PACT – Parent – Adolescent – Child – Team

HCCG offers therapy for children and adolescents with our team of trained PACT therapists.

Who are we?: We are a group of experienced and qualified counsellors with particular concern for children and young people.   We work under the title of PACT – Parent, Adolescent and Child Team.

Where we operate:  We are based at Alphacom House in Oakhill Road in Horsham.   We have particular tools and techniques available specifically for working with children and young people.  We generally offer sessions from Tuesday to Thursday – mornings and afternoons until 6.00pm.

How might counselling help children and young people?    Counselling is a way of helping people who are experiencing difficulties.   There are many problems that create difficulty, pain and confusion for children and young people such as negative self-image; relationship breakdown; anxiety, depression and bereavement.   Sadly there are also issues of abuse and bullying that can destroy a young person’s sense of worth and happiness.   By building a trusting relationship with a counsellor, clients can explore and begin to understand news ways of coping with difficult situations. 

It can be helpful to express difficult feelings of pain, anger, sadness and fear in a safe place and can lead to better ways of managing the ups and downs of growing up.   Counsellors listen, in a non-judgmental way, not offering advice, but exploring the issues and supporting the client to make positive decisions for themselves.

What ages do you work with?

We are able to offer specialised support for young children from age 5 – 12 and for adolescents up to the age of 18.    Young people over the age of 18 are encouraged to apply to the adult counselling service.

What information do we keep?

If you are a child or young person or the parent or carer of a young person  and want to read about how we hold information please click here

How to access PACT

Call or text us on 01403 217900 or email [email protected] to book an assessment with one of the PACT team.   An assessment time will be arranged when you and your child can come and meet the therapist.

For young children the therapist will meet a parent or guardian for the first time without the child being present so that you can decide whether counselling would benefit your child  and so that the therapist can decide if we are the best agency to work with your child.

For a young person aged 13 to 18 the assessment will be mainly with the young person although a parent or guardian may be invited to attend part of the assessment.   If counselling is decided as a good way forward, you will agree with the counsellor a day and time to meet – on a regular weekly basis.   Sessions are normally 50 minutes long – however, for young children this may be reduced.

How much will it cost?   

All fees shown are inclusive of VAT – unfortunately counselling is not exempt from VAT.

Due to the current cost of living crisis we will regretfully have to raise our fees from 1st January 2023.

Our new fee scale can be seen here.

A letter from our Board of Directors about this increase can be seenhere.

Current fee scale until December 31st 2022

Assessments:

£27 – for those on benefits or unwaged or if you earn up to £20,000 income a year

£38 – if you earn over £20,000 income a year

Weekly counselling sessions: Children & Young People

£38 per weekly session

There may be some subsidised places available or external funding can sometimes be accessed through social services, pupil premium or local youth services.  This can be discussed prior to assessment.

Cancellations

Charges are regrettable but necessary.  If you need to cancel please contact us as promptly as you can preferably by phone or text message.

If you cancel your session with a week’s or more notice you will not be asked to pay anything.

If you cancel your session with less than a week but more than 24 hours you will be asked to pay a £10 cancellation charge.

If you cancel your session with less than 24 hours notice you will be asked to pay the full cost..