Vision

To be the counselling service of choice available to everyone in Northamptonshire.

We aim to do this through excellence in counselling & wellbeing practice,training & research, providing a well-respected Christian service of hope, meaning & purpose to all.

As a counselling centre we provide a place of peace, respect, hospitality and care that promotes understanding and care for self and others, and acknowledges the very human need to make sense of the world around us and our place within it, especially at a time of emotional,

psychological and spiritual exploration. For many people searching for hope, meaning and purpose at times of uncertainty, anxiety, stress and or illness, is how they first come across us.

Trained and registered counsellors (ACC and BACP) are able to work with and support people of all ages presenting with a variety of issues such as low mood, anxiety, depression, abuse, grief and loss, relationship issues and problems at home, school or at work.

As a training centre we have students from many backgrounds and different educational experiences on our Level 2, 3 and 4 CPCAB validated courses.

Our wellbeing courses are also open to everyone and currently offered in-person and on-line. Part of the Wellbeing Education Network (WEN) we offer these on depression, peer support groups, anxiety, anger management, stress and emotional resilience, self-awareness, food and mood.

Our mission is to work in partnership with others in our community especially the faith communities as they relate to mental health and wellbeing, the Mental Health Northants Collaboration (MHNC), Northamptonshire Community Foundation and our two local councils, WNC and NNC, as well as many GP Practices and social prescribers. We seek to support our local health and care services as they relate to counselling and therapy, spirituality and pastoral care.

Our Mission

The Manna House Counselling Service provides confidential access to integrated and person centred therapies that have a strong and reliable evidence base, as well as signposting to those services that contribute to human wellbeing and flourishing. It does this by prioritising and providing:

a respected counselling service, served by registered counsellors available to everyone within the community of Northamptonshire
accredited training courses to potential counsellors and pastoral carers
health and wellbeing training, resources and support through the Wellbeing Education Network, Action for Happiness, Spiritual First Aid and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction workshops

Our Priorities

Our Hope

We began life in 1982 as the Northampton Christian Centres Trust

seeking to serve our local community. This then became the Manna

House Trust in 2003. It has had a number of iterations – coffee shop, bookshop, flats for the homeless and counselling service.

Over the years it has always focussed on serving those most in need, physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually.

The Manna House Counselling Service is currently based at No 73 St. Giles Street, Northampton and continues to provide a well-respected outreach into many communities. It is our hope and plan to become the counselling service of choice by employing more counsellors and therapists in centres across Northamptonshire – Northampton, Wellingborough, Kettering and Corby.

Location and accessibility is of great importance to many of our clients and service users often unwaged/low waged and unable to afford transport costs or the recommended fee for counselling (between £55 - £75 per session). Thanks to support from MHNC and WNC we currently can offer 1,115 free counselling sessions across the county to over 93 people, as well as run 11 wellbeing courses. On average we provide over 2,500 counselling sessions each year.

The challenge for us is to maintain our centre in Northampton (currently costing £20,500 per calendar month) and to raise sufficient funds to further extend our services across the county and beyond.

Can You Help?

The Friends of the Manna House are local people who partner with us and commit themselves to give a minimum of £5 per week (or £260 a year) to the work of the Manna House Counselling Service. This enables us to offer counselling, training and wellbeing courses at a low/no charge to those least able to afford. It also means we can plan for the future and invest in our counsellors, supervisors and trainers, as well as ensure our facilities are warm, safe and accessible.

For more information about this or about any aspect of the Manna House Counselling Service please contact us.