I am the clinical manager of The Harbour, a Bristol based charity that provides free counselling/psychotherapy to people affected by a life threatening illness. We provide a safe space for people to talk to experienced, professionally trained therapists. People will often come to us feeling alone and frightened about the future, often they feel unable to speak to those closest to them as they fear burdening them. 

Within a culture that places an emphasis on the need to be strong or in some instances 'to fight' illness, it seems essential there is a place where feelings such as powerlessness and fear can be expressed and thought about. 

It is our experience at The Harbour that the safe space we provide can have a profound affect on the lives of the people who come to us. As illustrated by the comments below:

"It has given me perspective on my challenges. I feel in a position to cope with my diagnosis and share my feelings with close family and friends. It has helped me review my past experiences and how these have impacted on me. I can get on with living."

"It has given me a space to express and explore my feelings which has helped me process my grief. it has helped me confront other difficulties in my life and has been a catalyst for change. this has helped me understand myself better. It has helped to have a safe space to cry."


"This service has been a Godsend to me. Although my mother's death occurred 3 years ago, it's taken me a long time to actually reach out for specialist help. I'm grateful that The Harbour found a space for me to do this."