Yes, counselling is a confidential activity, however in exceptional circumstances we may need to speak to other professionals about your support needs. The information you share with Aquilis, however, is not shared with any other departments.

Yes each session will be with the same counsellor.

You may have your assessment session with one counsellor, then due to the availability of spaces it may well be that you are allocated a different counsellor for the ongoing sessions. These ongoing sessions will then be with the same counsellor, at the same time, on the same day each week.

Ideally counselling is experienced at the same time on the same day each week – this creates a stability and regularity to sessions which enables the therapeutic process to unfold. At Aquilis we understand that many members of staff work shifts and thus we seek to offer flexibility to accommodate this. Please talk to the Aquilis Operational Lead or your counsellor directly to explore this further.

Please contact your counsellor directly on their work mobile should you need to cancel a session. Whenever possible please give at least 24 hours’ notice. Alternatively, you can call on 02392 283 636.

As long as at least 24 hours notice of any cancellation is given, they will not be counted as one of your sessions.

Often effective counselling is a result of experiencing a good connection with your counsellor. Should you find that something is not quite matching for you, please talk to your counsellor initially to seek to resolve this. If you continue to feel a mismatch, please contact the Aquilis Operational Lead to arrange a transfer.

Counselling can help with a wide range of issues, please do not hesitate to make contact with being.well@porthosp.nhs.uk for further details and to find out if counselling is the right option for you.

Counselling appointments run through from 8am – 7pm Mondays to Fridays and 8am – 2pm on Saturdays.

We aim to provide a high-quality counselling service at Aquilis. However, if you feel that we have fallen short of this aim and have reason to complain do let us know.

Please address your complaint (providing your name, phone number, email or postal address) to the Aquilis Operational Lead at the following address:

Aquilis Counselling Services,
Oasis Wellness Centre,
Queen Alexandra Hospital,
Southwick Hill Road,
Cosham,
Hampshire, PO6 3LY.

Our counsellors are trained in many different approaches to counselling. This is known as “modalities”. There are many modalities that counsellors use at Aquilis, some of the more well known are Humanistic or Person Centred. We attempt to match clients to the most appropriate counsellor following the assessment. Your counsellor will explain the way they work when they meet with you for the first time.

Sessions are usually for 50 minutes.

Sessions usually take place on a weekly basis on the same day and at the same time.

After the initial assessment session, you will be offered up to 8 weekly sessions in any 12-month period.

The service is funded by Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.