About us
Depression is not always what people expect it to be. Sometimes it is the recognisable version — heavy, slow, days that blur into each other, getting out of bed feeling like a project. But often it is quieter and harder to name. A flatness where there used to be feeling. A loss of interest in things you used to enjoy. A sense that you are going through the motions of your life rather than actually living it. Tiredness that sleep does not fix.
If any of that lands, what you are describing is recognisable. Depression often does not announce itself. It accumulates — slowly enough that the people closest to you may not see it, and slowly enough that you may not have noticed how far things have shifted from how they used to feel.
What our depression work looks like
There is no single thing that produces depression and no single thing that addresses it. For some people it is rooted in specific life events — bereavement, redundancy, the slow disappointment of a life that turned out differently from what was hoped for. For others it is more chemical and bodily, with a clear physical component. For others again it is woven through long-term patterns of low self-worth, perfectionism, or unprocessed earlier experience. Often it is several of these at once.
Our counsellors and therapists work with all of these. Depending on what fits, the work may draw on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for the patterns of thought and behaviour that keep depression in place; on person-centred work for the felt experience of not being seen or heard; on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which has good evidence for preventing depressive relapse; or on longer-term relational work where what is needed is a sustained therapeutic relationship in which something can shift.
What we do not do is reduce depression to a checklist or treat it as a problem to be solved in a fixed number of sessions. We discuss what you are looking for, and we review the work together as we go.
Online sessions, available wherever you are
The majority of our work is conducted online. For clients dealing with depression, that often matters: getting to an in-person appointment when even getting dressed feels difficult can be a barrier. Online sessions remove that barrier and let the work happen from a space that already feels manageable. Face-to-face sessions are available in some locations — please ask.
Who you would be working with
Hope Therapy is a team of more than 90 qualified counsellors and therapists. Every practitioner is a registered member of a UK professional body — most commonly the BACP or NCPS. We are an NCPS Organisational Member, and our founder Ian Stockbridge holds Senior Accredited status with both bodies and SCoPEd Band C.
You will be matched to a therapist whose training and approach fit the kind of depression work you actually need.
How starting works
A free 15-minute consultation is the most useful first step. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing. You do not need to have words for what you are experiencing. You do not need a diagnosis. You do not need to know what you want from counselling.
If part of what depression is doing right now is making it hard to make decisions or take action, please know that the consultation is designed to be the lightest possible first step. A short conversation. Whatever feels manageable.
A note on what we don't offer
We do not provide crisis support and do not work with people who are actively at risk of harming themselves. If that is where you are right now, the right support is the Samaritans (116 123, free, 24 hours), your GP, or 999 in an emergency. Once you are in a more stable place, we are here.
One honest thing
Counselling is not a substitute for the medical treatment of depression, and we will never tell you that it is. For some people, therapy alone is what they need. For others, the work is most effective alongside medical support from a GP. We can talk about this together. What we can offer is a professional relationship in which what you are experiencing is taken seriously, in which the work is done at your pace, and in which the goal is not just managing symptoms but a clearer relationship with what is actually going on for you.
When you are ready, we are here.
Training, qualifications & experience
Our mental health and wellbeing support includes private clients looking for personal counselling (One to One, Couples & Families) through to Large County Councils, Charities and Companies where the organisation may be arranging or funding sessions, possibly through an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) arrangement.
We have access to counsellors covering a large number of areas throughout England, so you may well be able to see us face-to-face wherever you are. However, we all offer Skype, Zoom and telephone support, so wherever you are, we will be able to work with you. People work with us from literally all areas of the country and, in some cases, from abroad.
Member organisations *
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
Areas of counselling we deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
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Additional information
We offer flexible rates depending on the services required. Please ask for additional details.
When we work
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We are able to offer flexible hours - please ask to find out more.
