OUR SERVICES

Not sure which support is right for you?
Start with a free 30-minute assessment.

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1:1 counselling

In person, by phone or online

A confidential space to explore what has brought you to therapy, with support finding a counsellor who suits your needs.

About 1:1 counselling

If you’ve decided to seek counselling, you’ve already taken a positive step towards looking after yourself. We know choosing the right counsellor is so important, which is why our free, no-obligation assessment service is designed to help you find the support that suits you best.

Assessments last around 30 minutes and can take place face to face, online, or by phone. You’ll meet with a qualified assessment counsellor in a safe, confidential space. They’ll ask a few practical and personal questions to understand what’s brought you to therapy and what kind of support might work well for you.

We will suggest the therapist we feel is the best fit for your needs and help you get connected to arrange your first appointment.

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Group therapy

At Darwin House, Banbury

Explore life issues and relationships with trained professionals in a supportive group setting.

About group therapy

Our group therapy is a warm welcoming introduction to counselling and psychotherapy. Here you will have an opportunity to explore life issues that may be causing you distress, anxiety or low mood, with trained professionals in a group context. It is affordable, accessible and is a proven therapy for anyone struggling with life events and relationships. After several sessions of group therapy, our clients report feeling more connected in their thoughts and feelings, and describe it as a validating, empowering and cathartic experience.

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Family counselling

In person or online

Support for family relationships, communication and working through conflict together.

About family counselling

Families come to therapy for many different reasons. Our family relationships shape how we learn to connect with others, so family dynamics can have a big impact on each individual and on the family as a whole.

One-to-one therapy can be very helpful, but sometimes it’s useful to look at a person’s behaviour within the wider family system. Seeing everyone together can highlight patterns, ease tension, and help rebalance relationships.

Family counselling doesn’t always mean the whole family must attend. Sometimes just two or three members, for example a mother and daughter, may want support to work through conflict or a past event.

If you’d like to learn more about our family and relationship therapists, or you’re ready to book a free assessment, we’d be happy to help.

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Relationship and sex therapy

In person or online

A space to explore relationship challenges, communication, sex and intimacy.

About relationship and sex therapy

Couples may attend therapy for many different reasons. Counselling and Psychotherapy provides a safe space and encouragement of openness and clarity in order to work through any difficulties for those present.

Couples therapy may be useful for those who are experiencing issues such as:

  • Approaching a new stage or change in the relationship

  • Children

  • Communication

  • Sex and intimacy

  • Affairs

  • Decision making

  • Conflict resolution

  • Unhealthy or abusive behaviours

  • Separation

Every couple is different, and will bring unique circumstances into the therapy room.

Our counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support you in recognising and understanding the psychology behind your behaviours, and aid you in developing communication skills in order to effectively work through your difficulties.

If you are interested in gaining more information on our relationship therapists, or would like to book in for a free assessment, please do contact us or use the link below:

Book a free assessment

Young-person counselling

In person or online

Support for children and young people, with confidentiality, safeguarding and their choices at the centre.

About young-person counselling

We understand how worrying it can be if your child is struggling with their mental health and although counselling protects the confidentiality of your child, we are mindful of your relationship in offering our services. If you wish to find a counsellor for your child, please contact us first to discuss a suitable assessment. At assessment, your counsellor will explain how counselling works, as well as offering safeguarding information and listen to relevant background issues from both your perspectives. The counsellor will then ask if your child is happy to have a chat without you in the room to hear how they’re feeling and begin to build a relationship of trust. Going forward, we respect your child’s decision whether to have counselling. Sometimes children prefer to have the assessment without you in the room, so please let us know if that’s the case. Visit our Young Person's Counselling Page for more info.

Enquire about young-person counselling

EMDR

At Darwin House, Banbury

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy. Discuss whether this approach may suit your needs at assessment.

About emdr

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a mental health therapeutic method.  The primary aim of EMDR is to heal dysfunctionally stored traumatic or distressing memories, which enables individuals to respond adaptively in the present.  When we encounter normal day to day events our brain will store memories in a life-enhancing way, whereas disturbing events can cause the brain to go ‘off-line’ and can create a disconnect between what someone experiences (feels, hears, sees) and what their brain stores through language.  This can cause traumatic memories to be stored in a way that does not allow for healthy healing, resulting in emotional responses such as flashbacks.

EMDR was first used to treat PTSD, but over the years it is now used to work with a range of presenting issues:

  • Anxiety Disorders – general anxiety, panic attacks, phobias and social anxiety

  • Depression

  • Eating Disorders

  • OCD

  • Addiction

When clients undergo EMDR, they access memories of a triggering/traumatic event or memory in a specific way.  Combined with bi-lateral stimulation, such as eye movements, they are guided through the session and not required to retell the event/memory in full detail.  By accessing the memories in this way it helps clients to reprocess what they remember from the event.  This processing helps ‘repair’ the psychological impact of the memory and therefore not feel that they are constantly reliving it, and the related feelings and responses will be much more manageable.

While we are not able to take away any disturbing and traumatic events someone has encountered, we aim to achieve a sense of peace around the event(s), thus reducing the emotional impact on the client.

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Low-cost counselling

If you’re on a low income and the cost of counselling feels difficult, working with a student counsellor could be a helpful and affordable option.

Our student counsellors are in the final stage of a rigorous 4-year training programme and professionally supported through 120 hours of face-to-face client work as part of their qualification.

Before you begin, you’ll have a free assessment with a qualified counsellor. This helps us make sure your needs are suitable for student counselling. If your assessor feels you’d benefit from working with a fully qualified counsellor, we can discuss options regarding cost management.

Student counselling costs £35 per 50-minute session.

Explore low-cost support More about low-cost counselling

We are passionate about helping workplaces to provide more emotionally supportive environments for their people. If you are a business and want to provide mental health services for your staff, please get in touch as we have a number of options available to suit your needs as part of our EAP ‘Wellness at Work’ Package


The counsellors and psychotherapists that work at The Banbury Therapy Centre are all fully qualified and belong to professional organisations.  We are very proud of the range of modalities and specialities that we offer from our centre and we ensure that all our members are regularly supervised and are working in an ethical and safe framework.

Visit our dedicated Therapist page to learn more about our amazing team of counsellors and psychotherapists.

Client reviews

If you’re unsure about whether counselling is for you, they offer a free assessment service to discuss your needs. It can be done in person or by telephone and is completely confidential. BTC has a variety of counsellors and they are open from 9am to 9pm on Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturday.

Beverley Ann
July 3, 2024

BTC offers a great range of therapies in a welcoming setting. You don't need to wait till you're on your knees to investigate what's on offer: this is a good place to check in to finding about your possibilities and working with limitations/obstacles that are the warp and weft of being human.

Sarah Hayden
Facebook · June 20, 2024
20 Ways to Break Free from Trauma by Philippa Smethurst

20 Ways to Break Free from Trauma

By Banbury Therapy Group Psychotherapist Philippa Smethurst

Out Now courtesy of Jessica Kingsley Publications

Trauma is a wound – one that we often hide from ourselves and others.
How do we respond when life feels unbearable? How might we understand our own and others’ complex responses when life feels too much?
Check out my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@philippasmethurst for 20 short videos that introduce the themes of the book
More info