Frequently Asked Questions

You may have many questions about counselling and psychotherapy at the PF Counselling Service. Hopefully, this list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions will help. If not, please get in touch!

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Frequently Asked Questions

You may have many questions about counselling in Edinburgh at the PF Counselling Service. Hopefully, this list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions will help. If not, please get in touch!

When can I receive counselling with the PF?

We work on an appointments system and there is usually a waiting list of people who would like counselling. We aim to see you for an initial appointment within around 4-6 weeks of receiving your Counselling Request form, but after that it is currently 4 - 8 weeks before a regular space may be available.

The more flexible you can be with your availability and preferences, the more quickly we are likely to be able to allocate you to a counsellor. We recently allocated a client to a Thursday morning appointment within 5 weeks of receiving their application, because of their flexibility and the availability of an appropriate counsellor. Evening sessions are in high demand.

How much does it cost?

Although our counsellors are volunteers and do not receive any payment for their work at the PF, the counselling service has considerable costs such as premises, administrative staff, supervision and training costs. We do not receive any guaranteed regular funding from central or local government and we rely primarily on our own fundraising efforts, together with donations and contributions from our users, in order to keep the counselling service open. The typical cost of private counselling in Edinburgh is around £60 per session.

As part of your commitment to counselling, we encourage all clients to make a financial donation each time you attend a session, based on what is genuinely affordable to you. This regular weekly donation is discussed during the initial appointment and can be reviewed throughout the counselling work. Donations are generally in the region of £5 – £50 and you can make your donations by card, cash, bank transfer, or via PayPal.

If your counselling is to be funded by an employer or another organisation then £60 per session is charged.

How many sessions do you offer?

The PF offers up to 12 sessions of counselling initially, with an option of extending to longer term work if both you and your counsellor agree this is appropriate.

Regular sessions last for 50 minutes and you would need to be available for these on the same day and time each week. Sometimes only a few sessions are required and you and your counsellor will know if it is appropriate to end sooner than the initial 12 sessions. After this period you can discuss with your counsellor whether to extend your counselling.

Do you offer online or remote counselling?

No. The PF offers a face-to-face (in-person) counselling service, and does not provide counselling that is primarily delivered remotely. However, remote (video or telephone) sessions are sometimes used when necessary, such as when there is a risk of infection or to provide occasional continuity between in-person attendances.

What are counselling and psychotherapy?

Counselling and psychotherapy are terms used to describe the work done by professional practitioners to help people improve their mental health and wellbeing.  They are often used interchangeably, or simply referred to as ‘therapy’.

Sometimes we can feel troubled, down or unable to cope.  We might feel depressed, anxious, worthless or that we are facing some difficulty we cannot see our way out of.  At such times, a counsellor/psychotherapist has the skills and commitment to help you work though the issues that are affecting you.  Therapy can also be beneficial for people who want to explore their own potential for personal change or growth.

For a short video introduction to therapy made by BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, click here.

And this video from BBC Ideas outlines some ideas about how therapy works.

Who or what is a Counsellor/Psychotherapist?

A counsellor/psychotherapist is someone who is professionally trained to help with emotional and psychological problems. They will listen to your experience sensitively and with an open mind, to help you understand as fully as possible what is concerning you and how it is affecting your life. Without ‘judging’ or offering ‘advice’, a counsellor can help you to become more aware of your own inner resources and how you can use these to help you discover new ways of dealing with difficult feelings, people or situations. A counsellor will work with you in an environment of respect and confidentiality. All PF counsellors work within the professional ethical guidelines described in the COSCA Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice.

Are there different types of counselling?

Many approaches to counselling and psychotherapy have been developed over the years, which are known in the profession as ‘modalities’.  At the PF, we welcome counsellors working or training in any modality, some of which are outlined on our Modalities page. However, the evidence is that ‘it is the relationship which heals’ and, whilst we do attempt to ‘match’ clients as far as possible with an appropriate counsellor, we do not offer a choice of modality to clients.

How is counselling regulated?

