Chaplaincy

About our Chaplaincy service

Our team of chaplains offer spiritual accompaniment to people of all faiths, and to those who are uncertain or have none.

We believe people's needs can be physical, emotional and spiritual. We welcome and support the rich diversity of our UK faith and spiritual communities.

If our chaplains aren't the right fit for you, we will work with you and with our chaplaincy networks to find the support that meets your needs.

Sessions take place by phone, Skype or Zoom (face to face appointments and home visits are not currently available) and are normally held monthly.

This service is open to people with ME and carers age 18 and over.

One of our recent clients told us:

“The chaplain gave me the opportunity to be listened to, heard, respected in what I needed to say, by a non-judgemental person outside of my everyday life.”

The focus of chaplaincy work is not so much on resolving specific problems/issues as on working towards personal and spiritual growth.

Chaplaincy offers pastoral care and spiritual accompaniment, focusing on each person’s wellbeing in their spiritual or faith journey. This is a safe space to engage with the challenges, change and growth that are part of living with ME.

If you'd like to find out more, read our interview with Ruth, one of our experienced chaplains.

Spiritual accompaniment happens when the chaplain ‘sits’ alongside and enables the patient to explore all that is spiritually life-giving for them.

A person’s spirituality (the part of us which is beyond words and deeply who we are / our ‘soul’) plays a vital part in any improvement in health, or ability to live well within ongoing limitations.

The spiritual accompaniment does not have to be related to any one religious belief. If appropriate the religious beliefs and practices of a patient may helpfully feature in conversations, as well as other broader spiritual practices (eg. mindfulness meditation, creative activities, communing with nature)

Read about our chaplains on our clinical team page.

How to refer yourself to our chaplaincy service

You can make a self-referral by:

• completing our Healthcare Services self-referral form, which also has a Bursary section for those seeking help with fees
• calling us on 0117 927 9551 if you'd prefer to talk things through with one of our friendly Information and Support team. Please note this team cannot answer any clinical questions.

When we receive your completed self-referral form, our Healthcare Administrator will contact you to confirm receipt.

You will then be contacted by a chaplain who will offer a free initial telephone conversation lasting up to 30 minutes.

This one-off session is designed to explore your particular circumstances in order to get an understanding of how we can effectively work together.

What to expect from your initial consultation

During the free initial telephone conversation, we will discuss:

• what you see as the main focus of the sessions for the moment
• a brief outline of your spiritual viewpoint and how it developed
• whether you prefer to speak with a male or female chaplain
• what length of sessions you think you will need (up to 15, 30 or 60 minutes) and whether you prefer phone, Skype or Zoom

Fees for this service

As a charity, we charge fees only to cover our costs.

We aim to keep our fees affordable, and help is available for those in financial need. Help with up to 50% of fees may be available, depending on your circumstances and the type of appointment requested.

Fees for chaplaincy are as follows:

• FREE assessment call: You will be offered a free assessment phone call, in order to get an understanding of how best we can help you.
• Sessions will cost £28 for up to 30 minutes and £55 for up to 60 minutes.

Cancelling your appointment

We request 24 hours’ notice of cancellation, and reserve the right to charge 50% of the fee should less notice be given.

If you are in receipt of a bursary award, then a portion of this will be allocated to the cancellation charge.