstances moderators and admin may have to intervene. Please remember they are volunteers who only wish to help with the smooth running of the site for the benefit of all - so if in doubt, ask! In return the mods will try and be as fair and helpful as possible.