Solace - about us

Solace is a charity which provides free counselling, psychotherapy and advocacy in the Yorkshire and Humber region to the survivors of persecution and exile, many of whom have been traumatised by torture, rape, the death or disappearance of loved ones and often combinations of all of these and other atrocities.

Unsurprisingly, many asylum seekers and refugees suffer from mental health difficulties, including anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress, which are often exacerbated by living in exile where their future is uncertain. As a consequence, the need for counselling and psychotherapy among asylum seekers and refugees is very strong.

Despite these widespread mental health problems, there is very little mental health care available to the vast majority of asylum seekers and refugees, particularly those who speak little or no English.

Solace has been established to help address this need in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

In addition to a Senior Therapist, we have a number of experienced volunteer counsellors and advocates who have been trained to work with the very particular needs of our clients. One of the more unusual aspects of our service is that we use interpreters for counselling to overcome the language barriers. Interpreters are also offered training and support.

Unlike most counselling organisations, Solace tries to help clients with many of the practical problems they face in their lives and so we liaise with a wide range of agencies who work with asylum seekers and refugees or in mental health.

For further information, our 2008 Annual Review is available for download here.

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