Been to RELATE? Please help.

[fifi26]

Although I'm not a regular poster, I've been a daily lurker for a long time. Really wish I had contributed more because I really need to ask for your help.

I'm currently studying a counselling skills course and need to research a counselling agency. I have selected relate and really hope some of you that have used the service would be willing to answer some questions for me.

Please only answer the questions you feel comfortable with. All responses would be most gratefully received and I will update you on the assignment once completed

Thank-you

How long did you wait for an appointment?

Did you require evening/weekend sessions?

How much were you charged/did you donate?

Did you think this was a fair price?

Did you use any relate services other than general relationship counselling (e.g. counselling by phone/email, attended a workshop, sex therapy, family counselling)?

Did you go alone or with your partner?

Did you use any of the relate books?

How many sessions did you have?

Did you look into any alternative therapy/ counselling?

Has there been other times during your relationship when you have used relate?

Did it save your relationship?

Would you recommend their services?

Did you see the same counselor for all your sessions?

Any further comments that I haven?t covered

How long did you wait for an appointment?

I waited about 1 week, but that was only because of my DH and timings (could have got on ein 3 days)

Did you require evening/weekend sessions?
No I had daytime ones

How much were you charged/did you donate?
Yes we were charged

Did you think this was a fair price?
I thought it was quite a lots

Did you use any relate services other than general relationship counselling (e.g. counselling by phone/email, attended a workshop, sex therapy, family counselling)?

No

Did you go alone or with your partner?

With partner

Did you use any of the relate books?

Yes - a baby book, cant remember what its called now

How many sessions did you have?

5 sessions

Did you look into any alternative therapy/ counselling?

No

Has there been other times during your relationship when you have used relate?

No

Did it save your relationship?

It did 4.5 years ago (but its falling apart again now and relate cant save it this time

Would you recommend their services?

I did recommend it to 3 people

Did you see the same counselor for all your sessions?

Yes always booked with her as she knew the situation

Thank you so much for getting the ball rolling waitingtillafterxmas. I really appreciate you taking the time out to help me. Sorry to hear things have gone down hill for you

Can anyone else share their experience please?
(I need a minimum of ten resonses to use it as part of my research)

Thanks

Bump!!!

If it's of any use, I bought one of the Relate books and found it really useful.

The counsellor DH and I saw was Relate-trained, and she was very good.

Good luck with the research

Message withdrawn

Thank you for your contributions.

Can anyone else spare a few minutes to help a struggling student?

We used Relate. We waited about 4 weeks to start after having an initial assessment at our local centre with the person we thought would be our counsellor, but they couldn't see us (presumably she didn't like us) so we were sent to another centre further away. We donated £20 a session (I hoped the more dh had to pay the less he'd ramble and circumbobulate in sessions!). It would have been a good price but I did feel that our counsellor let us skirt around issues and gave us far too much freedom. My dh is an expert at avoiding issues which was one reason why we were there, and I was pretty pissed off that she let him get away with it; but I also figured that if I pushed too hard he might stop going. We went together. We did get one of the books - about not arguing, dh wasn't interested in it. We went for about 2yrs, and would have gone for longer, but we moved (that's how good dh is at skirting around issues!) We saw the same counsellor for all our session, and would not have been happy if we had to see someone else. I don't think it exactly saved our relationship but it helped. Our relationship is still going by the way. I would recommend Relate (but I would also add 'or something like it'). I was also seeing a counsellor separately, and dh saw a psychiatrist(?) independently for a short time.

Sorry this is all in one para.

Hi, I am also not a regular netter, more a lurker if I feel I can help I will. Rather that sometimes than to be helped!!

I waited about 3 months for an appointment short of councellors so I believe.

Evening session.

I donate £20 as I am a student, but I do work. I think this is a fair price, but go one a fortnight could not justify it weekly.

No other services or books used by them.

I am going alone, but hope dh will come with me soon.

Ongoing.

Never used relate before.

Not sure about saving our relationship I have found it helpful.

Same councellor although may not be if dh comes.

I would recommend their services if only for some time out to gather your own thoughts and have someone to sound off to, how sad is that!!!

Good luck.

How long did you wait for an appointment?
2 weeks for initial session (just me), then 3 weeks for the follow-up specific sessions (me and dh)

Did you require evening/weekend sessions?
Evening

How much were you charged/did you donate?
Donated - can't remember, sorry

Did you think this was a fair price?
Yes

Did you use any relate services other than general relationship counselling (e.g. counselling by phone/email, attended a workshop, sex therapy, family counselling)?
we met with a sex therapist

Did you go alone or with your partner?
With partner

Did you use any of the relate books?
Yes, we do have one, a sex therapy one, can't remember what its called

How many sessions did you have?
5 sessions

Did you look into any alternative therapy/ counselling?
No

Has there been other times during your relationship when you have used relate?
No

Did it save your relationship?
It did enable us to get past that particular blip, but its not a problem that has gone away entirely.

