What is Family Counselling?
Family counselling offers a caring, confidential and supportive environment in which you can examine problems and think about ways to address them. You can come to Family Counselling alone or with other members of your family. Typically we might see parents and/or step-parents with all or some of their children; adult siblings; or extended members of the family such as grandparents, aunts, uncles etc. We know that every family is different so Family Counselling is flexible and can include anyone you describe as family, including friends.
We can work with you to decide how often you and your family can attend.
What happens in Family Counselling?
The first appointment is likely to be offered to the family member who registered for the service. You'll be seen by a trained Relate Counsellor for a 50 minutes session at either our Bristol or Bath premises, or online. You can choose from these options.
When you meet your counsellor, they'll ask you about what's going on and what changes you'd like to see. If there is more than one person present, they'll listen to each person in turn and make sure that everybody gets a chance to speak.
Following this, if ongoing counselling is agreed, further assessment sessions may be arranged for other members of the family. This way we are able to get a full picture of your situation.
Once you start Family counselling it will involve a series of regular weekly, 50 minutes counselling sessions. You will meet with your counsellor either individually, in small groups or as a whole family. What kind of counselling you receive – and how long counselling continues – all depends on you and what kind of issues you want to address.
What sort of issues can counselling help with?
Family Counselling is a service for anyone you define as your family. You might be a parent who needs help with how a break-up might affect your family, or need help relating to your adult or young children or step-children. You might be a young person worried about your parents splitting up, or need a bit of help dealing with your parents. You might need help in your relationships with your brothers and sisters.
If you’re having problems as a family whether as parents, grandparents, siblings or step children, Family Counselling can help the whole family to understand and cope better with the stresses and strains of family life and reduce conflict and arguments.
Whatever the issue, your counsellor will not judge you and everything you say will be treated confidentially.
What is the cost of counselling?
We are a charity and we don't make a profit from the services we provide. We charge a fee for Counselling to cover the costs of the sessions.
To find out more about our charges read our FAQs.
Book an appointment
To find out more about Family Counselling and to arrange an appointment contact us via email, call Relate Avon direct on 0117 942 8444 or complete this enquiry form.
Comments from clients
It has been a great help and I feel in a much better place.