Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service

What Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service does

Women's Counselling and Therapy Service (WCTS) is a registered charity (number 1145377) founded in 1982 and headquartered at 43 Park Square North, Leeds, United Kingdom, with a subsidiary office at Oakwood Lane Medical Practice. It provides free or low-cost counselling and psychotherapy exclusively to women and girls aged 16 and over on low incomes in the Leeds Metropolitan District, supporting clients recovering from abuse, violence, neglect, trauma, and mental ill health. The service delivers individual therapy, group therapy, art therapy, and EMDR within a trauma-informed framework, with additional specialist offerings for perinatal women, girls aged 16-17, survivors of childhood sexual abuse (the Visible Project), and practical casework addressing housing, debt, and isolation. All therapists are women with specialist knowledge of women's mental health and cultural competency, with interpreters available; sessions are typically 50 minutes weekly, the average engagement length is approximately nine months, and wait times are capped below six months.

The portfolio is organised across a city-centre office plus six or more community venues across Leeds, with self-referral and professional referral pathways and a hybrid online-plus-in-person intake. The go-to-market motion is community-led rather than commercial, combining a website, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X channels with active outreach via partner organisations (Getaway Girls, The Market Place, Leeds Women's Aid, SARSVL, Forward Leeds, Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service, Leeds City College) and an NHS-co-delivered perinatal stream through the Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service.

The business model is grant-funded philanthropy, not commercial revenue: WCTS operates as a non-profit funded primarily by restricted and unrestricted grants from Leeds City Council, the National Lottery Community Fund, Comic Relief, the Ministry of Justice, the Henry Smith Charity, the Pilgrim Trust, the Bromley Trust, BBC Children in Need, and NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group, supplemented by voluntary donations (a £30 donation covers one hour of therapy). Income reached £300,000 for the first time in 2015; since 2016 the charity has anchored the WomensLivesLeeds consortium of 11 women's organisations backed by a £2m National Lottery grant. WCTS is a subsidiary of Inspire North (since 2024), an organisation delivering mental health, housing, and community support services across the North of England, with the charity governed by a Board of 10 Trustees and currently recruiting additional trustees.

Name

Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service

Legal name

Women's Counselling and Therapy Service

Website

https://womenstherapyleeds.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WCTS is a Leeds-based registered charity, founded 1982 and now a subsidiary of Inspire North, that provides free trauma-informed counselling and psychotherapy to disadvantaged women and girls aged 16+ on low incomes, supported by multiple grant funders and community partnerships across Leeds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Mental Health Counselling Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health Counseling & Psychotherapy Services (EDALAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

School Counseling Services (EDAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Women's mental health
• Counselling services
• Psychotherapy services
• Trauma therapy
• Perinatal mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Charitable Grants and Funding: WCTS operates as a registered charity (number 1145377) funded primarily through grants from trusts, foundations, and government bodies. Major funders include Leeds City Council, National Lottery Community Fund, Comic Relief, Ministry of Justice, Henry Smith Charity, Pilgrim Trust, The Bromley Trust, BBC Children in Need, and NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group. Income reached £300,000 for the first time in 2015.
2. Donations: The organization accepts voluntary donations from the public. A £30 donation can pay for one hour of therapy. Regular donations, one-off gifts, and legacy gifts through wills are all accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WCTS provides free or low-cost counselling and psychotherapy services for women and girls aged 16+ on low incomes in Leeds. Core therapeutic modalities include individual therapy, group therapy, art therapy, and EMDR, delivered through a trauma-informed framework. Specialized services address perinatal mental health, young women aged 16-17, survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and practical casework support.

Product overview

Women's Counselling and Therapy Service provides a comprehensive portfolio of mental health and wellbeing services for women and girls in Leeds. The core offerings include Individual Therapy, Art Therapy, Group Therapy, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing). These are supplemented by specialized services for specific demographics: the Perinatal Service for pregnant women and new mothers, a dedicated 16-17 year old service, the Casework Service for practical and emotional support, and the Visible Project for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Additional support includes Wellbeing through Learning groups and Access and Outreach initiatives that take services into communities across Leeds. All services are delivered by women, are free or low-cost, and prioritize disadvantaged or marginalized women facing complex mental health situations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Visible Project: A unique and pioneering project that helps survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Leeds and beyond. The project works with survivors themselves, organisations that work with survivors, and any organisation or business that wants to take better care of survivors who work for them.

