Pregnancy Options Centre, established in 1997, offers a free counselling service for anyone facing an unplanned pregnancy, giving them time and space to explore their thoughts and feelings in a safe non-judgemental environment.

We also provide longer-term emotional and practical support for those who are struggling following an abortion or facing pregnancy loss.

All our practitioners are trained in counselling skills and how to use these to support someone who is facing unplanned pregnancy or struggling following an abortion or pregnancy loss. They all work within the BACP Code of Ethics and Practice, of which Pregnancy Options Centre is an organisational member. Some of our team are also qualified counsellors but this is not a requirement for our volunteers. Volunteer training is accredited at Level 3 through the Association of Accredited Learning (AAL) and recognised by NCFE/CACHE.

Partners and family members often benefit from their own support and advice when they are faced with a loved one who is dealing with these issues. Pregnancy Options Centre caters for this too and can see partners and family members either individually or in joint sessions.

In addition to the counselling service, Pregnancy Options Centre also delivers interactive educational workshops in local schools, colleges and youth settings.

Scroll down for more information on all our services or to book an appointment.

"Options provides a safe place where clients can be referred when facing life changing decisions, offering expertise, support and care. They offer services that are not being covered by statutory organisations. Therefore, they are an invaluable resource for our community."

Local Health Professional*

* If you are a healthcare professional and have a patient experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, or struggling after an abortion or pregnancy loss, you can contact us to refer them to our counselling team.

We have two counselling centres, which are based in accessible yet discreet locations in Chichester City Centre and central Portsmouth. We provide face-to-face as well as telephone support, depending on client and practitioner preference and availability.

We also run a monthly drop-in at the Bognor Regis Women’s Centre, My Sisters’ House, every 3rd Tuesday of the month, 1pm – 3pm.

This drop-in provides an informal opportunity for those who have discovered they are pregnant and wish to talk to someone, as well as individuals considering longer term support from Options a chance to speak to one of our practitioners in a safe environment on a confidential, one to one basis.

 

Keep up with our latest news...

Pregnancy Options Counselling is free, unbiased and confidential support for clients who are pregnant and want to consider their options. We provide a safe place where those facing an unplanned or complicated pregnancy can explore their thoughts & feelings in a non-judgemental environment.

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The Options Counselling team provides 1-1 support to people experiencing difficulties after an abortion. Sometimes clients find it harder to adjust than they had expected, and our counselling support helps them to process this experience in a healthy way.

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We provide sensitive counselling support to people who have experienced a Miscarriage, Ectopic Pregnancy or Stillbirth. Our practitioners work one-to-one with clients as they come to terms with their loss.

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We provide interactive education workshops in local schools, colleges and youth venues. The sessions are designed to support the Sex and Relationship Education within the PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) curriculum in years 5 – 13. Each session can be tailored to meet the needs of the school.

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Unplanned Pregnancy Counselling

Confidential Support

Pregnancy Options Counselling is free, unbiased and confidential support for clients who are pregnant and want to consider their options. We provide a safe place where those facing an unplanned or complicated pregnancy can explore their thoughts & feelings in a non-judgemental environment.

All our practitioners respect the autonomy of clients when making their choices. Our work is client-centred, allowing people to identify their own areas of concern, and facilitating a supportive approach to the expression of emotions and to the issues of problem-solving. We provide ongoing emotional and practical support whatever the outcome.

As we are a non-medical organisation, we cannot refer directly for an abortion. However, we can signpost you to other agencies, whatever decision you reach.

Pregnancy Testing

It can sometimes be very daunting to take a pregnancy test alone, especially if the results may not be what we want them to be. At Options we provide free confidential pregnancy testing and an optional 30 minute specialist support session, so that you can talk to a trained practitioner about your thoughts, feelings and options.

