Contact Forms

The Survivors Voices Cafe is a supportive space for adults who have experienced abuse or trauma. The cafe is hosted by Sebastian Etienne and supported by Deborah J Crozier, Trauma-Informed Practitioner and Founder of A Positive Start CIC. It offers a calm, respectful environment where survivors can connect with others who understand. There is no pressure to speak - you are welcome to simply listen and be present.

Participants can expect a supportive and respectful space where people are welcome to talk, listen, and connect with others who understand. The cafe will include opportunities for open conversation, gently facilitated discussions, short, talks, creative activities such as poster creation, and occasional workshops focused on healing, awareness and survivor voice. There is no pressure to speak or participate in any activity - you are free to take part in whatever way feels most comfortable for you.

To help create a safe and respectful space for everyone attending the Survivors Voices Cafe, we ask all participants to agree to the following: I understand that personal stories and experiences may be shared within the group. I agree to respect the privacy of others and will not share or repeat any personal information or identifying details discussed during the cafe outside of the group. I understand that this space is built on trust, respect, and confidentiality.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this reflection. Your voice matters to us, and your feedback helps us continue creating safe, compassionate spaces for others. We wish you continued growth, strength, and gentleness with yourself as you move forward. With warmth, A Positive Start CIC

Thank you for your interest in a student placement with A Positive Start CIC. We are a trauma-informed, person-centred organisation supporting community wellbeing through counselling, education, and relational safety. This form helps us understand your training requirements, readiness for placement, and how we can support you safely and ethically. Completion Time Approx: 10 - 15 mins. If you need adjustments to complete this form, please email Deborah at info@apositivestart.org.uk

A Positive Start CIC we will provide ongoing support and guidance, however you are also required to have your own supervisor outside of the placement.

This should be your tutor or course provider

This should be someone who knows you personally

Thank you for considering A Positive Start CUC for your placement. We truly appreciate your interest in the work we do and the values we hold. We wish you every success in your studies and in the continued development of your practice. It is always a privilege to support students as they grow in confidence, knowledge, and professional presence. We are delighted to play a small part in your journey and to support the development of the next generation of trauma-informed practitioners, who will go on to create safer, more compassionate spaces for those they work with.

Exploring Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for Supporting Cravings and Emotional Regulation Researcher: Deborah J Crozier University: UWS Course: MSc Contemporary Drug & Alcohol Studies

You are being invited to take part in a small research study exploring whether a simple self-help technique called Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) may support people in managing cravings and emotional responses related to substance use. Before deciding whether to take part, it is important that you understand what participation involves. If you agree to take part: You will be invited to attend up to four EFT sessions focused on understanding and managing cravings and emotional regulation. You will be asked to complete very simple rating questions (for example, rating cravings or how settled you feel) before and after sessions. You may be invited to complete a short feedback form at the end of the sessions. Participation is completely voluntary. You are free to stop taking part at any time without giving a reason. Taking part will not affect any services or support you currently receive. EFT is a supportive technique, not a medical or addiction treatment. Your information will be treated as confidential and anonymised. Your name will not appear in any report. If there are serious concerns about safety or risk of harm, confidentiality may need to be broken in line with safeguarding responsibilities. Please take time to read the statements in the consent section carefully before signing. If anything is unclear, you are encouraged to ask questions before deciding whether to participate.

Bring Emotional Safety, Body Confidence & Regulation To Your Children At A Positive Start CIC, we work with schools, nurseries, community groups and organisations to support children’s emotional wellbeing, confidence and safety through music-based, trauma-informed learning. If you would like to invite The River Room Songbook and My Body Is My Body programme to your school, setting or community — we would love to hear from you.

We deliver gentle, engaging sessions for: Nurseries & Early Years Primary Schools Community & Family Groups Parent Workshops Professional / Staff Sessions Our sessions combine: 🌊 Emotional regulation through music 🛡 Body safety & confidence (MBIMB) 🌿 Nervous system calming tools 🎵 Interactive songs & movement 🤝 Parent & staff guidance

Who We Are Deborah J Crozier Founder — A Positive Start CIC MBIMB Ambassador & Board Member Lesley Redshaw and Stephanie Davies - APS CIC Volunteers A Positive Start CIC are official partners bringing My Body Is My Body to Scotland, helping children learn body confidence, safety and how to use their voice. Our safeguarding work is supported by the NSPCC.