Products and services

• Individual Therapy One-to-one private psychotherapy sessions with experienced female therapists, helping clients understand how past events affect current thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, addressing issues such as anxiety, depression, abuse, and self-harm. Weekly 50-minute sessions with the same therapist.
• Group Therapy Small, safe group sessions led by experienced therapists where women share and discuss feelings with peers, examining past and current emotions and their impact on relationships.
• Art Therapy Therapy using art materials to help clients express emotional issues that may be difficult to verbalize, offered individually or in group settings, requiring no artistic skill.
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapeutic technique that helps process stuck memories from distressing events using bilateral stimulation, effective for PTSD, anxiety, phobias, and depression.
• Perinatal Service Counselling for pregnant women and those who have been pregnant in the past year, or caring for a baby under one year old, addressing anxiety around pregnancy and parenting, postnatal depression, bonding issues, and pregnancy loss.
• Young Women's Service (16-17 years) Individual counselling for girls and young women aged 16-17 experiencing mental health issues and trauma, provided at the city centre venue and in partnership with Leeds City College.
• Casework Service One-to-one person-centred support for women in the perinatal period requiring help overcoming practical barriers to therapy, including assistance with housing, debt, benefits, isolation, and parenting.
• Visible Project A pioneering project supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse, offering help to survivors directly, organizations working with survivors, and employers wanting to support affected staff.
• Wellbeing through Learning Educational groups and courses exploring the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and their impact on energy and mood, helping service users with day-to-day living.
• Access and Outreach Community-based initiatives and partnerships with local groups and organizations to reach women who may not know about or access services, tackling stigma and normalizing conversations about women's mental health.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of women and their families supported annually across Leeds
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Inspire NorthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Inspire North is an organization dedicated to transforming lives through mental health, housing, and community support services across the North of England. WCTS is proud to be a subsidiary of Inspire North, working together to improve mental health and wellbeing across the North of England.
• Getaway GirlscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership with Getaway Girls (and The Market Place) to work with girls aged 16 and 17, funded by BBC Children in Need and the Pilgrim Trust.
• Leeds Mental Wellbeing ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWCTS is part of the Leeds Mental Wellbeing Service, a partnership offering mental health support and services to those living in Leeds. WCTS provides specialist perinatal counselling through this partnership.
• The Market PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Getaway Girls and The Market Place to provide counselling services to young women aged 16-17.
• Leeds Survivor Led Crisis ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service for the WomenSpace project working with women who self-harm, also involving the Personality Disorder Network and Community Links.
• Leeds Women's AidminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongstanding partnership with Leeds Women's Aid providing services to women and children affected by domestic violence and abuse.
• Forward LeedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Forward Leeds for referral pathways and support for clients with drug and alcohol concerns.
• SARSVLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SARSVL (Rape Crisis Leeds) for support services to women and girls affected by rape and sexual violence.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind: UK-wide mental health charity offering counselling, peer support and information across all demographics. Broad incumbent operating in the same mental health charity space as WCTS but at national scale and without the women-and-girls-only specialism.
• Inspire North: WCTS's parent organisation, providing mental health, housing and community services across the North of England. Comparable on multi-modality mental health service delivery and grant-funded charity model, with broader regional reach.
• Maternal Mental Health Alliance: UK coalition and charity dedicated to perinatal mental health — WCTS is already recognised via their 2018 Diversity and Inclusivity Award. Comparable on the perinatal mental health focus and free-to-access perinatal counselling.
• Samaritans: UK-wide emotional support charity. Operates in the same broad mental health space as WCTS but offers listening/peer support rather than structured psychotherapy, and is not women-only.

Direct peers

• Women's Aid Federation of England: UK national federation coordinating a network of domestic abuse services including counselling. WCTS is already a partner of Leeds Women's Aid and shares the same women-and-girls survivor-focused mission and free-to-access service model.
• Refuge: UK national charity supporting women and children escaping domestic abuse, with counselling and specialist services. Highly comparable to WCTS on women-only trauma/abuse recovery services for low-income and BAME clients, though operating at national scale rather than single-city.
• Together Women: UK charity delivering gender-specific support, advocacy, and therapeutic services for women affected by the criminal justice system, abuse, and trauma. Directly comparable mission, free-to-access delivery, and grant-funded operating model.
• Rape Crisis England & Wales: National federation of specialist rape and sexual violence services — SARSVL/Rape Crisis Leeds is an existing WCTS partner. Directly comparable on free counselling for survivors, including EMDR, and similar grant-dependent charity model.

Regional players

• Lancashire Women: Regional women's charity in Lancashire providing counselling, support, and wellbeing services to disadvantaged women. Direct peer in service mix and mission but operating in a different UK region.
• WomenCentre (Halifax / Calderdale): Northern England women's charity providing counselling, mental health, and wellbeing services to disadvantaged women — comparable service portfolio to WCTS, but serving Calderdale/Kirklees rather than Leeds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeedsWCTS
• Facebookfacebook.com/WCTSLeeds
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/women's-counselling-and-therapy-service

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Women’s Counselling and Therapy Service