“I can't thank you enough for today.  After spending just one hour talking to you I felt a huge sense of relief.  You were very understanding and not at all judgmental, which was very important for me and allowed me to be completely honest and open...  Your help has been absolutely massive and words can't thank you enough. When I talked to you, it felt like you really understood what I was saying and it was very supportive.”   (Client in her 30's)

“Thank you for getting me an appointment so quickly. The notes we wrote down were really helpful and helped my partner understand all my thoughts and feelings. You’ve helped me twice now when I felt so lost and scared. Thank you again.”    (Client in her 20's)

Post Abortion Counselling

One-to-One Support

The Options Counselling team provides one-to-one support to people experiencing difficulties after an abortion. Sometimes clients find it harder to adjust after an abortion than they had expected, and our counselling support helps them to process this experience in a healthy way.

Working through a 12-step programme, we help clients to explore their thoughts, feelings and reactions. Sometimes natural feelings of relief and hope are also mixed with a deeper sadness, anger or regret.

Moving On

Clients are often reassured to learn that their experiences are not uncommon and find it helpful to work through a specially designed course. As a result they are able to move forward, building a healthier future with increased self-knowledge and confidence.

“This programme helped me to finally face my grief and pain following my decision to have an abortion. Before starting the programme I was caught up in a spiral of recycled bitterness, anger and desperation. The programme helped by breaking down the whole experience and supporting me with tools to move forward.”    (Post-abortion client)

"I was so glad that my GP put me in touch with this service. I had been struggling for several years following my decision to have an abortion. I talked through my experience which led me to forgive myself and deal with all the emotions I had been bottling up. I now feel I can move forward with my life in a positive way."   (Post-abortion client)

Pregnancy Loss Counselling

Coming to Terms with Pregnancy Loss

We provide sensitive counselling support to people who have experienced a Miscarriage, Ectopic Pregnancy or Stillbirth. Our practitioners work one-to-one with clients as they come to terms with their loss.

Termination for Medical Reasons (TFMR)

For clients who have had a Termination for Medical Reasons (TFMR) due to foetal abnormalities, Options provides specialist one-to-one support. We help clients to grieve their loss and to take time to process their experience.

“The course helped me to dig deeper and then release emotions.  It was very helpful.  I can now talk without feeling the shame and guilt.  I have freedom...  I feel ready for the future, more confident.  My husband sees me being healthier in how I deal with everything.  If anyone is in my situation, they should ask for help. At Options you can be open and honest, and accepted.  I was frightened about needing the help, but I am so glad I made the call.”   (Miscarriage client)

“I am a completely different person since I started the counselling 7 months ago. I no longer carry around anger, guilt or shame. The course has not only enabled me to process my loss, and the choice I was faced with, but helped me to grow as a person and come out stronger.”    (Client, TFMR)

Supporting Others

Are you the Partner?

If you and your partner are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, it can be difficult to know how best to support each other. You may have different reactions to each other about what is happening, and to the choices ahead of you.

It is important that you both feel heard and have the time to process the options. We can provide individual sessions for you, as well as joint sessions for you and your partner at a later stage, if that is helpful.

If you are supporting your partner through a pregnancy loss, it is often a time of very intense emotion. This can put a strain on your relationship and make it difficult to know what to say. Our practitioners provide 1-to-1 support to help you understand your partner and work out what to say and do for the best. We will also help you to process your own reactions to the loss.

Are you a Family Member?

If someone in your family is struggling with an unplanned pregnancy, or if they have experienced a pregnancy loss, it can be difficult to know how to ‘be there’ for them. Lots of conflicting thoughts and emotions can surface, and this can be hard to work through with someone you love. As a family member you can speak to one of our practitioners for advice on the best way to offer support.

Education Work

Options delivers informative, engaging and interactive sessions on Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE).  We work with primary and secondary schools as well as local colleges and youth clubs across the Arun and Chichester districts, engaging with over 2000 young people (aged 9 upwards) each year.

Each session can be tailored to meet the needs of the school and the group we are working with. The aim of our Education project is to ensure young people are well equipped to deal with the changes they will experience on their journey to adulthood and aid them with the tools to make well-informed decisions.

For primary school aged students...

