Just up from Highbury Corner, Help offers counselling on Holloway Road in a calm community and wellness centre. As a charity, we work with adults facing anxiety, low mood, grief, stress, relationship difficulties, transitions such as a move or a new job, and experiences from the past that still affect them. You don’t need everything figured out to start. That’s what counselling is for.
Difficult experiences from the past can affect the present in ways that are hard to put into words. Trauma was a reason for 24% of people who’d had therapy in the last two years, according to BACP’s 2026 Public Perceptions Survey. Talking it through with a counsellor can help you make sense of what happened and how it affects you now.
Fees are worked out on a sliding scale, in line with your income. All Help counsellors are registered with BACP, UKCP or an equivalent professional body and have regular, expert supervision. There’s no GP referral needed. You can contact us directly.
What to expect
Before your first session
We start with an online initial assessment, which costs £25. You’ll talk through what’s been going on and what you’d like support with, and mention anything that matters to you in a counsellor. Our clinical team then makes the match. Most clients start counselling within two weeks of their assessment.
Face-to-face counselling in Highbury
This location is convenient if you live or work in Highbury, Holloway, Canonbury, Barnsbury or the northern end of Upper Street, Islington. Sessions are 50 minutes long and happen at the same time each week.
Seeing a therapist in person can help you feel more settled and connected than talking through a screen. Travelling to a peaceful space each week also makes it easier to switch off from everything else for an hour.
Confidentiality
Your counsellor won’t share what you tell them. They’d only do so in rare situations where someone is at serious risk of harm, and they’ll explain this clearly when you first meet.
How many sessions
There’s no fixed limit. Most clients come for several months and some for longer. You’ll review your progress with your counsellor regularly and decide together when you’re ready to end.
Fees
Our sliding scale keeps affordable counselling in Highbury and at our other London locations open to people on all incomes. We’ll agree your fee with you at your initial assessment. If it’s still hard to manage, let us know and we’ll talk about other options. See our Fees page for more details.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Help’s Highbury & Holloway Road counselling location?
Highbury & Islington station (Victoria line, Overground and National Rail) is about 5 minutes’ walk away. Holloway Road station (Piccadilly line) is a little further. Buses 43, 263, 271 and 393 stop nearby. We’ll send you the full address once your session is booked.
Is there step-free access in the building?
Not fully. There are a few steep steps at the street entrance, with no ramp. Inside, a lift serves the upper floors, and there’s an accessible toilet on the ground floor. If the entrance steps are a problem for you, tell us when you book and we’ll offer a step-free location such as Islington & Angel, or online sessions.
Is there parking nearby?
There’s no on-site parking, and most of the surrounding streets are for resident permit holders only. Public transport is the easiest way to get here.
Do I need to come to the Highbury counselling location for every session, or can some be online?
Your counselling sessions will take place at the Highbury location at your agreed day and time each week. Help does not offer a mix of online or face-to-face therapy sessions.
How quickly can I start counselling?
Assessments are usually available most weekdays, and most people start counselling within two weeks. No GP referral is needed. Book an initial assessment online, or complete our Refer Yourself form and we’ll contact you.
What if there’s no therapist available near Highbury?
If our counsellors here are fully booked, you can wait for a space, see a counsellor at a nearby location such as Islington & Angel or Clerkenwell & Barbican, or start online. We’ll go through the options with you at your assessment.
Other questions? You’ll find more answers in our FAQs.
We are here to listen, we are here to Help
