Balham Community Counselling Service Mental health and the pandemic
Balham Community Counselling Service (BCCS) has been at the heart of Balham’s community mental health services for over 40 years. It has supported hundreds of people with their emotional, psychological and mental health needs over that time and during the Covid pandemic.
BCCS has been supporting clients throughout the pandemic, moving to online and telephone counselling sessions when the Centre had to close physically due to local and national lockdowns. It looks forward to reopening its doors for face to face counselling as soon as it can. In the meantime, people who feel they could benefit from the service are welcome to call 020 8673 4422 or email counsellingbcc@btconnect.com to book an assessment.
BCCS is delighted to welcome Umaa Thampu as its new Counselling Services Manager. Umaa was a former trainee at BCCS and was supervised by renowned women, family and community rights activist and mental health pioneer Sonia Markham who established the service over 40 years ago. As well as managing the counselling service at Balham, Umaa is in private practice and is a Faculty Member at The Gestalt Centre. She says “I am thrilled to be re-joining BCCS. In these troubled times the service is more crucial now than ever. Many people were already struggling but the pandemic has brought additional pressures, including financial and relationship worries, anxiety and depression”.
