Man’s Hour FAQs

Okay, I think you have answered all my questions. What do I need to do now?

You can email us at cooperativecounsellingcoop@gmail.com or you can telephone us on 07546968050/49. You can usually expect us to acknowledge your call within 2 working days and to have made an arrangement for an introductory session within a week of making contact.

Is there anything I should know before I start counselling?

Yes. One of the most important things to be aware of is that you might feel worse before you feel better. If you have been looking outward a lot more than looking inward it can be pretty tough to find out what is going on inside you. You might feel, initially, a bit raw or exposed. This is very normal and the rewards lie beyond this stage.

How much does it cost?

Each individual counsellor charges a different amount per session. Sometimes there will be the option of low-cost counselling if you are on a low wage or receiving benefits. See our counsellor profiles for more details.
Another option open to you if you are unable to pay for counselling would be to contact your local GP and find out if the NHS are able to offer options through their services.

Can I choose whether or not I have a female or a male counsellor?

Yes. And if you feel you need to swap counsellor, that is fine too.

So how does Man’s Hour work? Where would we meet and what would we do?

Man’s Hour is based in the community. That means we can meet you somewhere close to where you live or work – if that suits you. It could be in a community centre, or any building space that has private, undisturbed rooms.

We will spend time listening to your story. We will help you to feel safe and to be able to express yourself. Sometimes we may challenge you, not in an aggressive way, but in a caring way, in a way that may make you look at things in a different light. You might find talking is not enough for you so you can also write, draw or use other methods of communicating.

Counselling is about collaboration and finding out ‘how can we help you to help yourself?’ Or ‘how can we both work together to help you?’ During the first session the counsellor will make a contract with you about what to expect and what you want to achieve. This could be specific or open. It could just be that you want to feel happier about yourself.

Why is it just a man’s service? Why not men and women

We wanted to start a man’s service because we don’t think men are encouraged enough to talk about themselves and what is getting them down.

So you won’t judge me?

No, we won’t judge you. We will accept you for who you are – that’s one of the ingredients that makes counselling work. Another important ingredient of counselling is confidentiality. We do not reveal the identity of our clients or the content of the sessions to anyone outside of the CCC practice. However it is important to known that in rare cases we are duty bound to break confidentiality if either yourself or someone you have spoken about is currently in danger of harm.

Okay, I get the picture. But I’m not going to tell you anything until I’ve seen you first, because I don’t know if I can trust you.

That’s fine, a lot of people hold back until they know who they are dealing with. It makes sense to want to protect yourself – and shows us that you care about yourself. We respect each person’s right to go at their own pace. There’s no right or wrong way for you to behave in the sessions. Everyone is different.

What I’m really after is a list of things that you can help with

We don’t want to make any man feel that his problem isn’t as important as another man’s because it’s not on a list. But to give you a rough idea, here are some examples:

Burn-out, Domestic Violence, Loss, Anger, Rape, Stress, Addiction, Risky Behaviour, Bullying, Despair, Depression, Bereavement, Sex, Low Self-Esteem, Gender-Issues, Pornography, Problems in Relationships, Abuse, Eating Disorders, Trauma, Long Term Illness, Gambling, Alcohol, Drugs. Some men also seek counselling to help maintain the recoveries they have already made in their lives.

If we do not think we are the best people to help you we may suggest a referral to another agency. It is your choice to follow this advice.

Can you give me an example?

Okay, one example maybe that you are having a hard time in a relationship and you are feeling under pressure to be something that you’re not.

You might find it difficult to talk with those that are close to you, so you may want to come and talk to a counsellor first to get things sorted in your head (or your heart, or better still both). There might be a lot more going on inside you than you ever imagined.

When you start to understand yourself better, you might start to feel more in control of your life and feel that you have more energy and confidence to tackle the problems in your relationship. It might be that once you have had counselling you will start to develop more confidence to improve other areas in your life.

Man’s Hour? How can you help me?

We’re talking about a service which recognises that men have needs too.

Sometimes there are things that need to be sorted out – even if they have been shut away and blocked out for a long time. Sometimes this can seriously affect our lives, by making us unhappy or sad, shameful or guilty. It can even affect our physical health.

Man’s Hour can help you to find out what is going on inside yourself and in your life and find the tools to change and feel better about yourself.