How My Social Prescribing Background Shapes My Therapeutic Approach.

A note from the writer: I'm dyslexic, so my writing journey takes a bit longer and sometimes looks different. I've done my best to check everything carefully, but if you spot any errors or anything unclear, please know it comes from a place of genuine care and effort. What matters most is that these words give you the warmth and understanding they're meant to carry.

Before I became a counsellor, I worked as a Social Prescriber—also known as a community connector, wellbeing advisor, community navigator, or health advisor. This experience has given me a unique perspective on mental health support that goes far beyond the traditional therapy room.

What Is Social Prescribing?

Social prescribing is about connecting people to community-based resources that support their practical, social, and emotional needs. Rather than simply treating symptoms, social prescribing link workers help individuals access the wider support network that can significantly impact their health and wellbeing.

This approach recognises that mental health doesn't exist in isolation. Our wellbeing is deeply connected to our housing situation, financial security, social connections, physical health, and sense of purpose in our communities.

Social prescribing is particularly beneficial for people experiencing low-level mental health challenges, feelings of loneliness or isolation, long-term health conditions, and complex social needs. It's about addressing the root causes that contribute to poor mental health, not just managing the symptoms.

The Bigger Picture Approach

During my time as a Social Prescriber, I used my lived experience of supporting people through addiction and mental health challenges to help individuals access practical support. I loved being able to connect people to charities, community projects, and grants that could help them during times of isolation and difficulty.

This work taught me that healing often requires more than talking through problems—it requires addressing the practical barriers that contribute to distress. Sometimes the most therapeutic intervention isn't processing trauma; it's helping someone secure stable housing, access benefits they're entitled to, or find a community where they belong.

Having lived experience of the struggles many people face, combined with professional experience in listening and creating support plans, means I now offer clients a more holistic "bigger picture" approach to their care. I don't just focus on mental health symptoms; I consider what might be physically impacting their wellbeing—their job situation, relationships, housing, finances, or family circumstances.

How This Shapes My Counselling Practice

My background in social prescribing has fundamentally changed how I work as a counsellor. I don't just offer therapy; I can often signpost clients to community services and make non-clinical referrals that address the practical aspects of their difficulties.

This dual approach means that whilst we're working together on emotional processing and healing, I'm also considering whether there are practical supports that might ease the burden you're carrying. Sometimes the most powerful therapeutic intervention is helping someone access a food bank when they're struggling financially, connecting them to debt advice services, or linking them to community groups where they can build meaningful relationships.

The Community Connection

One of the most valuable aspects of social prescribing is its focus on community connection. Many mental health challenges are exacerbated by isolation and disconnection from others. Through my previous work, I learned about the incredible variety of community resources available:

Community Groups and Activities: Exercise classes, arts and crafts, walking groups, photography clubs, cooking classes, and support groups provide opportunities for social connection whilst engaging in meaningful activities.

Cultural and Specialist Support: Links to cultural support for refugees, helping people maintain connections to their heritage and identity whilst building new community ties.

Practical Life Support: Assistance with debt and housing issues, education applications, and technology skills development—all services that can dramatically improve someone's quality of life and mental health.

Advocacy and Navigation: Help with accessing services like housing or benefit claims, or support with leaving domestic abuse situations—practical interventions that can be life-changing.

Specialised Support: Connections to befriending services for older adults, peer support groups for specific needs like EHCP plans for children, or food bank access during financial hardship.

The Holistic Difference

What makes this approach unique is the recognition that mental health exists within the context of someone's whole life. Traditional therapy often focuses on internal processes—thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and past experiences. Whilst this is incredibly valuable, it's only part of the picture.

My social prescribing background means I'm also thinking about external factors: Are you struggling because you can't afford heating? Are you isolated because you don't know how to use technology to stay connected? Are you anxious because your housing situation is unstable? Are you depressed partly because you've lost connection to your community?

By addressing both the internal emotional work and the external practical challenges, we can often achieve more sustainable, meaningful change.

Accessing Support

The beauty of social prescribing is that it's widely accessible. You can access these services through your GP practice, and if you're already receiving primary care counselling, most counsellors can make referrals or recommendations.

Many healthcare services linked to mental health teams can also refer you to social prescribing. If it's not offered to you initially, don't hesitate to ask for it. Self-referral is encouraged because it demonstrates that you're actively taking steps towards practical support.

Most GP practices have information on their websites about local social prescribing services, and you can search your local NHS website for more details about what's available in your area. Remember that, depending on local funding, these services might be called different names—navigator, community support, or health and wellbeing officer.

A Different Kind of Therapy

My experience in social prescribing has taught me that healing happens in many different ways. Sometimes, it happens through processing difficult emotions in therapy, sometimes through joining a community choir and rediscovering joy, and sometimes through getting debt advice that relieves crushing financial pressure. Often, it happens through a combination of all these approaches working together.

This is why I'm passionate about referring clients to services that complement our therapeutic work. I want to ensure you're not just surviving our sessions together, but thriving in your wider life. Whether that's connecting you to community groups, helping you access practical support, or simply validating that your mental health struggles might be entirely reasonable responses to difficult circumstances.

The Power of Practical Support

There's something profoundly healing about being seen as a whole person whose struggles make sense within their life context. When we address both the emotional and practical aspects of difficulty, we're not just treating symptoms—we're supporting genuine, sustainable wellbeing.

My social prescribing background reminds me daily that therapy works best when it's part of a broader network of support. It's taught me that sometimes the most therapeutic thing I can do is help you access the practical resources that will make the emotional work we're doing together actually sustainable in your real life.

This holistic approach—combining therapeutic support with practical community connections—reflects my core belief that everyone deserves comprehensive support that addresses not just their symptoms, but their whole life context. Because healing happens not just in the therapy room, but in the community, through connection, and with the practical foundations that allow emotional work to truly take root.

Sharen x