Bedfordshire Open Door FREE Online or telephone Counselling service for young people aged 13 - 25 years

Bedfordshire Open Door offers free and confidential counselling to people aged 13 – 25 years of age, who live in Bedford Borough.   Once you have given us a call or dropped in to our centre personally to register your name and contact details with us, we will offer you an appointment to come in and speak with one of our qualified and experienced counsellors, so that we can get an idea of how best to help you. You will then go on our waiting list to see a counsellor for your offer of up to 12 weekly counselling sessions.

There are different ways you could receive your counselling sessions depending on what is best for you and your circumstances. 

What we offer

Face to Face Counselling – Counselling sessions take place in person with your counsellor in one of our 7 counselling rooms at our centre. Face to face counselling is the most popular form of therapy as it gives you and your counsellor the opportunity to respond ‘in the moment’ to any emotions arising from the work. It also gives you and your counsellor the opportunity to work together creatively, using art therapy and other creative methods.

Online Counselling – Counselling sessions are held using an online webcam platform such as Zoom for example. Being able to see your counsellor means you have the benefit of face to face counselling from your computer within your own environment. This is particularly helpful for those who are not able to come into our centre. It is important you have a confidential and safe space so that your session can go ahead without interruption.

Telephone Counselling – offers an alternative to face to face counselling and is particularly helpful for those unable to visit our centre, and for those who wish to protect their anonymity. It is important to have a safe and confidential space of your choice so that your sessions can go ahead without interruption.

Counselling is often confused with other types of helping relationships. People sometimes believe that they will receive advice and be told what to do by their counsellor, but the overall aim of counselling is to provide a chance for you to work towards living in a happier way and to help you find your strengths.