At icap, our therapists are all highly qualified and experienced. We have a proven track record of helping people in emotional distress who are experiencing depression, anxiety or stress. We understand issues of migration and loss, and have clients from many immigrant communities. Many of our clients are Irish, as we understand what it is to be Irish in Britain. We have particular expertise of helping people who have suffered trauma (particularly in childhood) which is affecting their adult lives.
Our staff will be happy to talk through any queries you have about the process of counselling and help you to make an informed choice about our service. Please feel free to telephone or email to talk to our staff, who understand how difficult it can be to take that first step on the path to accessing counselling.
icap also runs group therapy for certain clients, which explores experiences and provides support to those who have experienced specific problems.
We also have some tips on keeping healthy in body and mind on our self help pages.
Some of the icap therapists
Do you or somebody you know feel lonely, isolated, depressed, or just in need of a chat and some friendly advice? Do you recognise some of these signs in yourself, or a friend or family member
- Feeling tearful
- Lacking energy
- Using alcohol or drugs or prescription drugs to help you cope with your feelings
- Being irritable or feeling nervous
- Losing touch with family and friends or becoming withdrawn
- Loss of interest in appearance
- Eating or sleeping more or less usual
- Becoming accident prone
- Making negative statements such as “I’m a waste of space”
- Finding it hard to cope with everyday things
These are a few of the signs that might mean that you, or someone you know, could do with some support.
One in four people will experience mental health difficulties at some point in their lives, and it’s useful to remember that just like physical health problems, anyone can be affected. We all go through periods of time when life can seem tough and situations can seem hard or even unbearable. Within many communities there is a stigma attached to the use of the term ‘mental health’ or ‘mental health difficulties’.
In reality, mental health is just as much a part of all of our daily lives as physical health. If you broke a limb, you would get help to fix it by visiting a doctor. In the same way, if you are suffering emotionally, you can get help and appropriate support. Talking to a friend or family member can be very useful; there are also a range of services available to help you.
Given support, reassurance and practical help, the good news is that people can and do get better.
Counselling/psychotherapy is about helping a person to deal with depression, stress and unhappiness. Counselling/psychotherapy will give you an opportunity to talk with a highly trained professional therapist, in order to help you come to terms with your problems and move forward in your life. You may choose to stop receiving counselling at any time.
Counselling/psychotherapy provides a secure, confidential, non-judgemental space in which a person may discuss any issues relating to his/her life which have caused (or continue to cause) distress or pain. It can be a relief to have somebody who is not involved in a situation to listen and reflect back on it, thereby enabling a greater understanding of the situation. Beneficial changes can be made.
As the relationship develops between the client and the counsellor/psychotherapist, trust, respect and understanding grow. Belief and confidence in one’s self and others can follow. The safe environment of counselling facilitates the examination of repeated patterns of behaviour which affect relationships. Positive options for dealing with these can then be developed.
The British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy has more detailed information on counselling - click here to go to their website.
Yes. Your information will not be shared with anyone else, and icap will not tell anyone that you have been having counselling. Everything that you discuss with your counsellor is fully confidential.
Please contact us on 020 7272 7906 (London) or 0121 666 7707 (Birmingham) (remember, you don’t have to be living in or near to London or Birmingham in order for icap to help you). Alternatively, you can email info@icap.org.uk (London) or info@icapbirmingham.org.uk (Birmingham).
We will ask you a few questions in order to ascertain whether you will be eligible for counselling free of charge. icap can offer free or low cost counselling, depending on your circumstances. Please call or email us [link to part of site with contact details] for more details. We will endeavour to respond no later than the following working day.
No – we will try to see you as quickly as possible after you have contacted us and provided us with some basic information.
We charge what people can afford. This can range from £2 to £70 per session. If you cannot afford anything you can still get therapy from us. If you have had contact with the Redress Board in Ireland, you are entitled to free psychotherapy.
If you need to alter or cancel your icap appointment, please phone icap on 020 7272 7906 (London) or 0121 666 7707 (Birmingham) at your earliest opportunity.
If you are attending therapy sessions with one of icap’s partner organisations, please phone the appropriate number below:
CHC (Cricklewood Homeless Concern): 0208 208 8592
LIWC (London Irish Women’s Centre): 0207 249 7318
As well as one-to-one counselling, icap provides a number of therapy groups. These include a group for Irish men in North West London; and at the London Irish Women’s Centre (LIWC), there is a group for younger Irish women and another group for Irish women who have been victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse or rape.
Irish immigrants to Britain have higher rates of mental distress than most migrant communities. Rates of suicide, attempted suicides and undetermined deaths for Irish men is double the rate for all men. Experience tells us that when seeking help, many Irish people, particularly older Irish people, prefer to come to an agency that is Irish; where their history, culture and concerns will be fully understood and respected. Our expertise in supporting Irish people who have experienced abuse and cultural loss mean we are also able to support people from other economic or conflict migration communities.
Our psychotherapy involves long-term intensive clinical work, which provides lasting benefits to some of the most fragile and isolated people in Britain.
Please note that we are currently in the process of adding more links to this page.
The Ryan Report: Report of The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Ireland), investigating the horrific abuse suffered by children in Ireland’s network of industrial schools, reformatories, orphanages and hostels from the 1930s until the 1990s.
British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy: Website of the BACP, which sets, promotes and maintains standards for the profession of counselling and psychotherapy, as well as providing information on counselling and psychotherapy.
The National Association for People Abused in Childhood: A registered charity, based in the UK, providing support and information for people abused in any way during childhood.
