top of page

About EYCS

Founded in 2000 Eastleigh Youth Counselling Service (EYCS) began with an clear and important vision: to ensure that young people in our local community could access counselling and have a safe space to talk, whatever difficulties they may be facing.

 

Over the years, that vision has continued to grow. What started as a small local service has blossomed into a thriving charity supporting young people across the wider Eastleigh area and beyond.

 

Today, EYCS provides accessible counselling in a range of community settings, including schools, GP surgeries and local community venues, helping young people access support in places that feel familiar, safe and accessible to them.

 

We are incredibly proud of our fantastic team of counsellors, supervisors, trainee counsellors and volunteers, who bring compassion, creativity and commitment to everything they do. Together, we work to ensure that young people feel listened to, understood and supported at a time when they may need it most.

Colorful Soap Bubbles
EYCS Background (13).png

EYCS can support young people aged 11-19 (or 24 for care leavers and SEND) experiencing a wide range of challenges, including:

​

  • Anxiety, worry and panic

  • Low mood and feelings of depression

  • Stress and feeling overwhelmed

  • Low self-esteem and confidence

  • Exam pressure and academic stress

  • School or college difficulties

  • Transitions between primary school, secondary school, college or university

  • Friendship difficulties and conflict

  • Bullying and social pressures

  • Family separation and changes in family circumstances

  • Blended families and changing family relationships

  • Difficulties at home

  • Relationship difficulties

  • Bereavement and loss

  • Feelings of loneliness or isolation

  • Anger and emotional regulation

  • Difficulties understanding or expressing emotions

  • Coping with change

  • Life transitions and uncertainty about the future

  • Identity and self-confidence

  • Difficulties managing everyday pressures

  • Wider emotional wellbeing concerns

 

Young people may not always need to have a clearly defined problem to benefit from counselling. Sometimes having a safe, confidential space to talk can be the first step towards feeling more able to cope.

Creating More Opportunities for Young People

 

We are continually looking for ways to extend the support available to young people. Where funding opportunities become available, we actively explore and apply for funding that can enable EYCS to develop new projects, increase access to counselling and provide additional support where there is an identified need.

 

This allows us to respond to what is happening within our local communities rather than simply offering the same service year after year.

 

Supporting Future Counsellors

 

Alongside our work with young people, EYCS is passionate about supporting trainee counsellors in the final year of their training.

 

Our trainee placements provide valuable opportunities to gain real-world experience of working therapeutically with young people, while being supported by experienced counsellors and appropriate clinical supervision.

 

We believe that investing in trainees is important not only for their development, but for the future of counselling services for young people. By helping trainees develop their confidence, skills and experience, we are contributing to a future workforce that is better equipped to support children and young people.

EYCS Background (5).png

Counsellors use different approaches and each one can help in different ways. Approaches include:

Person‑Centred Counselling

 A gentle, supportive approach that helps you talk through your feelings at your own pace

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

 A practical approach that helps you notice unhelpful thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and develop new coping strategies

Psychodynamic Counselling

Helps you explore how past experiences may influence how you feel and behave today

Integrative Counselling

Uses techniques from several approaches so the counsellor can tailor sessions to what works best for you

Solution‑Focused Therapy 

A short‑term, goal‑focused approach that helps you build on your strengths and move toward positive change

Mindfulness‑Based Approaches 

Use breathing and grounding techniques to help manage stress, anxiety, and difficult emotions

Trauma‑Informed Approaches 

Designed to keep you feeling safe and supported if you have experienced trauma or distress

Transactional analysis 

Incorporates aspects of humanistic, cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic therapy, and categorises the human personality into three stats - Parent, Adult and Child, which can help you understand how you interact with others

Humanist 

Encourages people to think about their feelings, and take responsibility for their thoughts and actions, with an emphasis on self-development and achieving your potential rather than on problematic behaviour

Gestalt 

Helps you find a new, positive perspective on problems and bring about changes in your life

Balls
bottom of page