Counselling is not a legally regulated profession, and so currently anyone is allowed to call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist. It is therefore important for you to make sure any counsellor you might work with is suitably qualified and supervised. There are a number of professional associations which define their own minimum qualifications and codes of behaviour and ethics for their members. Some of these maintain Registers of members which are authorised by the Professional Standards Authority.

The PF is an organisational member of, and formally recognised by COSCA, the main professional body for counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland. This requires regular monitoring of our systems and quality assurance procedures, and ensures that we and all our counsellors meet or exceed defined professional standards. This includes a commitment to working within the terms of the COSCA Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice.

COSCA also oversee a Complaints Procedure which PF clients can use should any difficulties arise whilst having counselling with us.

Who can come to PF Counselling?

The PF offers inclusive counselling based on a wholistic approach to life and life’s difficulties. The service is available to any individual over the age of 18 living or working in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

What is the PF Fair Access Policy?

The PF Counselling Service is committed to principles of fairness and inclusion in the provision of counselling and psychotherapy services to all adults in Edinburgh and the Lothians.  Our Fair Access Policy policy aims to balance the needs of individuals receiving counselling at the PF with those in the community who are seeking counselling or are on our waiting lists.  

The policy covers a range of issues which affect our ability to offer access to PF counselling to as many people as possible, including how we manage cancellations, missed appointments, and access to longer term and repeated episodes of counselling.

Do I need to be referred by a professional?

No. All PF clients self-refer by completing the Counselling Request form.

Do you offer CBT?

CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) is sometimes recommended by doctors and others as there is research evidence that is it effective for some people with problems such as depression and anxiety. It is increasingly being provided by the NHS as an alternative to drugs or psychotherapy in such situations.

At the PF we have a wide range of counsellors from many different therapeutic traditions. We believe that all counselling can help with the many problems people face in life and we do not focus on any one therapy or style. The PF does not offer specific courses in CBT, and cannot provide a ‘CBT counsellor’.

Do you offer counselling to couples?

No, not usually. Couple counselling requires specialist training, which only some of our counsellors have had, so we can only offer it when such a counsellor is available. You might like to approach Bright Light, which is a specialist couples counselling service.

What does ‘PF’ stand for?

The Pastoral Foundation is the original registered name of the charity. In 1986 a group of people associated with some nearby churches felt that there was a need to offer a listening service for local people. The name Pastoral Foundation was given to the service at that time because they considered that the term “Pastoral” was appropriate to the caring nature of the service offered.

The original listening service quickly developed into a professional counselling service offering generic counselling to individuals from all over Edinburgh and the Lothians. After a few years it was realised that  some people thought that the name Pastoral Foundation indicated that it was a religious or church-based service offering Christian counselling. To avoid this misconception the service was renamed the PF Counselling Service.

I submitted a Request Form, why have I not heard anything yet?

Unfortunately, demand for our services means that there is a waiting list even for an Initial Appointment. You can keep up to date about our waiting list and waiting times by visiting our Waiting List page. When we are able to offer you an appointment at a time when you have said you are available, we will phone or email you.

  • After submitting your application, did the page display a Thank you for Your Counselling Request Form text? If so, you can be sure you are on our waiting list and we will be in touch as soon as possible. If not, please get in touch to check whether we received your form.
  • If possible, please add pfcounselling.org.uk to your list ‘not junk’ or ‘not spam’ of email addresses. We have found sometimes that offers of appointments have been filtered by clients’ Junk or Spam systems and diverted away from their Inbox. This seems to apply particularly to people using older emails such as AOL and Hotmail. Please check your Spam folder regularly.

I have been for an Initial Appointment, why have I not heard about regular counselling yet?

Unfortunately, demand for our services means that there is a waiting list for regular counselling after your Initial Appointment. You can keep up to date about our waiting list and waiting times by visiting our Waiting List page. When we are able to offer you an appointment with a suitable counsellor at a time when you have said you are available, we will phone or email you. Make sure you let us know if your availability changes.

  • If possible, please add pfcounselling.org.uk to your list ‘not junk’ or ‘not spam’ of email addresses. We have found sometimes that offers of appointments have been filtered by clients’ Junk or Spam systems and diverted away from their Inbox. This seems to apply particularly to people using older emails such as AOL and Hotmail. Please check your Spam folder regularly.