Guernsey Counselling Service is an independent charity that provides accessible and professional counselling.

Our aim is to bring hope to all those in the community who are going through a difficult time, to enable them to appreciate their value as an individual and a person of worth, to take responsibility for their own lives and to reach their full potential.

Our goal is to make professional counselling support accessible to all who need it in Guernsey, whatever their social circumstances or financial means.

GCS furthers its aim and goal by:

  • offering counselling to all those who request it, at a cost that is within their means;

  • observing a recognised strong ethical framework in the provision of that counselling; 

  • supporting placements for on-island professional and accredited training for those who wish to become qualified professional counsellors; and 

  • providing further continuing education and development for qualified counsellors.

History.

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Guernsey Counselling Service is a charitable organisation formed in 2004 under its former name Philippi Guernsey.

The Philippi Trust was started by Rev. Malcolm Worsley in the UK over 35 years ago, because he saw the need for a counselling service that was accessible to people who would be unable to go privately.

In 2020, the Board of Directors recognised that there was a need to place a stronger emphasis on the accessibility of its services, given the wider diversity and changing nature of referrals to the Service, and to meet future challenges, and resolved that the organisation’s change of name will (amongst other things) assist with this. However, GCS remains firmly built on its Philippi foundations. 

Since its foundation, the Service has been working with various statutory and voluntary agencies in Guernsey in providing counselling and training.  In particular, it continues to meet the needs of those residents in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, who are unable to access private counselling because of their social or financial circumstances. 

Since 2004, the Service has proven its value in the community in providing a professional and high-quality counselling service. Since the establishment of the Primary Care Mental Health and Wellbeing Service in September 2011, (which became Healthy Minds in 2019), referrals to the Service have reflected the huge demand for counselling services.  This means that there is normally a waiting list for counselling.