About The Harbour
People in Bristol and the surrounding areas have a safe space to talk and be listened to as they face death, dying and bereavement
Our story
The Harbour was founded in 1992 by Jill Brown to work with people diagnosed with HIV and Aids, at a time when this was likely to be life limiting.
We have provided over 40,000 counselling sessions since and each year we help people with a variety of experiences relating to a life-threatening illness. Our team of counsellors at The Harbour believe that each of our clients’ experiences are unique, and for that reason we provide relationship-based, specialist support.
We do not believe in strategies, or good and bad ways of responding to these experiences. Instead, we believe the opportunity to talk with an experienced counsellor can empower clients to find ways of talking about and working through their situation. In counselling, clients have the opportunity to confront their most challenging responses to death, dying and bereavement.
Many of our clients have told us that building a trusting, therapeutic relationship with a counsellor has enabled them to share their most uncomfortable emotions. Last year, 99% of our clients rated their relationship with their counsellor as good or excellent. We aim to recognise that an individual’s response to being affected by a life-threatening illness might bring up feelings that might be difficult to share with family and friends. The Harbour provides a space where these feelings are validated and legitimised.
40,000 +
Counselling sessions since 1992
100%
Of clients rated their relationship with their counsellor as good or excellent
What clients have said
You have helped me find a path forward in my life, which felt totally impossible only a few months ago.
I understand it is not just the person diagnosed with cancer suffering it also has a tsunami affect on the family members too. The space allows me to express my darkest fears, which alleviates much of the weight, pain and my reluctance to look at death. I can’t imagine what I would do without the sessions.
I feel that I may have just got what is left of my life back. Many, many thanks. My counsellor was brilliant, really helped me work through stuff.
