CLEAR for Adults

What we do:

We provide a range of 1-2-1 counselling and therapy for adults affected by sexual abuse and sexual violence. This may have occurred at any point in their lives. Our Hope for Harm service provides counselling for adults who self-harm.

Support for survivors of sexual abuse and sexual violence is currently through The Oak Service, a partnership of Cornwall-based organisations with expertise and experience in providing specialist support for survivors of all ages and gender. When you contact the Oak Service you will be offered an initial assessment so that we can offer the most appropriate support. The outcome of the assessment might be:

• Trauma stabilisation support
• Counselling/Therapy
• Other specialist support through the Oak Partnership
• Referrals to wider support outside of the Oak Service

Enquiries and Referrals to  the Oak Service   can be made here.

Counselling for self-harm is through our Hope for Harm service. This for people aged 16 and over who self-harm as a way of coping with overwhelming emotional experiencing and/or psychological pain. There does not need to have been experience of sexual trauma to access this service. This service will re-open on 1st April 2026.

Enquiries regarding Counselling for former patients of Dr Stan can be made via the Patient Experience Team at RCHT Treliske.

We also deliver a range of Employee Assistance Programmes, offering tailored support according to the needs of the employers and their workforce. We offer counselling, coaching and critical incident support.

CLEAR does not provide counselling for adult survivors of domestic abuse. The Domestic Abuse Support Service in Cornwall is Safer Futures

More about counselling:

We have over 30 years’ experience of supporting adult survivors of rape and sexual abuse. We are the only counselling service in Cornwall to be accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Our counsellors provide help through person-centred support in places where people feel safe and comfortable. This may be in a private facility in the community or at our centre in Truro. Our service is proven to help, with 92% of adults who access support reporting an increase in emotional health and wellbeing.

Where counselling has been identified as the best-fit support for you, there will usually be a wait for counselling to begin. We will let you know the current wait time and offer some options for support while waiting. This might be:

• Signposting to other services
• Provision of resources and information to support emotional wellbeing

Following any waiting period, when we have a space available, we will contact you to check if anything has changed. We will then match you with counselling support that best meets your needs. This might be:

• Up to 20 weeks 1-2-1 counselling with a best match counsellor according to geography, age, gender and circumstance. Counselling takes place in a safe venue, most convenient for you.
• Trauma focussed therapy such as trauma-focussed CBT or EMDR. EMDR is an interactive psychotherapy, proven to be highly effective in treating trauma and post-traumatic stress and an effective alternative for people not able to engage readily with talking therapies. Please note that there is usually a longer waiting list for EMDR therapy and this can only be offered at our Truro premises or online.
• Psychoeducation for you and/or your support network – this is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention to help better understand your situation and improve your mental health/emotional resilience

Funding for Counselling and Therapy:

Sadly, demand for our services always outstrips the funds we have to deliver. As a small independent charity, we work tirelessly to secure funding from a range of sources. Support for survivors of sexual abuse and sexual violence is mainly funded through the Ministry of Justice and Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner. We also have contributions from Cornwall Council and the NHS. Counselling for Self-Harm is currently funded by Public Health and the Integrated Care Board.

For individuals who want to do so, counselling and therapy can be directly spot purchased at the cost of £70/session.

  You can find our  pdf Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy April 2025 (1)(443 KB)  here.

 Feedback

We highly value your feedback on our service. It helps us understand what we do well, where we can make changes to improve what we do and where we can grow in terms of developing our services. You can provide us with feedback here

What people have told us about CLEAR:

   "Extremely helpful and a positive experience, I can't praise enough how much it has helped."

   "The therapy has helped me process the past and give me useful tools to help in the future."

   "It worked really well for the trauma I have faced recently and in the past."

We are building a bank of useful resources and links to other organisations and services that provide wider support for people and families.