Relate

Is anyone here familiar with the services of Relate? I am in a terrible home situation and really need to talk to someone. I made the call today but I am always hesitant of counsellors so I just want to know if it's a waste of time and £35 per session (which I don't have to begin with). Any advice on it would be great.

My brother and his wife went through a hard time in their marriage and went to relate.  They slogged it out and they are still going strong and all is forgiven and forgotten.

Sometimes its just good to have a mediator there who is unbiased of your situation.  It makes you get a few things off your chest that you are probably too frightened to say in the home environment in case it causes more upset..but it needs to be said all the same. 

Relate can give you the opportunity to both have your say without blowing up into a huge drama filled argument.

I say go...what harm can it do?

No harm indeed but I don't know if I should even bother and the fact that £35 every time I go is going to put me in a serious financial situation could be another problem in itself. If I wait and go to a GP then for a referral I could be dead from the trauma I am feeling so basically this is my only option it seems. I am glad to hear that a couple has gone and are still going though

I believe they went to four sessions in total...thrashed it out with the therapist..then got back on track with "life" as it were.

I think both parties needed to have their say but were so head strong that it became heated and argumentative..and plenty of drama got entangled with the situation...so having a mediator calmed the discussions and they both got some issues about each other off their chest.

Just remember that you may hear or say things that you don't like but at the end of the day..you are both there to help each other understand each other psyche better..so that you will become stronger as a couple again.

Sorry to hear you are having a pants time  Wishing you the best of luck 

Cheers. Hope this helps. 6 long years of sacrifice and at this point torment is proving not worth it anymore if this can't help.

No harm indeed but I don't know if I should even bother and the fact that £35 every time I go is going to put me in a serious financial situation could be another problem in itself. If I wait and go to a GP then for a referral I could be dead from the trauma I am feeling so basically this is my only option it seems. I am glad to hear that a couple has gone and are still going though

hauntedmansion, this sounds serious. You should get an urgent appointment with your GP and go from there.

A couple I know went to Relate after getting engaged and breaking up 3 times, they sorted it out and are very happy to this day, and have had a little girl, so I would recommend it as its well worth the money. I hope you get the help you need and deserve!

Does anyone know if people can attend Relate for free?

My husband and I used Relate and we were quite happy with our counselor.  She was very accomadating. They offer many kinds of help too; relationship troubles, sexual therapy, single parenting, home-schooling agendas, abuse issues, etc.  You should at least go for an initial assestment. I would book asap as the waiting list can sometimes be long.  Ours was a couple months before they could get us in.  Hear what they have to say at the initial assesment and then you can go from there.

I'm really, really sorry that you're having a tough time.  

It sounds like you need to weigh up the financial cost against the emotional cost and it also depends how much both you and your partner are willing to work together through the issues affecting you and how much more energy you both want to put in.

You could try the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy to see what their rules are on if they offer sliding scales etc.:

http://wam.bacp.co.uk/wam/SeekTherapist.exe?NEWSEARCH

Or other resources:

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Explore_types_of_jobs/Types_of_Job/p!eipaL?state=showocc&idno=77&pageno=9

Best of luck in working out a course of action that works for you.