LIFE CENTRE
WHO WE ARE
The Life Centre is a hub of support designed to strengthen the life of the community in Stirling and beyond, offering one to one and group support for individuals, parents and families.
OUR PURPOSE
The focus of the Life Centre is as a community hub supporting issues around mental health and wellbeing in Stirling and beyond. It provides counselling, therapeutic groups and 1-1 listening therapies. It is currently developing as a hub for newly qualified counsellors to complete their training placements. It provides a base for Play Therapy for children, and Heart to Heart peer support group for adults affected by divorce and separation, as well as Life After Loss courses for those impacted by bereavement. In 2022 a Renew Wellbeing Café was established, offering a drop-in space once a week for anyone needing a safe and supportive environment to focus on wellbeing. We have one part time support worker in the Life Centre and several professionally qualified volunteers.
Our Community Team Leader supports both our community staff and oversees our various projects. Working with our community team, she ensures our strategy is carried out by implementing the support services and working in partnership with a variety of organisations.
WHAT WE DO
COUNSELLING & LISTENING
There are currently 3 professional, independent counsellors who work out of the Life Centre, and with whom we have a close relationship. In addition, we have 3 trainee counsellors and 2 professionally trained Listeners. The trainee counsellors complete their professional practice hours under our supervision and guidelines. This enables them to develop their career at the same time as increasing the Life Centre’s capacity to provide a free service. The Listening Service provides a useful alternative for people who do not need counselling, but would benefit from an opportunity to talk through problems, with signposting to further support if appropriate.
Our vision is to expand and develop our counselling service as a centre for young trainee counsellors, and we have the organisational structures, policies and procedures in place for this to happen. We see this as a response to the increasing mental health needs, particularly among young people, where, for example, the suicide rate is high. We want to increase our ability to provide appropriate counselling for young people at their time of great need.
PLAY THERAPY
This service is well established and well known in Stirling, having run for 10 years. Children can be referred from any route, such as schools, playgroups, social services or church members, and they often come when all other options have been exhausted and the family is desperate to see improvement with emotional and behavioural issues. We have two full-time trained therapists who work with children on a one-to-one basis, using a wide variety of play therapy techniques over a course of, usually, 12 sessions. The outcomes are invariably very successful. We do have a waiting list for this service.
This service is well established and well known in Stirling, having run for 10 years. Children can be referred from any route, such as schools, playgroups, social services or church members, and they often come when all other options have been exhausted and the family is desperate to see improvement with emotional and behavioural issues. Our trained therapist works with children on a one-to-one basis, using a wide variety of play therapy techniques over a course of, usually, 12 sessions. The outcomes are invariably very successful. We do have a waiting list for this service.
RENEW WELLBEING
This service, begun at the beginning of 2022, is a drop-in, offered once a week and staffed by friendly volunteers. It is for anyone who wants to slow down, take time to reflect, and focus on their wellbeing. It offers a holistic approach with space for prayer, to chat, bring along your own hobby like knitting, or just to be quiet.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY
A Christ centred, Bible based recovery programme designed to help people address a variety of hurts, hangups, and habits.
LIFE AFTER LOSS
This is an 8-week course, run 3-4 times per year. It is an established and successful tool for working through the grief and loss of bereavement. Courses run at both the Life Centre and the Haven. Next course date TBC - contact the centre worker or follow our social media pages for course dates.
HEART TO HEART
This is an adult peer support group based round an 8 week course called Heart to Heart. The course supports people struggling with emotional or mental health and wellbeing due to divorce or separation. It runs three times a year. Contact the centre worker or follow our social media pages for course dates.
