Former surgeon turned counsellor Jonathan Lacey joins New Park's free Sing to Health group on Friday 6 November for an informal chat about mental health.
Chichester counsellor Jonathan Lacey will be at New Park Community Centre on Friday 6 November, staying on after the Sing to Health group so people can ask him questions or simply talk about mental health and counselling. It is part of a November push by the centre on New Park Road to get people talking about stress before it becomes too much.
The quick answer
- What: an informal chat and Q&A with counsellor Jonathan Lacey after the Sing to Health group.
- When: Friday 6 November. Sing to Health meets on Friday mornings: tea from 11am, singing 11.30am to 12.30pm, according to New Park’s page for the group.
- Where: the Old Dojo, New Park Centre, New Park Road, Chichester PO19 7XY.
- Cost: the singing group is free, with donations welcome. No singing experience needed.
- More: newparkcentre.org.uk or 01243 536840.
“You don’t have to wait until you reach breaking point”
The centre’s message for the month is in its headline: you do not have to wait until you feel overwhelmed. “You don’t have to know exactly what’s wrong, have a diagnosis or wait until you reach breaking point before talking to someone,” is how New Park puts it.
The centre points to the pressures most people will recognise: work, family, relationships and money. “Sometimes, we may appear to be coping perfectly well while privately struggling to switch off, feeling constantly under pressure or simply sensing that something isn’t quite right,” it says.
It also cites the Mental Health Foundation, which reports that nearly nine in ten people with mental health problems say stigma and discrimination have a negative effect on their lives. New Park says it hopes to remind people locally “that they do not have to manage everything alone”.
From surgeon to counsellor
Jonathan spent many years working as a surgeon before retraining as a counsellor, the centre says. On his own website he writes that after 20 years as an NHS doctor he “took the big decision to retrain as a counsellor and psychotherapist”, having come to feel “that mental wellbeing was undervalued and not well enough supported, in our increasingly challenging and stressful modern world”.
His work draws on humanistic and psychodynamic approaches, helping people look at their feelings, experiences and patterns of behaviour. He sees clients in Chichester, in London and online, and his site says he offers personal and work-related counselling, including for NHS staff.
He believes asking for help takes courage, particularly for people in demanding jobs or caring roles who are used to looking after everyone else. “We can all have vulnerable parts of ourselves, and it shows great courage to ask someone for help,” he said.
Why a singing group
Sing to Health started at New Park in October, led by Ruth Routledge. The centre describes it as “not a choir”, with no audition: sessions mix singing with gentle vocal and body work and breathing, and the group is dementia friendly, so people can come along with a partner or someone they care for. Anyone who wants to book can contact Ruth at ruth@singtohealth.com or on 07946 900543, the centre’s page says.
On 6 November, people at the session will be able to speak with Jonathan afterwards, ask questions or have “an informal chat about mental health and counselling in a relaxed, approachable setting”, in New Park’s words.
Other ways in
“Wellbeing means different things to different people,” the centre says. “Sometimes, talking to someone can help; at other times, finding connections, trying something creative or making space to pause and recharge can make a valuable difference.”
Alongside the singing, it lists Mel’s monthly sound baths, meditation groups and creative activities, plus exercise, dance and groups built around shared interests. New Park, a charity run by the New Park Community and Arts Association, says it hosts more than 100 arts, sports and community activities.
What it means for you
If you have been meaning to talk to someone and have not, Friday 6 November is a low-key way to start: turn up for the singing, or just for the chat afterwards. “Sometimes, the first step towards feeling better is simply talking,” the centre says.
Jonathan can be contacted through drlaceycounselling.com. The full timetable of groups is on the New Park What’s On page.
If you are struggling right now and need help urgently, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time.
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