We offer:

  • A 5-core session series for Years 5 and 6 that covers: relationships, puberty (including internal and external reproductive organs), menstruation and menstrual wellbeing, and reproduction.
  • A session to parents to introduce what their child will be learning and provide tools to help support the child on their RSHE journey, giving them the time and space to ask any questions they may have.

For secondary school aged students...

Our secondary sessions can be adapted to fit timetabled sessions of 45- 60 minutes, for up to approx. 30 young people. Our pregnancy timeline session is ideally timetabled for a 90+ minute session. For secondary and college aged students, we offer to cover the following topics:

Suitable for Years 7 & 8

  • Healthy friendships
  • Puberty

Suitable for Years 9+

  • Healthy relationships and sexual consent
  • Sexual health and STI's
  • Contraception
  • Dangers of Pornography

Suitable from Year 10+

  • The pregnancy timeline (which covers pregnancy, birth, adoption, abortion and parenting)
  • Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - new for the academic year 2022/23

Smaller targeted groups

  • Child Sexual Exploitation

Student feedback:

“The session was perfect and covered all of my questions and more.”

“I have learnt so much about things I didn’t even know that I didn’t know.”

"I have learnt that it is good to have high self-esteem so you don’t feel pressured into doing things you shouldn’t or are not ready to. I now know a relationship is for both of you. It is not about one person being in control."

Teacher feedback:

“This was the best session yet. I loved the video choices and the way you cover all the info. The kids were engaged and learnt key facts. (So did I!)”

“This is exactly the information I wish I had known at their age.”

“Thank you so much, Natalie, for delivering such an amazing session, as always! We really appreciate you working with us. Our students get so much from your sessions, and you deliver a service we cannot. This is so valuable.”

Make a Difference by Donating to our Counselling Service

Without donations we would not be able to make any of this happen.

With your help we can:

  • Train more volunteers to provide counselling
  • Support even more people
  • Empower young people to make informed decisions about their health and relationships

Please consider making a donation today.

 

To make a donation via online banking please use Account Number: 93856372 Sort Code: 20-20-62.

You can donate by cheque, made payable to Pregnancy Options Centre, and sent to Pregnancy Options Centre, St John's House, St John's Street, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1UU.

Register with EasyFundraising; to make donations as you shop online. (More information...)

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Get in Touch or Book an Appointment

We are here ready to help. Please complete this contact form to get in touch or book an appointment.  Alternatively, you can call us, send a text or use one of the email addresses below. In all cases, someone from the team will get back to you within 24 hours.

t: 01243 784177
m: 07843 543792

To email one of our Practitioners:

counselling@pregnancyoptionscentre.org.uk

To contact our Education Team:

education@optionschichester.org.uk

For General Enquiries:

office@pregnancyoptionscentre.org.uk

    Any personal information submitted via our website is treated in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations. Therefore any personal information such as name, postal address, telephone number, and email address given via this website will only be used to provide a requested service and will not be disclosed to any third party without your prior permission or unless we are required to do so by law.

    Follow this link for more information on our Privacy Policy.

    Follow this link to see our Complaints Procedure.

    Follow this link to see our Safeguarding Policy.

    How to Find Us

    We offer services across Chichester and Arun Districts and areas of Southeast Hampshire, including Emsworth, Havant, Waterlooville, Petersfield, Hayling Island and Portsmouth. Our main office address for correspondence is at our Chichester Centre.

    Clients will be seen at St John's House in Chichester City Centre or St Cuthbert's Community Centre in Portsmouth. We can also see clients in Bognor Regis or Selsey, subject to venue availability. When making an appointment, please let us know your closest Centre.

    Pregnancy Options Centre - Chichester

    Office F3, St John's House, 
    St John's Street, 
    Chichester, 
    West Sussex 

    PO19 1UU
     
    Pregnancy Options Centre - Portsmouth

    St. Cuthberts Community Centre
    2 Lichfield Rd,
    Portsmouth,
    PO3 6DE
     
     

    Chichester
    Portsmouth
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