Family Counselling
Bristol and Bath
Families can be a source of support, encouragement, and love but sometimes relationships within families are under strain and people can feel isolated or overlooked. When this happens we’re here to help. Relate Avon provides Family Counselling in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding areas.
What is Family Counselling?
Family Counselling (or Family Therapy) offers a caring, confidential and supportive environment in which you can examine problems within your family 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 Relate Avon’s 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. Whatever the issues, your counsellor will not judge you and whatever you say will be treated confidentially.
How can Family Counselling help?
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 stepchildren. 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 stepchildren, 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.
The terms Family Counselling and Family Therapy are often used interchangeably, but they are slightly different. Family Counselling involves a variety of approaches and techniques to support families facing challenges. Family Therapy usually involves a psychotherapist working over the long term to resolve deep-seated or complex issues.
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 Family Counsellor for a 50-minute session at either our Bristol or Bath premises, or online. You can choose from one of these three 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 Family 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-minute 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.
How much does Family Counselling cost?
We are a charity and don't make a profit from the services we provide. We charge a fee for Counselling to cover the costs of the sessions. An initial assessment costs £68 with ongoing sessions charged at a rate agreed between you and your counsellor on a sliding scale, starting at £73 and according to your income.
However, you may be eligible for free counselling under one of our national partnerships. Outside of these we aim to support everybody who can benefit from our counselling irrespective of their ability to pay. We offer reduced counselling fees which we fund through those clients able to pay higher fees and through dedicated fundraising. Please ask!
“Our counsellor was extremely friendly, professional and light hearted. She really was great and both myself and my daughter were really relaxed and happy with her."