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Respect for All
Counselling Services
We offer counselling services to autistic people, learning disabled people, and their families and carers who live in Greater Manchester and are registered with a Greater Manchester GP.
We offer:
- 1 to 1 counselling for people aged 16 and over
- Family counselling (which includes working with under 16s)
- Parent/carer counselling
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PLEASE NOTE: Because of increased demand and staff leave over the holiday period, we will temporarily stop accepting new counselling referrals from Friday 12th December 2025. Our website will be updated with guidance on how to make a counselling referral from Monday 12th January 2026.
You can still submit referrals for our group services during this period. Further information is available on the Group Services page.
Please see below for more information on each service, including important information on how they are funded.
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Our counsellors all either identify as neurodiverse or have significant lived experience of autism and/or learning disabilities. We use various models of therapy tailored to meet the needs of the client. Therapeutic approaches may include, but are not limited to, person centred, integrative, solution focused, trauma informed, play therapy, neuro linguistic programming (NLP), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and non-verbal and art therapy.
Our counselling sessions mostly take place online or on the telephone. We may be able to offer face to face counselling, but please note that the waiting list for this may be considerably longer as we have limited capacity.​
Our counsellors are either qualified self-employed counsellors or are student counsellors on placement with us in their final year of study. All students have passed their competency to practice assessment, conducted by their College or University.
Please fully complete the referral form - click the link below. Please note, incomplete referral forms cannot be processed.
After we receive your referral, we will contact you to arrange an assessment where we will discuss all our service options with you and guide you through the next steps. You are able to access more than one service.
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We offer a flexible working environment at the Charity and many of our service coordinators work part-time. Once you have submitted your referral form, please be aware that it may be up to 2 weeks before we contact you to book you in for an assessment. Thank you for your patience.
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1 to 1 Counselling Service (ages 16+)
Our 1 to 1 Counselling Service offers you
12 x 50 minute counselling sessions.
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We are flexible and adaptable in our approach to counselling as we are led by you, the client. You might like your sessions to take place weekly or more spread out. We aim to pair you with a counsellor that matches your availability, personality and support needs.​
PLEASE NOTE: Because of increased demand and staff leave over the holiday period, we will temporarily stop accepting new counselling referrals from Friday 12th December 2025. Our website will be updated with guidance on how to make a counselling referral from Monday 12th January 2026. ​
You can still submit referrals for our group services during this period. Further information is available on the Group Services page.
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We have a very diverse team and our counsellors have a wealth of experience and skills. We work with everything from low to mid-level support needs, such as anxiety and depression, to more complex, multi-layered support needs which might include dual-diagnosis, trauma, abuse, eating disorders, self harm or PTSD.
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How the 1 to 1 counselling service is funded:
This service is funded by your local NHS on a case by case basis. Each borough has it's own criteria for this. ​ Depending on where you live, we might need you to speak to your GP or local mental health service in order to secure funding for counselling.
This process is controlled by the NHS and local commissioners.
Please complete the referral and we will discuss what services we can offer you and support you through this funding process. If this service isn't an option, we have other support services that you might be able to access.
Information for professionals making a referral on behalf of a client:
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The funding approval process for our counselling service differs from borough to borough in Greater Manchester. Please be aware we may need to speak with you before we can further process your referral, as we may need to work together to apply for funding.
Family Counselling Service
Please note: As of 8th December 2025, this service is now closed for referrals. Please revisit the website in February 2026 for further information on funding for April 2026.
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Our Family Counselling Service offers you 12 x 50 minute counselling sessions.
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From our experience and the feedback we receive, counselling for under-16s is most effective when the entire family is engaged in the journey. We’ll work together with you as parents and carers, and with your children, to explore how autism and learning disability interact with your family dynamics and individual experiences. We work flexibly with families and might see you all together or separately depending on your needs and situation.
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Please also take a look at our Group Services page as we have interactive online autism groups for parents and carers which are psychoeducational in nature and run throughout the year. ​
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Parent / Carer Counselling Service
Our Parent / Carer Counselling Service offers between 6 and 12 x 50 minute counselling sessions.
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You might want support as you are feeling overwhelmed at home, just need a space to offload with others who understand, or are struggling with the behavioural, emotional, social and/or sensory differences in your autistic and/or learning disabled child.
An increased awareness of how a child or young person's daily life can be impacted by autism and/or learning disabilities can be a powerful tool in helping you to further create a supportive environment.
Our autism groups for parents and carers, where you can meet other people in similar situations, might also be a great option!