Mental Health and Development
FitMind
Welcome to Foyer Fitmind, the team responsible for providing counselling and a wide range of psychological services aimed at improving psychological awareness and skills among staff and clients at Aberdeen Foyer. Our team of practitioners includes registered professionals with HCPC, BPS, and BACP, ensuring that we provide services of the highest professional and ethical standards.
At Foyer Fitmind, we believe that by working closely with staff, we can create a safe, trauma-informed environment for all. We provide training, workshops, produce resources, and offer consultations to equip staff with the tools needed to create a culture of psychological safety within Aberdeen Foyer. This culture of support leads to improved outcomes for clients as staff members are better equipped to recognise clients' strengths.
We recognise the impact of trauma on individuals and communities and aim to respond in a sensitive and supportive way. Our team leads the trauma-informed journey at Aberdeen Foyer, providing foundation trainings to all staff and leading the assessment process.
Counselling
Aberdeen Foyer’s Psychology & Counselling Service offer a specialised therapy experience, tailored to the needs of each client. Therapy is offered on an individual (1:1) basis, with weekly sessions that can take place either in-person or virtually (via phone or video). We aim to provide a safe and confidential space, in which clients can share openly and at their own pace.
Our team has included therapists from a wide range of backgrounds and training, with the service having offered therapeutic modalities, such as; Person-Centred/Humanistic; Cognitive-Behavioural; Psychodynamic; Existential; Pluralistic; and Transactional Analysis. Please note, the types of therapy available are subject to change - we cannot guarantee a therapist trained in a client’s preferred modality due to the nature of our team being largely made up of volunteer counsellors.
Clients may spend a few months on the waiting list, before we are able to make initial contact. Following completion of an initial phone assessment, the service would then look to allocate the client a therapist to work with.
Please note: There are several factors which influence allocations, e.g. the client’s hopes/expectations of therapy, and the availability of both the client and our therapists. We do our utmost to accommodate the client’s needs and preferences, where possible.
We see clients with a wide range of presenting concerns/issues, including [but not limited to]; depression and low mood; stress and anxiety; relationship problems; bereavement; trauma or adverse childhood experiences; isolation and loneliness; underlying mental health conditions or neurodiversity; physical health problems; self harm or suicide thoughts or behaviours; low self-esteem or confidence; prison/criminal justice experience; and drug or alcohol recovery.
Looking to make a referral?
Our current funding enables us to accept referrals for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire residents for young people and adults, who are 16 years old and above.
We can accept self-referrals, as well as referrals from professionals and loved ones. To submit a referral, please complete our online referral form.
If you have any urgent questions or require assistance in completing a referral, please email our team at Counselling@aberdeenfoyer.com
We look forward to welcoming you into the service.
Gender, Sex, and Relationship Diversity (GSRD)
All members of our team are LGBTQIA+ friendly and aim to provide a trusting and non-judgmental service for anyone who identifies as gender, sex or relationship diverse. We welcome referrals from anyone who may need a safe space in which to explore their subjective experience, as it relates to their sex, gender or relationships with others.
Suicide Prevention
Suicide - Let’s talk about it
About 1 in 20 people at any given time will experience thoughts of suicide. These may be experienced as passive, fleeting, persistent or active thoughts. Sometimes, the person will contemplate acting on their thoughts, or engage in suicidal behaviour. Although thoughts of suicide are very common, they can be distressing or cause a person to feel unsafe, and due to the stigma, many people struggle to talk about suicide. Fitmind believe that people with thoughts of suicide do not need to suffer in silence. Help is available. Fitmind's Counselling service can directly support those who have been in any way impacted by suicide. For information on crisis supports or self-help resources available, please see our Self-help directory or visit Prevent Suicide App.
Psychological Services
Foyer Fitmind focuses on improving client outcomes by providing psychological services to support the staff.
By providing trainings, workshops, producing resources and offering consultations, the team is able to provide staff members with the tools they need to create a culture of psychological safety within Aberdeen Foyer. This culture of support leads to improved outcomes for clients, as staff members are better equipped to work with clients in recognizing their strengths.
The team also focuses on producing and rolling out resources and toolkits that are specifically tailored to the needs of our services.
Trauma Informed Framework at Aberdeen Foyer
We recognise that trauma can have a significant impact on individuals and communities, and can manifest in a variety of ways, including physical, emotional, and mental health issues. Trauma -informed organisations are those that recognise the prevalence and impact of trauma and respond in a sensitive and supportive way.
Aberdeen Foyer is constantly evolving and adjusting its practices to make sure we are creating safe, supportive, non-judgmental environment to support our clients. This constant evolution result in better engagement from clients and higher chances of them retaining the positive outcomes. As part of that process we are also aiming in creating safe working environment that protects staff from burnout and compassion fatigue.
Our team leads the trauma informed journey at Aberdeen Foyer providing foundation trainings to all staff and leading the process of assessment.
wellbeing journal here
