About Us
Why are our services needed?
Ministry can bring its own stresses and ministers are not exempt from the other problems of everyday life arising from family and personal circumstances. It is not always appropriate to seek support from a colleague or senior person in the denomination or the organisation, so CMCS was established to provide confidential independent help
Who is it for?
We provide individual and tailored services to each of our affiliated bodies. To find out more about the services appropriate to you and your organisation, go to the ‘Eligibility’ page
What is provided?
The counselling provided is non-directive, that is it offers a listening ear and special skills that enable the person being counselled ("the client") to reach a deeper understanding of the situation they need to talk about, so that they can make their own decisions about living more effectively.
CMCS cannot offer long-term therapy, and normally counselling is concluded within a maximum of twelve sessions, usually of one hour per week. Only in exceptional circumstances can counselling be extended beyond twelve sessions
How can I access the Service?
In order to ensure confidentiality, Area Co-ordinators (ACs)
have been appointed to be the first point of contact for anyone wanting to use
the service.
None of them have any role in the national life of any
participating denomination. A phone call to the AC is all that is needed, and
he or she will then look for a suitable counsellor reasonably close to you.
After checking that the counsellor can take a new client, the AC will give you
their phone number and a reference number by which to identify yourself to them.
You then make contact with the counsellor to arrange a first appointment.
For
the phone numbers and email addresses of all the
Area Co-ordinators, go to the 'Contact Us' page or click here
What will it cost?
Counsellors use their skills to earn their living, so have professional fees. Often these are beyond the means of ministers, so each denomination or organisation has agreed to make up the difference between what the client can contribute and the full fee. You would be asked, then, at the first session to say what you can contribute (though some denominations have specified a standard or a minimum contribution) - your denomination or organisation will then be billed for the balance, without knowing your identity.
Can I trust the Service?
YES! You can trust the quality because the scheme only refers clients to counsellors whose qualifications and experience are comparable to the Accreditation requirements of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or the membership requirements for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). You can trust the confidentiality, because only the Counsellor and the AC will ever know who is being counselled.
For more information see the FAQ page