Supporting you Peer support Request peer support Counselling Why do Hearts Together offer support? Our experience of supporting individuals with heart disease and their families and carers, has identified that there is often a gap between the medical care and the emotional and psychological support that people receive. Our clinical teams in the NHS are fantastic at delivering expert medical care but often there is not the resource within the system to provide the all important emotional and psychological support which can make such a difference once medical care is complete. Click HERE to request counselling support today Counselling for heart patients, their carers and families For many people having heart surgery is just the start of a much longer journey of recovery and adjustment to a new way of living with a new found realisation of ones own mortality. This can be extremely hard and can take time to work through. Building support networks is important for us all and this can comprise of friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, heart specialists, your GP, gym instructor, healthy eating adviser and counsellor, to name but a few. Everyone is different but it is important to know that there is support out there that can be tailored to your needs. The same applies for family members and carers, the roller-coaster ride of watching someone you love and care for under-going life changing surgery or suddenly becoming seriously ill can be stressful and exhausting. Knowing what to do, how to help, how this will effect your life and how to talk about and manage the situation can be new and difficult territory to navigate. For some people counselling can help to alleviate these stresses, worries and fears. Counselling can also help to find ways to cope and manage, to feel more positive about the future and to take each day as it comes. Hearts Together are here to provide counselling support for those with heart disease and/or their families and carers, across the South West who are finding things hard as a result of their heart condition or their caring role in relation to another person’s heart condition. How do I access this support? Anyone living in Devon, Cornwall or the Scilly Isles who requires counselling support in relation to their heart condition or their caring role for someone with a heart condition is eligible to request support. We have tried to make the process as simple and straight forward as possible, you can request support now by clicking HERE and completing a short form online. Once completed our team will process your request and contact you to discuss your needs and the services available to you in your area. Alternatively you can contact the office to complete the information over the phone on 01752 315 900 or request a paper form which you can either return by email to: [email protected] or by post to: Hearts Together, 7 Blunts Lane, Plymouth, PL6 8BE Support Groups Counselling is not for everyone and is not always the longer term support that people need and/or want. Sometimes a forum to share experiences in an environment that is friendly and mutually supportive ticks that box. At present there is a support group running in the Plymouth area on the last Thursday of every month, from 2.00pm until 3.30pm, for more information please call 01752 315 900 to find out more details or send an enquiry to [email protected] We are also looking to start up support groups across wider Devon, Cornwall and the Scilly Isles. If this is something you would like to be involved in please contact us on 01752 315 929, email us at [email protected]