Would you recommend their services?
Yes

Did you see the same counsellor for all your sessions?
Yes

Thanks. Just need a few more replies to have enough to use as research material

How long did you wait for an appointment?
3 weeks (to long imo)

Did you require evening/weekend sessions?
Yes could have been seen sooner if we could have made a day appontment

How much were you charged/did you donate?
£40

Did you think this was a fair price?
Yes since both of us were working

Did you use any relate services other than general relationship counselling (e.g. counselling by phone/email, attended a workshop, sex therapy, family counselling)?
No

Did you go alone or with your partner?
Partner

Did you use any of the relate books?
No

How many sessions did you have?
6

Did you look into any alternative therapy/ counselling?
Yes but there didn't seem to be much else aviliable in our area

Has there been other times during your relationship when you have used relate?
No

Did it save your relationship?
It helped at the time ut if the feelings have died no amount of counselling will save the relationship

Would you recommend their services?
Yes but only to help to get through a rough patch. Don't think they much use in anything more serious

Did you see the same counselor for all your sessions?

Yes

Hope that helps. Good luck!

How long did you wait for an appointment?
4 weeks

Did you require evening/weekend sessions?
yes - evenings

How much were you charged/did you donate?
£40

Did you think this was a fair price?
yes

Did you use any relate services other than general relationship counselling (e.g. counselling by phone/email, attended a workshop, sex therapy, family counselling)?
No

Did you go alone or with your partner?
together

Did you use any of the relate books?
Yes: Staying together: from crisis to commitment (fantastic book -keep recommending it on here - they should pay me commission

How many sessions did you have?
5

Did you look into any alternative therapy/ counselling?
no

Has there been other times during your relationship when you have used relate?
no

Did it save your relationship?
I think it was one of the things that did: helped us communicate -safe place to talk,

Would you recommend their services?
Yes, definitely

Did you see the same counselor for all your sessions?

Yes

good luck....

How long did you wait for an appointment?
Not long, couple of weeks(?)
Did you require evening/weekend sessions?
evening

How much were you charged/did you donate?
We were charged. Luckily we are in a position to pay. Might have been about £40 per session, I can't remember. Seemed like a lot but worth it to save relationship and help towards finding a way of my prolonged post natal depression.

Did you think this was a fair price?
See above. I think you can get help if you are of low income.

Did you use any relate services other than general relationship counselling (e.g. counselling by phone/email, attended a workshop, sex therapy, family counselling)?
No
Did you go alone or with your partner?
With partner

Did you use any of the relate books?
No

How many sessions did you have?
4 or 5

Did you look into any alternative therapy/ counselling?
No (drugs for the PND)

Has there been other times during your relationship when you have used relate?
No

Did it save your relationship?
Not sure our relationship would have totally collapsed without Relate but definitly provided a brilliant environment where we could talk openly (something we couldn't do by ourselves). Helped, without a doubt. We got married a year later.

Would you recommend their services?
Yes, but needs commitment from both partners.

Did you see the same counselor for all your sessions?
Yes
Any further comments that I haven?t covered

Thank you to everyone who has contributed. I now have enough responses to use in my assignment (got two from the student parent topic area). I'm really grateful for everyone who spent a few minutes of their time to help.

Any other responses would still be more than welcome (the more I have the better I can make my assignment)

Thanks

How long did you wait for an appointment?
I dont know as Dh made the first appointment for himself wihtout my knowing

Did you require evening/weekend sessions?
evening

How much were you charged/did you donate?
can't remember for sure but £40 springs to mind although whether this was for each session or at the end I dont remember

Did you think this was a fair price?
I dont think i gave it any thought. It was a necessary expense

Did you use any relate services other than general relationship counselling (e.g. counselling by phone/email, attended a workshop, sex therapy, family counselling)?
No

Did you go alone or with your partner?
Dh went on his own for the frist one and then I went

Did you use any of the relate books?
no

How many sessions did you have?
5 I think

Did you look into any alternative therapy/ counselling?
No

Has there been other times during your relationship when you have used relate?
No

Did it save your relationship?
I believe so

Would you recommend their services?
Yes

Did you see the same counselor for all your sessions?
Yes

Thanks. Anyone else? I have till tomorrow night until I need to start writing it up