Emotional support

Our sight loss counsellors are registered members of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and are accredited by the RNIB. They provide emotional support and counselling to service users who are struggling with the emotional impact of their sight loss.

Support may include information, signposting and referral to other mental health services where appropriate.

The Emotional Support Service aims to:

· Provide a confidential, non-judgemental, therapeutic space with a trained counsellor who will support the navigation of the emotional challenges of living with sight loss.

· Respect each person’s sight loss experiences, circumstances, and level of acceptance. Acknowledge personal losses, impacts on self-identity and existing ways of coping.

· Recognise each unique individual and support them towards self-development in finding their own ways of making the personal changes they choose, to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing.

· Enable the exploration of changes and transitions in sight to empower individuals to identify what they need to adjust and adapt. We will support connection to other CamSight services at a time of personal readiness to enhance independence and inclusion.

We offer two types of confidential support – Emotional Support, or Counselling.

Weekly sessions are offered over the phone or over a Teams video call.

Emotional Support is a type of informal support for those who want the time and space to talk about the impact of their sight loss with someone other than a friend or a family member. This might be to talk over a specific issue, or to offload worries and concerns. Together with the counsellor individuals can explore their options and may be signposted to other sources of support.

Counselling is a ‘talking therapy’ that offers a therapeutic process to explore the deeper feelings and thoughts that are impacting how a person copes with the challenges of sight loss. Counsellors will work alongside an individual to support them to identify their hopes and the changes they want to make in their life.

How to use the service

You can be referred to the service by a CamSight staff member, or self-refer by contacting us directly.

One of our counsellors will contact you to arrange an assessment call. They will answer any questions you have and will talk through anything you are unsure of. They may ask about your present circumstances and some personal details so they can understand how your sight loss is affecting you and establish if the support we offer is appropriate. They will ask about your availability and advise you how long it may be before your support can begin.

We will contact you to arrange your support sessions as soon as we have availability.

Support will begin with one of our sight loss counsellors. In your first session the counsellor will talk you through a mutual agreement that sets out relevant rights and responsibilities for the duration of your support. We offer six weekly sessions initially; over the first few sessions you and the counsellor will explore your needs in more detail so you can decide which type of support feels the best fit for you.

Refer into our service online using our online referral form

Alternatively you can contact us on 01223 420033 or [email protected]