DisabilityPlus gives every person the opportunity to be supported by a counsellor who is blind, this enables full cultural support.
Our Sight Loss Counselling Service supports people with their mental health, whether pre-existing issues have become worse or a new condition that stems from sight loss. Our specialist therapists understand the problems a physical injury can have on a person’s mental & emotional health.
It is recognised that people affected by sight loss will understandably experience very strong and, at times, overwhelming feelings of grief and loss. In cases of sudden sight loss, the reaction is often severe. People often experience panic and confusion, making it difficult to assimilate information and make rational decisions. For most people with diagnosed sight-threatening conditions, the reality is feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and fear can be consuming.
It is recognised that people affected by sight loss will understandably experience very strong and, at times, overwhelming feelings of grief and loss. In cases of sudden sight loss, the reaction is often severe. People often experience panic and confusion, making it difficult to assimilate information and make rational decisions. For most people with diagnosed sight-threatening conditions, the reality is feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and fear can be consuming.
No matter how severe your vision has become, you may experience emotional and behavioural changes that are in consequence of your sight loss. These changes can include extreme mood swings and anxiety disorders.
Some people have a combination of emotional reactions becoming blind or vision impaired, they can include: insomnia, loss of appetite, palpitations, visual hallucinations, aggression, anger, tension, frustration, disorganisation, irritability, restlessness, inability to concentrate & apathy.
Sight Loss Counselling can help you manage the impact of becoming blind or vision impaired with dignity and self-respect. Being supported by blind & vision impaired therapists creates a robust platform for the counselling to be successful from the outset.
Adjusting to sight loss or blindness can be challenging. However, counselling can help make this an active process. The psychological impact can be frightening and disturbing, but it is the process by which healing can begin.
As specialist counsellors, we recognise that people who experience sudden sight loss or blindness have to be ready emotionally before starting rehabilitation; sight loss counselling can help you through the ups and downs you may be experiencing.
Contact us to find out more about our Specialist Sight Loss Counselling Service
Our Sight Loss Counselling Team is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) (UKCP). We are bound by the ethical framework for good practice in counselling. We comply with the Data Protection Act
The International Classification of Diseases 11 (2018) classifies vision impairment into two groups, distance and near presenting vision impairment.
Distance vision impairment:
Near vision impairment:
A person’s experience of vision impairment varies depending upon many different factors. This includes for example, the availability of prevention and treatment interventions, access to vision rehabilitation (including assistive products such as glasses or white canes), and whether the person experiences problems with inaccessible buildings, transport and information.
Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. In at least 1 billion – or almost half – of these cases, vision impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.
This 1 billion people includes those with moderate or severe distance vision impairment or blindness due to unaddressed refractive error (88.4 million), cataract (94 million), glaucoma (7.7 million), corneal opacities (4.2 million), diabetic retinopathy (3.9 million), and trachoma (2 million), as well as near vision impairment caused by unaddressed presbyopia (826 million).
In terms of regional differences, the prevalence of distance vision impairment in low- and middle-income regions is estimated to be four times higher than in high-income regions. With regards to near vision, rates of unaddressed near vision impairment are estimated to be greater than 80% in western, eastern and central sub-Saharan Africa, while comparative rates in high-income regions of North America, Australasia, Western Europe, and of Asia-Pacific are reported to be lower than 10%.
Population growth and ageing are expected to increase the risk that more people acquire vision impairment.
For DisabilityPlus to make an NHS application for you based on your condition, we must satisfy specific criteria before making the NHS Application.
The application for you must include one of the below disabilities or life-changing conditions.
Self-Paid Services are available if you do not qualify for an NHS application with DisabilityPlus.
Standard counselling services generally help couples without additional issues such as physical, sensory & injuries.
Using a specialist service means there will be no lost time trying to explain to the therapist the problems you and your partner have with coping with the specific situation.
We are proud to offer this specialist service.
In its most basic sense, LENS is training in self-regulation, a necessary part of optimal brain performance and function, allowing the nervous system to function more adaptively.
This result in greater relaxation, a sense of ease and improved emotional resilience. LENS neurofeedback is not diagnosis-specific. It is not a treatment for any specific condition. It is a generalised process that optimises brain function.
Our Traumatic Brain Injury Counselling Service supports people with their mental health, whether pre-existing issues have worsened or a new condition stemming from an accident or injury.
Our specialist therapists understand the problems a brain injury can have on a person’s mental & emotional health.
Counselling for Concussions can help you avoid potential mental health issues such as panic attacks, depression, anxieties, substance abuse &, in extreme cases, self-harm & suicidal thoughts.
Your counsellor is trained to support people with mild to moderate brain injuries.
The counsellor who supports you has expert knowledge & lived experiences of Autism.
Our treatment plans focus on how the varying degrees of Autism has affected your mental and emotional health.
You will be supported by a counsellor who has Epilepsy.
