Open Door continues to subsidise counselling fees to support people affected by COVID-19.

We are strong advocates for the role of counselling in supporting the nation through the pandemic and in ensuring we can all recover from what has been a very stressful and troubling time to live through.

So we were relieved and grateful last summer to be awarded a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund to help support people's emotional wellbeing during the pandemic. Since June 2020, Open Door has offered up to six sessions of telephone counselling free of charge to anyone in Birmingham over the age of 12, who is affected by COVID-19.

This grant funding ends this month. However Open Door is keen to continue this additional support during the pandemic. As such we have reduced our prices for private counselling, ensuring anyone who needs us can still access support. Counselling sessions are only provided over the phone at the moment, with a view to resuming face to face sessions as soon as national restrictions allow.

• Counselling for adults aged 26 and over will now be available at the highly subsidised cost of £25 per hour (normally £45 per hour). This service will also be available, for the first time, to those aged 18 and over who are not registered with a Birmingham GP.

• Please note, our service for young people (aged 12-25) and registered with a GP in Birmingham will not be affected. Time limited counselling is still available to this group free of charge.

If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to get in touch.