We can visit: Schools Nurseries Community centres Family hubs Events Training settings Sessions can be tailored for: ✔ Age group ✔ Setting size ✔ Parent involvement ✔ Staff training

Please complete the Host a Session Form below and we will contact you to discuss: Your setting Age group Group size Location Possible dates Your needs and goals We aim to respond within 3–5 working days.

Counselling provides a supportive, confidential space to explore emotional wellbeing, life experiences, challenges, and coping strategies. The aims of counselling include: *Supporting emotional understanding and regulation *Encouraging healing and personal growth *Strengthening coping strategies *Enhancing wellbeing and stability *Supporting safer, healthier relationships Counselling is a collaborative process and works best when both client and therapist engage openly and respectfully.

Your therapist works using a trauma-informed, person-centred approach that is: *Respectful and non-judgemental *Boundaried and professional *Focused on emotional safety *Supportive of autonomy and empowerment The therapist does not replace medical, legal, or social care services, but may work alongside other professionals where appropriate.

The safety and wellbeing of clients, children, vulnerable people, and the wider community is a priority. This means: *Counselling will always prioritise harm prevention and safety *Behaviour that places yourself or others at risk will not be supported or encouraged *Safeguarding procedures will be followed when required Safeguarding is about protection, care, and prevention - not punishment.

What you share in counselling is treated with respect and confidentiality within legal and ethical boundaries. Confidentiality may be broken if: *There is serious risk of harm to you or others *There is risk to a child or vulnerable person *There is a legal requirement to disclose information. Where possible, this will be discussed with you openly and transparently.

The counselling space is built on mutual respect. You agree to: *Treat the therapist and therapy space respectfully *Avoid abusive, threatening, discriminatory or inappropriate behaviour *Engage in sessions in a way that supports emotional safety. Strong emotions are welcome. Harmful behaviour is not.

To maintain safety and professionalism: *Contact outside sessions will follow agreed professional boundaries *The counselling relationship is not social or personal *Therapy is limited to scheduled session times This supports clarity, safety, and healthy independence.

This service operates on a fair-access slide scale model to balance sustainability and accessibility. Please select the option that best reflects your circumstances:

Payment is due at or before each session unless otherwise agreed. Please inform your therapist in advance of session if your financial circumstances change. Fees may be reviewed periodically by mutual agreement. Open communication supports transparency and sustainability.

The session fee covers the counselling time only. Attendance at external meetings (such as case conferences, multi-agency meetings and reviews) and the preparation of written reports, summaries or professional correspondence are not included in the session price, and are charged at £65 per hour in 15-minute increments. This will be discussed and agreed in advance wherever possible. Where additional professional input is requested or required: *This will be discussed in advance wherever possible. *time will be charged separately at an agreed rate *Consent will be sought before information is shared This ensures transparency, fairness, and appropriate recognition of the additional time and responsibility involved.

A minimum of 24 hours notice is required to cancel or reschedule appointments. *Cancellations with less that 24 hours, notice or missed appointments may be charged at the agreed session rate. *Exceptions may be considered in genuine emergencies. *Please communicate as early as possible if you are struggling to attend This policy protects the therapist time and allows appointments to be offered to others.

You may choose to allow your therapist to share relevant information with selected professionals or trusted individuals involved in your care. This may support: *Joined-up care *Emotional and practical support *Risk management and safeguarding *Coordination of services You remain in control of this choice.

Information will be shared: *Respectfully and professionally *With your awareness where possible *In line with safeguarding responsibilities *Only when relevant and appropriate

There may be circumstances where information must be shared without consent if there is: *Serious risk of harm to you or others *Risk to a child or vulnerable person *A legal requirement to disclose information This is done to protect safety and wellbeing.

The counselling space exists to support emotional understanding, regulation, and healthier coping, alongside the accountability processes already in place through probation and specialist programmes. Therapy does not excuse harmful behaviour. It supports responsibility, growth, and safer future choices. The aim of this work is to: - Increase emotional awareness and self-regulation. - Understand personal patterns linked to distress and coping - Strengthen internal restraint and choice - Support identity repair and healthier relationships - Reduce risk of future harm

The therapists role is to provide trauma-informed emotional support and psychological containment. This therapy does not replace: - Legal supervision - Probation requirements - Specialist offence-focused treatment programmes Where appropriate, this work sits alongside these supports.

The safety of children, vulnerable people, and the wider community is a priority in this work. This means: - Therapy will not include exploration of illegal sexual material or explicit content. - Behaviour that places others at risk will not be supported or normalised. - If information is shared that indicates current or future risk of harm, safeguarding procedures will be followed. Where possible, this will be discussed openly and transparently. Safeguarding is about protection, prevention, and responsibility - not punishment.

