These therapies are facilitated by Ashton Stress Clinic and provide a safe and calming place to enable users to be relieved of physical aches and pains, whilst promoting relaxation and space to clear and relax the mind.

Lighthouse continues to offer one to one family support through the services of our Family Support Worker.  This service is vital in maintaining a connection with families; even if just to keep the channels open to let the families know that someone cares how they are coping, and/or if there are any additional services we can offer or signpost them to.

Support groups at Lighthouse provide a safe, professionally facilitated environment, where clients can meet others who have been bereaved by suicide, hear their stories and share experiences.  It is understood that the recovery from the loss of a loved one may well be a long and painful journey, however at Lighthouse hope is provided that you do not have to travel alone.

At Lighthouse, prevention of suicide and saving lives continues to be our main priority.  The aim is to provide proactive and responsive care to those in need as well as providing advice and support for carers of those suffering suicidal ideation.

Lighthouse has been a key contributor to the development of Protect Life – the NI Suicide Prevention Strategy and has been instrumental in highlighting the need to address the problems of suicide and self-harm strategically.  Our services aim to help people to help themselves.

Lighthouse provides a valuable link with statutory services, signposting families and carers to appropriate services and working to fast track into other services as required.

In October 2011, Lighthouse received funding to employ a well-experienced Youth Intervention Worker.  The post is for three years and the catchment area is Belfast wide.  The Youth Intervention Worker has developed the post to offer awareness programmes promoting positive mental health to local secondary schools, youth facilities, women centres and community organisations.  He has also completed five x five weeks personal development programmes, promoting positive mental health, in a wide range of community organisations.

The Youth Intervention Worker has many years’ experience working with young people and is working in collaboration with Opportunity Youth to provide beneficial experiences for those young people in need.  He has the ability to respond to individual need and often acts as a springboard by referring young people to other services, or providing space for a chat, or using outdoor education as a tool to engage in meaningful conversation.  Due to the high demand for these services, Lighthouse needs to obtain additional funding to enable this role to be expanded.

Art Therapy has been in place since July 2011.  This is not about creating great works of art; it is a way of helping people express how they feel when words are not enough.  For the clients at Lighthouse, art therapy affords the opportunity for self-expression, reflection and communication that may help with developing greater self-understanding, increased coping skills, improved self-esteem, confidence, and reduced feelings of stress and anxiety.

Lighthouse Clinical team explain what the Lighthouse Employee Support Programme is and what employees can expect, when they access it: