What We Do

FCS: Talking Therapies exists to relieve sickness and distress through the provision of talking therapies. We are a mental health charity based in Faversham, Kent.

Our work has two main parts:

1. Faversham Community Counselling, which provides private and low-cost therapy.

2. FCS Talking Therapies - Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (FCSTT IAPT), a free NHS service providing CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and CTfD (Couples Therapy for Depression). These are short-term evidence-based treatments for anxiety and depression.

We also have our ‘Objects’, which are the reasons why we exist. Every charity must have ‘Objects’ that benefit the public to guide their work. Here are ours:

1. Prevent and relieve sickness and distress through the provision of professional counselling.

2. Advance education and training for counsellors with a view to raising the standards of counselling for the benefit of the community.

FCS: Talking Therapies was first registered with the Charity Commission as Faversham Counselling Service in 1992. We were set up to provide talking therapies to those living in  Faversham, Kent for those experiencing personal difficulty. We now help people from across Kent, and are still based in Faversham where we now undertake a variety of work.

Our Story

Faversham Counselling Service Limited was launched in 1992. Since then, many people have sought and found help with us at our Gatefield Lane Centre, where we provide a valued service both within the local community and beyond.  People come from all walks of life with a variety of personal, emotional or relationship issues, seeking an impartial, understanding person with whom they can share and explore their feelings.

In March 2004 Faversham Counselling Service became an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and the service operates within their ‘BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions’. 

In late 2012, Faversham Counselling Service successfully tendered an NHS contract to provide a free Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service to those in Canterbury & Coastal CCG areas and Swale CCG areas, launching FCS Talking Therapies as our IAPT division.

In early 2020, we successfully integrated remote work (video and telephone therapy) as part of our service, making our service accessible to all with accessibility limitations.

Confidentiality

The counsellor-client relationship is one in which the service user can feel safe and confident that both the fact and the content of that meeting is kept strictly private and confidential within the Counselling Service.  This is crucial to the trust and integrity of the counselling relationship.  Service users are informed at the outset of counselling of the limits of, and exceptions, to confidentiality.   In exceptional circumstances, where there is genuine cause for serious concern about the safety or interests of service users or about others who may be threatened by unacceptable behaviour, the counsellor is subject to the requirement of law and may take steps as judged necessary to inform appropriate third parties under the following acts –

• Data Protection Act (2018)

• Prevention of Terrorism Act (1989)

• Drug Trafficking Act (1994)

• Working to Safeguard Children Policy (2006)