Family Counselling

What is Relate Family Counselling?

The Family Counselling service is delivered to couples, families or individual adult clients (18+) who are presenting their familial relationship as needing support. In the work, the relationships between the family members are the focus of the work, not the individual’s own experience. It employs a systemic approach which focuses on the inter-personal, rather than the intra-personal. So while an individual (over 18) may be referred for family counselling, the work is primarily around patterns and communication in relationships.

Counselling offers the opportunity to explore feelings about difficulties clients may be experiencing including:

• Family breakdown and reconfiguration
• Family and peer relationship difficulties
• Parenting problems and conflicting parenting styles

How Can we Help?

Our Family Counsellors are highly experienced relationship experts who have undergone extended professional training to enable them to work within families to help people resolve their problems.

What will happen?

Relate Family Counsellors will not tell you what to do, and they will not take sides in family arguments. They will start by conducting an initial assessment which will help to establish whether counselling is appropriate for your family situation. You will then set appointments to see your counsellor which everyone can attend. Your counsellor might suggest that family members sometimes come alone or in smaller groups, or that other family members are invited to attend some sessions.

What we expect from you:

Once you begin counselling we ask that you keep your appointments. If you do have to cancel, we would ask for as much notice as possible so that the appointment can be offered to someone else.

How much does it cost?

Relate Family Counselling is available at both counselling centres in Richmond and Kingston. Clients are asked to make a contribution for this service but Payment Assistance is available to clients who cannot make the full suggested donation.

Relate has been commissioned by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to deliver confidential family counselling free of charge at all 5 Children's Centres covering the borough of Richmond. This service is for families who are members of the Children's Centre and have a child aged 11 or under. Priority for counselling will be given to families who have a child aged 5 or under.

The Children's Centes are located in 5 areas (or quindrats) of the borough.

Ham Children's Centre covering: Ham & Richmond.

Heathfield Children's Centre covering: Heathfield, Whitton & West Twickenham

North Barnes covering: Kew, Mortlake, Barnes and East Sheen

Norman Jackson (Hampton) Children's Centre covering: Hampton & Hampton Hill

Welcare Twickenham Green covering: St Margaret's, Twickenham & Teddington

Relate family counselling is also available free of charge if you have a child attending one of the schools in the Heathfield, Whitton & West Twickenham cluster and counselling is delivered at Waldegrave School for Girls.

What shall we do next?

To arrange an initial assessment, or to find out more please contact us by calling 020 8940 8578 or email counselling@relaterkh.org