New Therapy & Training Centre in Aylesbury

The focus is on building community, supporting good mental and emotional health, and sharing awareness and understanding of mental health issues. Together we can break the taboo!

Mental health is one of our taboos. We don't talk about it. If something doesn't feel right, we look for a physical problem and a physical cure. GPs are overloaded, with anxiety and depression levels within our population rising. One in four people will experience a mental health issue within the year, and one in six people are reporting mental health issues on a weekly basis.

The COVID pandemic revealed that the NHS services are stretched beyond capacity. Waiting lists are long, and the service that you receive is uniform and generic because it is hard to meet the needs of so many individuals within the statutory services.

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that a significant percentage of mental health issues have their roots in childhood trauma. This can negatively impact our mental, emotional and physical health as adults. Issues such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and other autoimmune problems often have their basis in early experiences of trauma. So often, I have clients who have had frightening experiences as children that they have lived with for years and have no idea that they are linked to the difficulties they are experiencing on a day-to-day basis.

I don't profess to have the answer, or a cure. However, I do know that trauma causes us to pull away from each other, to self-protect and to isolate ourselves for fear of further pain. I also know that we are in this together, and that feeling accepted, cared about, seen and heard makes a massive difference to how we experience life. It influences how positive and motivated we feel. When we are connected to others, we have access to resources that we don't have ourselves because we are more than the sum of our parts.

For years, I have been dreaming of a therapeutic community; a place where people can come together and heal. Where we can share our experiences with others and learn to use them for the greater good. A place where we can relax and feel welcome, and where we can belong to something greater than ourselves. A place that is more than bricks and mortar, it is a safe place created by the people who are there.

Our therapists are well trained, very real human beings who want to support you to heal and grow. They need to earn a living, so cannot work for free, but share a heart and a passion with those who find life difficult. We would like to offer you one-to-one and group therapy, psychoeducation courses for young people and adults to develop their listening skills and vocational qualificiations, along with opportunities to meet others, eg. Craft Club, Book Club and Knit 'n' natter.

How can we let people know we are here? How will the invitation to connect be received? Who will reach out with courage and honesty and say "I am struggling"?

We would like to invite you to our centre. It is not the most up-to-date premises and there is a lot of work to do to make it warm and functional. We cannot offer you free services, but you will receive a warm welcome, a cuppa and a friendly face to talk to.

We are raising funds to support the renovations and work of the centre, and look forward to providing support to you.

You can contact us on:

Phone: 01296 312491

Email: [email protected]

References:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/2023/11/one-in-five-children-and-young-people-had-a-probable-mental-disorder-in-2023/

https://mentalhealthmidlands.co.uk/articles/1-in-4-people-in-the-uk-suffer-from-mental-health-issues

https://www.statista.com/topics/8164/mental-health-in-the-uk/#topicOverview

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/trauma/effects-of-trauma/.