ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the steps required to create a coordinated, managed primary care counselling service. This guidance could as easily be applied to a voluntary counselling agency, or a new business start-up of a counselling provider. The plans for the counselling service to include a training placement scheme were discussed. The independent counsellors, the Mental Health Trust, and the voluntary counselling agency had all been part of the service review carried out by the consultant. Alison had built a useful working alliance with Simon, the primery care trust Mental Health Lead, who understood the need for generalist primary care counselling to be available through each general practice. The counselling group valued Alison knowledge of the National Health Service, the National Institute for Mental Health, England, National Institute of Clinical Excellence, and the national issues surrounding primary care counselling.
