To access our service you must be:

• 18+ years old
• Living in the UK
• Able to access the internet in a confidential space
• Able to commit to weekly online sessions, ideally at the same time each week. We understand, however, that this is not always a possibility, for example if you have shift work. We can discuss how this can be accommodated during the initial assessment.
• Willing to give consent for Hammock to hold confidential data including your GP, your contact details and home address, and the name and contact details of an emergency contact.

Limitations at Hammock

As our service is offered by counsellors in training, Hammock is not able to accept clients who have:

• Experienced severe trauma
• A diagnosed personality disorder
• Current psychosis
• Active suicidality or who have attempted suicide in the last three years
• Active addictions and/or a severe eating disorders

Should this mean that Hammock isn’t suitable for your needs, you may wish to contact a therapist via the BACP or the Counselling Directory.

It is also important to note that Hammock is not a crisis service. If you require more immediate support, please see our urgent help page.

In order to proceed with booking your initial assessment, please confirm that you have read and understood the above requirements and limitations. If you are uncertain, please contact Hammock and we will be happy to help where we can. 

Current timeframe (updated 19 November)

• We are currently looking at wait times of around one week between your initial assessment and your first counselling session.  

Psychodynamic counselling with Hammock

Whilst we recognise the value of each practitioner’s unique integrative approach and philosophy, Hammock also values the opportunity for trainees to work alongside supervisors with rigorous backgrounds in psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy.

This information is intended to provide prospective trainees with a statement of what Hammock considers as the fundamentals of psychodynamic counselling. It is also intended as a statement for clients, referrers, trainers, potential counsellors and staff.

The following are considered by Hammock Counselling to be the cornerstones of psychodynamic counselling:

1.

The relationship between counsellor and client is central to the counselling work. The relationship is based on respect, concern, empathy, genuineness and acknowledgement of the client’s feelings.

2.

Feelings and thoughts, which the counsellor experiences in the sessions with the client, can be useful for further understanding and exploration.

3.

Issues arising out of the relationship between counsellor and client may be used to illuminate the client’s patterns of relating.

4.

The client’s family history and previous life experiences are important to help understand current difficulties.

5.

Psychodynamic counselling is based on a belief in the existence of the unconscious, and that unconscious as well as conscious attitudes influence behaviour and relationships.

Person-centred counselling with Hammock

The following are considered by Hammock Counselling to be the cornerstones of person-centred counselling:

1.

Empathy
The counsellor’s ability to deeply understand the client’s inner world as if it were their own – to sense their feelings and meanings without judgment or distortion. It’s about feeling with, not feeling for the client.

2.

Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR)
Warm acceptance of the client without conditions – valuing them as they are, without needing them to change first. The counsellor offers consistent respect, care, and non-judgment, even when the client struggles to accept themselves.

3.

Congruence (Genuineness)
The counsellor is real and transparent in the relationship – not hiding behind a professional façade. It’s about being authentic and emotionally honest, while staying grounded and appropriate.

4.

The Actualising Tendency
A belief that every person has an innate drive toward growth, healing, and fulfilment, given the right conditions. The counsellor’s role is to create a space where that natural movement toward wholeness can unfold.

5.

The Self-Concept and Conditions of Worth
Awareness that people often develop self-beliefs based on external approval or disapproval (“I’m only worthy if…”). Person-centred work gently challenges these “conditions of worth” and helps clients reconnect with their true, authentic selves.