How our service works
Providing specialist, direct therapeutic support to the rare community is the core pillar of our work. The majority of our counselling services are delivered in partnership with rare condition groups, charities and organisations.
The Counselling Service has been an essential part of our support services for many years. Having the ability to refer our members to the service at any time has been critically important both for the person referred, and for staff and volunteers who might otherwise feel helpless in the face of emotional distress.
– Jo Grey | CEO | AMEND (Association for Multiple Endocrine Disorders)
We also welcome working with industry partners to offer counselling services for Clinical Trial participants and Patient Support Programmes.
Counselling service set-up, delivery & management
We work closely with our partners to help establish counselling as a resource for members of their rare community. We provide professional, fully managed and insured telephone and video counselling services.
We take care of all the administrative, clinical insurance and managerial aspects of running the Counselling Service. All our counsellors have regular supervision with a senior psychotherapist and psychiatrist.
A Lead Counsellor to get to know your rare condition and community
We allocate every organisation a Lead Counsellor to work closely with our partner organisations. Their role is to develop expertise in the experience of each particular rare condition and how this can impact mental health and wellbeing. They can help develop resources, attend Patient Information Days and Clinics, support patient and rare groups leaders and run trainings and workshops.
Specialist rare condition counsellors
In our 2023 survey, ‘Rare Minds Matter’, 96% of respondents felt that if accessing mental health support, it was important that mental health care professionals had an understanding of rare conditions and how they can impact mental health. All our counsellors are trained in understanding the unique challenges of rare conditions, and the impact on mental wellbeing. They then work closely with your organisation to develop the additional skills and understanding in relation to your particular rare condition.
Support for rare group leaders, staff, volunteers or professional support leads
Being a rare group leader, staff member, volunteer or professional support lead can be very rewarding. It can also be at times frustrating, draining, worrying and stressful.
Having a confidential space with a trained member of the Rareminds’ team to discuss issues such as managing group dynamics, difficult experiences or issues causing concern is an important aspect of looking after their mental health and wellbeing. We can provide support individually, or in a group with others.
Our Counsellors
Qualified, experienced and insured team members
To maintain our service standards, we only employ counsellors on a professional register which is independently accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
All our clinical staff are accredited, or working towards accreditation, with one of the main professional bodies such as United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) or British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and are bound by their Codes of Ethics & Practice. They have all completed our innovative ‘Counselling for Rare condition’ training, and are experienced and qualified online therapists.
All are DBS checked, hold Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance, and are experienced in providing counselling by telephone or video-link. Rareminds also holds its own organisational insurance.
Our team includes both male and female counsellors, trained to work sensitively and appropriately regardless of gender, sexual orientation, cultural or religious beliefs, disability issues and ethnicity.