Relationship & Family Counselling
To most people Relationship Counselling seems to have been around longer than Family Counselling. In reality Family Counselling has often been done in an informal way between respected elderly family members, supporting conflict, mis-understanding or situational needs, experienced by the larger family. Until recently, Relationship Counselling was called Marriage Counselling by the leading agency now called Relate. The reason for the renaming is due to modern relationships coming in more diverse forms e.g; unmarried relationships, blended families, same sex relationships, age gap relationships, multi-cultural relationships, etc.
Typical support needs and development needs within a two-person relationship could be; assertiveness, control, confidence, frustration, anger, lying, previous relationships, existing children or children from previous relationships, financial, medical, mental health, blackmail re children, accommodation, threatening behaviour, violence, fear, drugs, smoking, gambling, alcohol, other addictions, etc.
Often support needs within the wider family unit (not two people) can be similar to any of the above. Just as in two person Relationship and Family Counselling, it is also important here to give the family support understanding and realistic day-to-day practice via CBT exercises within homework. It is important that we always give time and support and understanding to further develop the family dynamics within our practice setting here.