What you share in counselling is treated with respect and confidentiality within legal and ethical boundaries. Confidentiality may be broken if: - There is risk of harm to a child or vulnerable person - There is serious risk of harm to yourself or others - There is a legal requirement to disclose information The responsibility exists to protect safety and wellbeing.

Engaging in counselling means accepting responsibility for personal behaviour and choices. This includes: - Being honest about emotional struggles and urges - Taking ownership of actions without minimising or blaming others - Actively engaging in change - Practising agreed coping and regulation strategies - Seeking support rather than hiding difficulties Growth requires participation, not just attendance.

This counselling space is built on mutual respect. You agree to: - Treat the therapist and therapeutic space respectfully - Avoid abusive, threatening, discriminatory or sexually inappropriate behaviour - Engage in sessions in a way that supports safety and professionalism Strong emotions are welcome. Harmful behaviour is not.

To maintain safety and clarity: - Contact outside scheduled sessions will follow agreed professional boundaries. - The therapeutic relationship is not social, personal or informal. - Dependency on the therapist as the sole source of support is discouraged. This work supports healthy independence and wiser relational support.

Where appropriate and with your awareness: - Information may be shared with relevant professionals involved in your care - This supports joined-up safeguarding and consistent support

By continuing counselling you agree to: - Engage with honesty and openness - Practise emotional regulation skills - Work toward healthier coping strategies - Remain accountable for your behaviour - Prioritise safety - for yourself and others. This work is about building a safer future.

The therapist commits to: - Providing a trauma-informed, non-judgemental approach - Maintaining professional boundaries and safeguarding responsibilities - Supporting emotional growth and regulation - Working with integrity, clarity and transparency.

To support fairness and the sustainability of this service, a minimum of 24 hours, notice is required to cancel or reschedule an appointment. - Cancellations made with less than 24 hours notice, or missed appointments without notice, may be charged at the agreed session rate (min £20 - Exceptions may be considered in genuine emergencies or unforeseen circumstances. - If you are struggling to attend, you are encouraged to communicate this as early as possible. This policy exists to protect therapist time, support service sustainability, and allow appointments to be offered to others who may be waiting for support.

This service operates on a fair access and sliding scale model to support both sustainability and accessibility. You are invited to select the fee level that best reflects your current circumstances:

- Fees are payable before each session unless otherwise agreed - Payment links are sent via #myclienthub - Please communicate openly if your financial situation changes - Missed sessions or late cancellations may be subject to the organisation's cancellation policy Open communication helps maintain fairness and sustainability for everyone.

I understand the purpose, boundaries, and responsibilities of this counselling relationship and agree to engage in this work with honesty, accountability and commitment to safety.

By entering into this agreement, you are confirming that you understand and agree to the following:

Counselling sessions are confidential. Information shared will not be disclosed to others except where there is a concern about serious harm to yourself or others, a safeguarding concern involving a child ore vulnerable adult, or where disclosure is required by law. Wherever possible, this would be discussed with you first.

A Positive Start CIC has a duty to act where there are safeguarding concerns. Any action taken will be proportionate, respectful, and focused on safety and wellbeing.

Student counsellors work under regular professional supervision. Sessions may be discussed anonymously in supervision to support safe and effective practice. No identifying information is shared unnecessarily.

Student counselling is typically offered for up to 12 sessions initially. At session 12, the work will be reviewed and next steps discussed. Continued sessions are not guaranteed and depend on suitability and availability.

Attendance is important. If sessions are missed without notice or repeatedly cancelled, student counselling may be withdrawn. Wherever possible, 24 hours' notice is requested if you need to cancel or rearrange a session.

Sessions are provided by carefully selected counselling students in advanced training and fully supported through professional supervision. This service offers accessible, trauma-informed support.

You are free to end counselling at any time. Where possible, a planned ending session is encouraged to support reflection and closure, though this is always your choice.

If you have any concerns about your counselling, you are encourage to raise these with your counsellor in the first instance. If this does not feel possible, you may contact A Positive Start CIC directly for support or guidance.

Brief counselling notes are kept securely and in line with GDPR requirements. Notes are used to support safe practice and continuity of care and are not shared without your consent, except where required by safeguarding or legal obligations.

By agreeing to student counselling, you confirm that you have read and understood the above and have had the opportunity to ask questions.