Feniks. Counselling, Personal Development And Support Services

Feniks (Phoenix) was set up in 2007 as a charity supporting integration and aiming at improving the wellbeing of the Central Eastern European Community in Edinburgh. We seek to help individuals and families who have moved away from their homeland in facing the challenges which can result from immigration. Difficulties may arise in one’s personal life or work which necessitate contact with a therapist. In addition, deeper psychological issues may surface which require such contact on a longer-term basis. The breadth of knowledge and experience of our professional team (gained both in Poland and the UK) allows for the provision of comprehensive psychological help for adults and young people. It is hoped that the quality of life and personal wellbeing of those with whom we work may then rise to a level sufficient to allow them to function effectively and happily within society. Social isolation is believed to be one of the major factors affecting the mental well-being of the immigrants. Thus, we organise groups for the particularly isolated people, such as young Polish mothers and Polish people of 50 and over years old. Our Leith Conversation Cafés, however, are open to anyone new to Edinburgh, interested in getting to know new people and conversing about the topics related to migration and adaptation to the new culture. The key Feniks’s objective is developing social capital, which we achieve through creating volunteering opportunities and supporting the career development of the young CEE professionals. FENIKS involves volunteers and we accept applications from CEE students for Erasmus internships, who are involved in running the organisation and delivery of the projects. As the organisation, we represent interests of the Polish community at the Cross-Party Group on Poland in Scottish Parliament as the leading organisation of the Wellbeing Subgroup. We are also members of Lothian Health Initiatives Forum; Equalities and Rights Network, New Europeans.