City Wellbeing Centre launches virtual therapy sessions

The @cityoflondon City Wellbeing Centre will begin to offer virtual counselling and psychotherapy sessions to residents and workers in and around the Square Mile today (June 4).

The centre, located on Middlesex Street, was set to open last month but this has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The online services will be available for workers with a workplace located in the postcodes EC1-EC5, and the fee will be based on your income and particular financial circumstances.

It will offer counselling and psychotherapy to individuals, couples and groups who are experiencing any range of emotional and psychological difficulties.

The counselling and psychotherapy available is designed to allow residents and workers to reflect on and explore the things that they are finding distressing or upsetting, with the aim of improving their wellbeing and helping them cope with issues in their lives.

The City Wellbeing Centre will deliver mental health and well-being support for residents and workers whatever their financial circumstances, improving access to treatments that are not available through the NHS.

The City Corporation has backed the project with £451,000 in funding and has commissioned Tavistock Relationships to deliver the service on its behalf.

Randall Anderson, Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Community and Children’s Services Committee, said:

“Supporting good mental health among our residents and workers is a key priority for the City Corporation.

“Over the last few months we have all had to adjust to a new way of living, and this will have undoubtedly had an effect on our mental, physical, social and financial lives.

“This virtual service will allow people to talk to highly trained professionals and therapists in a safe and secure way.

“City residents and workers struggling with mental ill-health will benefit greatly from this new service, with new quick and effective access to professional advice and treatment.”

Tavistock Relationships CEO Andrew Balfour said:

“This vital new service is designed to enable City residents and workers to access psychological help for emotional difficulties and relationship problems which are damaging their mental health.

“The service will chart new territory in providing a range of talking therapies, which have, in recent years, become harder for people to obtain outside the private sector.

“As people are grappling with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic our new service will give people across diverse communities the chance to address difficulties such as depression, anxiety, struggles with family or work life, sexual problems, self-esteem issues and life transitions such as moving towards retirement.”