Business Details
50+ Years
experience
Your Trusted Counselling Partner in Birmingham
Open Door Counselling has been a leading provider of person-centred counselling in Birmingham since 1967, offering a confidential and supportive environment for individuals to explore their challenges. Our services cater to children aged five and above, young people, and adults, delivered through both face-to-face and online sessions. Accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), we adhere to rigorous ethical standards and provide monthly clinical supervision for our counsellors. Our team, led by Senior BACP-accredited counsellor Carmel Mullan-Hartley, brings decades of combined experience in therapeutic support. We specialise in one-to-one counselling, couples therapy, grief support, and school-based mental health services, with discounted sessions for trainee counsellors.Our approach prioritises empathy, self-awareness, and practical solutions to help clients navigate personal difficulties. We also facilitate peer support groups and offer corporate counselling to organisations. With a history of innovation, we expanded to adult services over a decade ago and launched a grief and bereavement specialist service in 2025. Our premises in Quadrant Court, Edgbaston, provide a welcoming space for therapy, with flexible appointment times including evenings and weekends. Committed to accessibility, we work within Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership guidelines and maintain a Code of Ethics and Practice to ensure the highest standard of care.
Services
One-to-one counselling
Couples counselling
Grief and bereavement
Family support
School counselling
Corporate counselling
Trainee counsellor therapy
Details
- Year established: 1967
Highlights and features
- We have over 50 years of experience in person-centred counselling.
- Our counsellors are BACP-accredited with monthly clinical supervision.
- We offer flexible appointment times including evenings and weekends.
- We provide discounted therapy sessions for trainee counsellors.
- Our team includes senior practitioners with specialist expertise in youth mental health.
Associations and certifications
- British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Services
One-to-one counselling
Professional, confidential sessions for adults and children aged five+ to address personal challenges through person-centred therapeutic approaches. Our counsellors help clients explore emotions, develop coping strategies, and achieve personal growth. Sessions available face-to-face in Birmingham or online.
School counselling
Specialist mental health support for pupils in Birmingham schools, delivered by qualified counsellors trained to Diploma level. Services include emotional wellbeing programmes, trauma support, and resilience-building interventions tailored to educational environments and safeguarding guidelines.
Grief and bereavement
Specialist counselling for individuals coping with loss, launched in 2025 to address complex bereavement needs. Therapists use person-centred techniques to help clients process grief, manage emotional distress, and develop healthy coping mechanisms in a supportive environment.
Couples counselling
Therapeutic support for couples navigating relationship challenges, communication issues, or life transitions. Sessions focus on improving understanding, resolving conflicts, and strengthening emotional connections through structured, empathetic dialogue in our private counselling rooms.
Trainee counsellor therapy
Discounted BACP-accredited sessions specifically for counselling trainees to support their professional development. This service helps trainees gain self-awareness, process client work, and meet personal growth requirements through supervised therapeutic experiences.
People
Carmel Mullan-Hartley
Chief Executive
Senior BACP-accredited counsellor with over 30 years' experience. Leads clinical supervision and strategic direction, featured in Therapy Today as a counselling heroine. Specialises in youth mental health and trauma support.
Colette Hartley
School Counsellor
Experienced therapist focusing on adolescent mental health, bullying, and eating disorders. Contributes to community partnerships and delivers school-based counselling programmes across Birmingham's educational institutions.
Questions
What age groups do you work with?
We support children aged five and above, young people, and adults through tailored counselling programmes.
Are your counsellors qualified?
All our counsellors are BACP-accredited with monthly clinical supervision, including Diploma-level qualifications for youth specialists.
Do you offer online sessions?
Yes, we provide both face-to-face appointments in Birmingham and online counselling options for greater accessibility.
How do I book an appointment?
Contact us via phone or email to discuss your needs and arrange a suitable time with our team.
What issues can counselling help with?
We support anxiety, grief, relationship issues, self-harm, bullying, and other mental health challenges through person-centred therapy.
Do you work with schools?
Yes, we deliver on-site counselling services to six Birmingham schools, focusing on pupil mental health and wellbeing.
Reviews (2)
Carly Jones
Jul 11, 2020
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Very poor organisation and accessibility. Short term sessions which my daughter found completely useless. I'm concerned about this service and it's capacity for providing suitable mental health and emotional well being support
Rapture
Oct 25, 2017
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So far, was sent an appointment on non headed paper, so had no details to say who they were and no contact details, kept sending inappropriate times for appointments with two days notice, eventually agreement on a date, no confirmation, when turned up they had all gone home. Was told I'd get a call back the following Monday, it has been 9 working days and heard nothing. Awful service!!
