Counselling services

Individual Counselling

We provide free counselling for people living in Edinburgh concerned about their stimulant and other drug use, for example cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, GHB/GBL, ketamine or amphetamines. If alcohol is the main drug that you would like to talk about we can signpost or refer you to other services in Edinburgh such as Edinburgh and the Lothians Council on Alcohol and if opiates or benzodiazepines are the main drugs causing you concern to Simpson House.

We offer up to 30 weekly sessions, on a Monday to Friday daytime, for individual counselling with a qualified counsellor. We offer evening sessions, but there may be a longer wait for these appointments.

Our counselling is person centred, which means that we work with what feels important to each individual client. For some people, this might mean looking directly at their drug taking, and for other people it might mean exploring more about underlying issues or things from their past.

We welcome people of all cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations, religious and ethnic backgrounds and people with disabilities. If you have particular access needs we can discuss how we can support you to access our service. Crew can also offer short-term counselling for people affected by another’s drug use. Please ask us about this if it is relevant to you or someone you know.

Accessibility

Our counselling service is located on Anchor Close, just off Cockburn Street, and there are 22 steps up to our door. If this is not possible for you to access, please let us know and we can discuss alternative arrangements. For example, we can offer some counselling sessions in our Drop-in space which is at street level at a time when the Drop-in space is closed to the public, and can also offer some telephone and online counselling sessions.

What clients have said

I’ve made such amazing progress since starting counselling here, I only wish I’d had the courage to do it 10 years ago.

This therapy has allowed me to understand what aspects of my personality, history, and emotional states are driving my unhealthy behaviour, and to challenge these ideas and thoughts.

Counselling for people affected by someone else’s drug use

We offer short-term counselling of six weekly sessions for people affected by another’s drug use, for example, a partner, a friend or a family member. We can also signpost people in this situation onto longer term support.

I feel mine and Mum’s relationship has improved, I feel more listened to and I feel I understand why my Mum can worry as much and how I can stop that by being honest.

Referring to Crew

You can access Crew Counselling by phoning 0131 220 3404 or visiting our Drop-in. To make a referral or inquiry about counselling by email, please email referrals@crew2000.org.uk. We’ll ask you for some initial details, and after this a counsellor will contact you to arrange an initial appointment to see if this is the right service for you.

If it’s not the right time for you to engage in counselling, we can look at options for referral on to other organisations and putting more support into place if this would be helpful to you. Find out more about our counselling service here.

Acupuncture/guided meditation weekly drop-in group

Crew offers ear acupuncture which can help people relax and find relief from stress and anxiety as part of recovery. Ear acupuncture sessions take place in a group environment and include a guided meditation. Acupuncture at Crew follows the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol.

Every two weeks, we offer a guided meditation session with an introduction to mindfulness meditation techniques, which can be helpful for supporting recovery and for people affected by another person’s drug use.

The acupuncture/guided meditation group takes place on a Tuesday, 5.30 – 6.30pm. If you are new to acupuncture or mindfulness at Crew, please call us to make a 10-minute appointment before the Tuesday group. One of our practitioners will meet with you to explain what happens in a session, ask about any health issues that may be relevant and answer any questions you have – you would then be welcome to attend as often as you like.

Information for workers

If you would like to enquire about Crew Counselling for someone you are working with, please call us to discuss. Please note that we cannot take referrals from family members or friends.