Chelmsford Counselling Foundation

What Chelmsford Counselling Foundation does

Chelmsford Counselling Foundation (CCF) is a UK registered charity and non-profit organisation established in 1974 (originally as Writtle Pastoral Foundation), headquartered at 42 Cedar Avenue, Chelmsford, Essex. CCF operates a dual-vertical model comprising a psychodynamic counselling practice and a BACP-accredited counsellor training academy, serving adults aged 18 and over in the Essex region with remote delivery available UK-wide via Teams and Zoom. The counselling arm provides individual and relationship sessions (50-minute weekly format) with an initial assessment, delivered in-person, by telephone, or by video, and claims to serve over 100 clients weekly. The training arm offers a four-stage progression pathway (Introduction to Counselling Skills at £250, Certificate in Counselling Skills, Diploma in Counselling Skills, and Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling at £4,650 per year), all BACP-accredited, with the Diploma providing supervised in-house clinical placement and a route to BACP Individual Accreditation.

CCF's revenue is generated from three streams: fee-based counselling services (consumer and B2B employee welfare), training programme fees, and donations/community fundraising. Its underlying technology stack is operational rather than productised: a BookingPress-powered online appointment and payment system (with PayPal integration), standard video tooling (Microsoft Teams and Zoom), and GDPR-compliant client data handling. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve online booking channel for individuals, an inside-sales telephone/email channel for administration, and a direct outreach sales motion to organisations for the Employee Welfare programme. CCF is a contracted delivery partner to the NHS IAPT (Improved Access to Psychological Therapies) programme in Mid Essex and is a member of The National Counselling Network (NCN) alongside BACP-accredited centres, providing third-party quality signalling beyond its own marketing.

Name

Chelmsford Counselling Foundation

Legal name

Chelmsford Counselling Foundation

Website

https://chelmsfordcounselling.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chelmsford Counselling Foundation is a UK non-profit operating since 1974 that delivers BACP-accredited psychodynamic counselling to adults and couples plus a full counsellor training pathway (introductory through to professional diploma), funded by client fees, training fees, donations, and an NHS IAPT contract in Mid Essex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Counselling Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Outpatient Mental Health Clinics & Counseling Centers (HLAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outpatient Mental Health & Counseling Clinics (HLAFABAC), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

Keywords

• Psychodynamic counselling
• Relationship counselling
• BACP training courses
• Employee welfare programs
• Mental health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chelmsford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Counselling Services Revenue: Fees charged for individual and relationship counselling sessions. Initial assessment session followed by weekly 50-minute counselling sessions. Service operates Monday to Friday 9am-9pm.
2. Training Programme Fees: Course fees for BACP-accredited counselling training programmes including Introduction to Counselling Skills (£250), Certificate in Counselling Skills (£1850), Diploma in Counselling Skills (£2995), and Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling (£4650 per year). Payment options include deposits and instalments.
3. Donations and Charitable Support: External funding and community donations to support therapy rooms refurbishment and provide counselling to clients unable to afford full fees. Business sponsorship opportunities available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chelmsford Counselling Foundation provides psychodynamic counselling to adults and couples, BACP-accredited counsellor training courses, and employee welfare counselling for organisations. Services are delivered in person at the Chelmsford centre and remotely by video (Teams/Zoom) and telephone, with subsidised access funded by donations.

Product overview

Chelmsford Counselling Foundation (CCF) operates as a psychodynamic counselling agency offering a dual portfolio of services: direct counselling to clients and professional counsellor training. The counselling arm provides individual and relationship counselling services delivered in-person at their Chelmsford premises, via telephone, or via video platforms (Teams and Zoom). The training arm offers a progression pathway from introductory courses through to BACP-accredited diplomas, including the Introduction to Counselling Skills, Certificate in Counselling Skills, Diploma in Counselling Skills, and the flagship Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling. Additional offerings include CPD workshops, employee welfare services for organisations, and taster sessions for prospective trainees. CCF also provides an online booking system for appointment scheduling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Counselling One-to-one psychodynamic counselling for adults aged 18 and over, delivered weekly in person at the Chelmsford centre or remotely via video (Teams/Zoom) and telephone. Includes an initial assessment before ongoing open-ended weekly sessions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows psychodynamic counselling leads to more definite and longer lasting change with lower likelihood of relapse
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NHS - IAPT Mid EssexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChelmsford Counselling Foundation delivers services to the NHS Improved Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme in the Mid Essex area, working to improve access to counselling within the NHS framework.
• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll CCF training courses are BACP accredited. All CCF counsellors are members of BACP and adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. CCF is also a BACP-approved training centre.
• The National Counselling Network (NCN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCF is a member of NCN, an association of BACP or BPC Accredited counselling centres offering high quality, professional, affordable counselling to local communities. Members differentiate through psychodynamic orientation, independent third sector status, and providing alternative to NHS.
• Mid Essex Primary Care Trust (historical)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCF provided counsellors in GP surgeries in Mid Essex Primary Care Trust for 10 years, working with GPs to improve access to counselling within the NHS framework.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NHS Talking Therapies (IAPT): The NHS programme through which CCF delivers IAPT services in Mid Essex. Comparable as the commissioning counterparty and as a broader incumbent providing psychological therapy services nationwide, defining the stepped-care framework CCF operates within.
• Mind: Largest UK mental health charity, offering information, local affiliate services, and campaigning rather than direct therapy. Comparable in mission (mental health support) and UK charitable footprint, but operates as a broad advocacy and referral organisation rather than a clinical counselling provider.
• Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust: NHS specialist mental health trust offering psychodynamic psychotherapy training and clinical services. Comparable in psychodynamic training and clinical service mix, but operates at much larger institutional scale as an NHS provider rather than an independent charity.

Direct peers

• Metanoia Institute: UK charity offering accredited counselling and psychotherapy training with multiple modality pathways. Closely comparable to CCF's training arm in target audience (aspiring counsellors), accreditation status, and modular progression from introductory to diploma level.
• Relate: UK charity providing relationship counselling for couples, families, and individuals — directly overlapping CCF's relationship counselling service. Comparable in target customer (couples), charitable/non-profit structure, and BACP-registered counsellor base, though at a much larger national footprint.
• WPF Therapy: London-based charity providing psychodynamic counselling and BACP-accredited training, founded in 1969. Directly comparable to CCF in modality (psychodynamic), training structure, charitable status, and BACP accreditation pathway.
• The Counselling Foundation: UK charity offering affordable counselling and counsellor training. Closely comparable to CCF in charitable status, affordable-fee philosophy, training ladder, and BACP alignment, serving as a near-identical operational model outside the Essex region.

Regional players

• Cruse Bereavement Care: UK bereavement charity offering one-to-one and group support for grieving adults. Comparable as a UK non-profit delivering trained-volunteer emotional support, but focused specifically on bereavement rather than general psychodynamic counselling.

Others

• Counselling Directory: UK online directory connecting clients with BACP-registered counsellors. Not a direct service competitor but an ecosystem participant that affects how individual clients discover and book counselling, including CCF's potential clients in Essex and beyond.

Emerging players

• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing counselling in schools. Partially comparable in counselling model and BACP-aligned practitioner standards, but focuses on a different population (school-age children) and embedded delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xlinkedin.com/company/chelmsford-counselling
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61566784052041
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chelmsford-counselling-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccfcounselling

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chelmsford Counselling Foundation