FAQ
Can I apply for counselling?
Family Matters offers counselling to survivors of rape and sexual abuse across Kent and West Mercia. We aim to provide counselling to survivors of any age or gender as long as they are a resident within a funded area. After your initial application we perform a thorough risk assessment to ensure we are the correct service provider for your needs.
As a charity our funding is subject to constant change and we often have to adapt who we can offer our service to depending on what funding we receive. Please call us on 01474 536661 to check if you can access our counselling.
How much does the counselling cost?
The counselling provided by Family Matters is free of charge.
Please be aware that we are a registered charity and have to apply for funding from a host of different sources with the aim of continuing to provide survivors a free service that they can access.
Some of our funders can be seen at the bottom of the website and we also accept donations which helps us tremendously. Please see our Donations page for more details.
Can I refer myself? Can someone else refer me?
We accept self referrals and referrals from different agencies and either are welcome to contact our office who will be happy to explain this process further.
Our application process involves us sending our application for counselling form which is then completed and returned to us. We then perform a thorough risk assessment to ensure we are the correct service provider for your needs.
If you are currently under a Mental Health Team or have a Mental Health Diagnosis then we would ask that the referral is made by your Mental Health Team in order to speed up our risk assessment process.
Family Matters time limited therapy may not be suitable for applicants who have previously received extensive therapeutic interventions.
Our ethical framework requires that we work within our competency and this too can place restrictions on the people we can offer a service to.
How long is the waiting list?
Waiting list times constantly fluctuate depending on demand and area. Please contact the office for the current expected waiting list times.
How long until I am contacted? How long until I am supported?
We endeavour to respond to all enquiries within 48 hours. We can be contacted by email on admin@familymattersuk.org, by telephone on 01474 536661 or by applying for support through our website. Waiting times for each service fluctuates however for ISVA support we aim to contact you within 48 hours and arrange a first appointment within 1 week. Therapy can take longer as we have a waiting list, however, we will provide further details regarding these time scales once you apply.
Where can I be seen?
We run an outreach service which means we hire venues in towns all across the county with the aim of having high accessibility to all clients. Please check our locations map on the Counselling page to see our venues. Subject to funding, these are prior to change. Please note it is not possible for us to do home visits.
When/what time can I receive counselling?
Our team of counsellors offer appointments at different times across different areas. We tend to offer daytime appointments however we can offer evening appointments too depending on area, venue and counsellor availability. Please contact us to get more details.
Is there disabled access at your venues?
We have disabled access at some of our venues but not all venues provide this. Please contact us in the office to establish the nearest venue to you and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Will I be assigned a male or female counsellor?
Family Matters has a team of highly trained specialist counsellors who provide our service and these are both female and male.
How many sessions will I receive?
Family Matters generally runs an integrative program of 6/12 one to one counselling sessions delivered by a highly trained specialist counsellor.
I feel a lot better with myself and look forward to my life ahead 
Established in 1990, we are the largest provider of childhood sexual
abuse and rape therapy in the country.
Located in Kent, we have offices in:
Gravesend, Maidstone, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Bexley and Medway
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