by David Best, SSW Counsellor
Firstly we want to thank The National Lottery Community Fund for agreeing to continue funding our Wellbeing and Counselling Service at SSW. Without the money they have provided, these essential services would not have been (or continue to be) possible. The past two years have demonstrated how valuable specialist sight loss counselling is for our members.
I also want to thank my colleagues for their ongoing support and encouragement. I am truly privileged to be part of such an amazing team of such genuine individuals. Last, but not least, I want to thank all the members who have engaged with the Wellbeing and Counselling Service and for all your valuable feedback. This helps us understand your needs and enables us to continue providing the most appropriate support.
We are now starting to expand our current services to include the provision of support groups for members and their families; we have identified various issues and topics that many of our members have in common. We also recognize that there are minority groups that have experiences that are unique to them. We want to provide people with the opportunity to explore their issues, experiences and ideas in a group setting in a safe and supportive environment.
If you are interested in finding out more about our Wellbeing and Counselling Services please do get in touch. David can be emailed at david@sswcharity.org.uk or call him at the office on 01903 235782 or his mobile on 07479 762954.
by David Best, SSW Counsellor
The 1st of February is Time to Talk day, an annual awareness day designed to encourage us all to start a conversation about mental health.
Having lived with a visual impairment for most of my life, I understand and have experienced many of the issues caused by and related to sight loss.
Many people feel alone and isolated, partly because it is difficult for those around them to understand what they are going through.
Loss of any kind can be a difficult process and although there are common factors, it is a unique experience for each individual person.
With all loss comes change and for those experiencing sight loss there are many practical adjustments to make. These can be extremely challenging and exhausting, made more difficult and complicated by the emotional impact.
It can feel difficult to share thoughts and feelings with the people we are closest to including family members, friends, and colleagues. People often worry that others will feel burdened by their problems or that they might not understand. Often people experience feelings of frustration and anger and don’t want those around them to witness these for fear of being judged.
At Sight Support Worthing we recognise the importance of providing services that address and can support members with all aspects of their sight loss experience.
As part of our holistic approach, we provide a high quality, professional, confidential counselling service to support the emotional needs of our members.
The main aims are to encourage and enable members to explore, understand and express their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour by providing a confidential therapeutic relationship based on genuineness, acceptance, and trust. The counselling relationship provides the key to empowering members to develop and enhance skills, strategies, self-awareness, confidence, and resilience. Over time members will become better equipped to respond to, cope with and manage the issues and challenges that affect their lives therefore enhancing their self-esteem.
If you would like to find out more about this service and how you or a family member could benefit from our wellbeing service please contact either Kate Confrey, Wellbeing Services Coordinator or David Best, Counsellor on 01903 385025
