WHO HAVE WE HELPED THIS MONTH?

Here at STF, our key aim is to promote the mental and physical health of all community groups, which we further extend to those in financial hardship via the provision of grants, resources or services made available to us.

We do this by delivering free Mental Health Counselling services, and providing addiction support.  It has therefore been incredibly busy at the Foundation in the last few months, as we have not only been helping community groups via various initiatives and group sessions, but also people on an individual basis who have found themselves in need.

Here are some of the highlights from the last month:

Mental Health Support

Our qualified Mental Health Counsellor Phil has seen a steady increase in clients over the last few months, displaying a wide range of issues. In addition to his Counselling services, Phil has also been offering Auricular Acupuncture and Hypnotherapy as forms of alternative therapy.

Auricular Acupuncture involves inserting tiny needles into the ears to stimulate points throughout your body and restoring the flow of qi (energy).This is a fantastic technique used to tackle a wide range of disorders, such as anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain, insomnia and addiction issues to name but a few! If you are interested, please do get in touch to book an appointment.

(It doesn’t hurt – honestly, as our Co-Founder Andy kindly demonstrated!).

Addiction Support

Our Addiction Support team, headed up by our Key Support Worker Chris, has been busy over the past few months, helping people to recover with their addiction issues.

Chris offers a service of individual recovery sessions to clients suffering with addiction, and proposes a structure of recovery based on his knowledge and experience. One of Chris’s clients had this to say:

“I had previously sought help from NHS services related to mental health and addiction treatment but never really got what I was looking for. Chris’ knowledge in CBT and recovery is exemplary and he truly goes the extra mile with his support. Chris is someone who has gone full circle himself which is useful to know as he has the life experience and you can see the program and resources working in his life. Chris has so much to offer people battling addiction, I have so much gratitude towards this foundation and Chris for all their support.”

Every Friday, we have been running an Addiction Support group to help people learn about the tools of recovery using a variety of CBT based methods. This is a power hour in a group based setting to help like minded people learn about the disease they suffer from. If you or anyone you know is struggling, please come along. One of Chris’s clients who attends the group regularly said:

“I was offered 121 recovery work sessions with Chris and also a group on a Friday which explores recovery tools and CBT techniques to deal with thoughts, feelings, cravings and urges. Amongst other things, the group has really helped with my confidence, and allowed me to speak to like minded people who have since become friends. The groups have a set recovery tool which has been thoroughly planned out and then delivered in a professional way.”

Housing Support

At the end of last week, Andy reached out to a young gentleman named Lewis on a St Helens online support group, as he saw he was struggling. They spoke on the phone and it unfortunately came to light that Lewis was currently homeless and living in some woodland nearby. A combination of recent and past traumatic events had led him to this point.

Without hesitation, our team made contact and Lewis came into the Foundation to speak with us. After assessing the situation, we were able to understand what he needed. With the help of our Foundation Partner Cosey Homes, we sorted and went to see a flat with him, as a possible new fixed abode.

Within 24 hours, we were delighted that Lewis was able to move in and receive the much needed and deserved support from his family and friends nearby.

We wish you the very best of luck Lewis and hope to see you at the Foundation very soon!