Specialist Epilepsy Counselling provides an essential place after taking the step to decide you want to speak with a counsellor; you must find someone that ‘fits’ you and your personality for the best possible outcome.
A counsellor with Dyslexia will support you with expert counselling.
Dyslexia & Auditory Processing may not be a mental illness, but its results can trigger mental illness.
You will be supported by a counsellor who has spinal cord injuries.
Our Spinal Cord Injury Counselling Service supports you with your mental health, whether pre-existing issues have worsened or a new condition stemming from the spinal cord injury.
Your therapist has an amputation or is a specialist which creates cultural understanding from the first session.
Using a specialist service who understand the problems of losing a limb first-hand could be the first step to your mental & emotional health recovery.
You will be supported by a counsellor who has OI or you can choose a counsellor with a similar disability.
Specialist Counselling can help you regain wellbeing and balance in your life.
You will be supported by a counsellor who has Multiple Sclerosis or you can choose a counsellor with a similar disability.
MS Counselling gives you time and space to work through your problems. Therapy helps you gain a different perspective on problems and issues.
Therapy provides a safe, non-judgemental and respectful environment. Counselling can help you regain well-being and balance in your life.
You will be supported by a counsellor who has Cerebral Palsy or you can choose a counsellor with a similar disability.
Counselling gives you time and space to work through your problems.
Therapy helps you gain a different perspective on problems and issues.
You will be supported by a counsellor who is disabled with a similar disability.
Professional therapists who understand the complexity of muscular dystrophy.
Our treatment plans focus on how the varying degrees of Muscular Dystrophy has affected your mental and emotional health.
You will be supported by a counsellor who has years of experience supporting people with Chronic Arthritis or you can choose a counsellor with a similar disability.
You will be supported by a counsellor who lives with chronic pain.
Chronic Pain Counselling & Psychotherapy delivers quality therapy for people who have issues caused by severe pain.
Your therapist will have hearing loss with the lived experience of discrimination and frustration.
Therapy for people with differing levels of Hearing Loss, including Suddenly Acquired Deafness through a Medical Issue, age or Accident.
For Profoundly Deaf BSL Service click below
Your counsellor will be profoundly deaf, which creates cultural understanding from the first session.
Our deaf mental health counselling service addresses the core need for cultural understanding with a counsellor that understands the feelings of discrimination & lack of knowledge.
This service is for BSL & Oral Profoundly Deaf People
You will be supported by a counsellor who has a cochlear implant
Our team use Spoken Word (oral), Lip Reading & Visual Gestures.
We offer a live subtitle service if video sessions are selected.
Private therapy can allow you to start sessions quickly, you can also start privately & we can make an NHS application for you to maintain your care with the same therapist.
For DisabilityPlus to make an NHS application for you based on your condition, we must satisfy specific criteria before making the NHS Application.
The application for you must include one of the below disabilities or life-changing conditions.
Self-Paid Services are available if you do not qualify for an NHS application with DisabilityPlus.
SIGNHEALTH the Deaf charity is now delivering all NHS BSL Counselling Sessions.
If you would still like to use our service there are Self-Pay options.
Click the NHS Application button below to be directed to the Self-Referral form of SIGNHEALTH
Your counsellor who will support you has Vestibular Disorders and therefore can help you with expert knowledge and lived experiences.
Our team can help with qualified specialist mental health therapists who specialise in supporting people who have Vestibular Issues.
Your counsellor who will support you has Tinnitus and therefore can help you with expert knowledge and lived experiences.
Our team can help with qualified specialist mental health therapists who specialise in supporting people who have Tinnitus and Balance Issues.
The Personal Injury Team is hand-selected based on their expertise in supporting people post-injury.
We support you with emotional & mental health support following a significant personal injury.
The counsellor who supports you has been through the retirement and bereavement from previous assistance dogs. We can offer you a safe, empathic and authentic service where your emotions can be fully explored and accepted
Our assistance dog counselling service can help you get the support you deserve. Your counsellor will have an assistance dog and has lived through the feelings and emotions of loss and grief.
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You will be supported by a counsellor who is CODA.
Our CODA Counselling Service (children or now adults) supports you with your mental & emotional health.
Our specialist therapists understand the problems a cross-culture can have on your mental & emotional health.
You will be supported by a counsellor who understands the complexity of living with body dysmorphia.
Our therapists specialise in mental & emotional health-supporting your negative body image & perceptions.
You will be supported by a counsellor who has Chronic Fatigue . Our specialist therapists can help you come to terms with living with CFS/ME & work through the mental health issues it creates.
Our therapy service can increase your daily living standards
You will be supported by a counsellor who has Fibromyalgia.
We offer psychological support with one of our specialist qualified counsellors who support people who are affected by FMS symptoms.
Our Specialist Therapy helps you move towards positive emotional responses. The key to our service is to achieve better mood control & health wellbeing.
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Each Disability or Injury is matched with a counsellor who understands your unique situation.
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NHS Free funding is available in most areas of the UK.