Lothian Deaf Counselling Service (Edinburgh)

Lothian Deaf Counselling Service provides a free confidential counselling service for those aged 18 or over who are Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing or deafblind throughout Lothian who will benefit from a counselling service specially designed to meet their needs.

We offer counselling in British Sign Language (without interpreter) and also in English. A personal loop system and communication in written English are available for people who are deafened or hard of hearing. This counselling service offers telephone and video counselling (face to face counselling is currently suspended due to COVID-19).

What is counselling?

Counselling is a confidential and supportive relationship with someone who is trained and experienced in helping people talk about the difficulties they are experiencing in their lives and helps to build trust and overcome personal challenges to take greater control of life.

Who are our counsellors? 

One of our counsellors is Deaf and the others have extensive experience of working with deaf people and receive professional supervision.

How do I access the service? 

You can self-refer or be referred to the service by your GP, Social Work, Audiology, Community Mental Health Team or other health professionals.

Making a referral

If you are making a referral on behalf of someone, we need to know your name and contact details and the following information about the person you wish to refer: name, contact details and preferred language (BSL or English).

The referral form and contact details can be found at the bottom of this page.

The service is provided in association with NHS Lothian.