The Brent Magazine issue 87 February 2009

Brent people

Make room to relate
Every year Brent Relate gives counselling to hundreds of people experiencing relationship problems. Director Hazel Hewett explains how the charity works.

How do you help people with relationship difficulties?
Relate provides family counselling, relationship counselling for couples and individuals, family mediation, and sex therapy. The counselling room is where people can listen to each other and be clearer about what they are each saying and feeling. Sometimes this is difficult at home.

How do the services work?
We have 38 counsellors and six mediators. On average, people have eight sessions of counselling, but it can be for a year. Each year we help about 800 people. They are from all ethnic, religious, sexual, and social groups. If anyone is having relationship problems the first thing to do is to phone.

We have helpful staff who are not counsellors, but will explain the service. They can arrange for you to come in for an initial consultation which explains what to expect, and to find out what is right for you.

What challenges do you face?
There is a stigma about counselling in this country. But counselling is about talking through feelings with a counsellor to get a better understanding of a situation. People who come to us have strength because they are facing up to something; I respect that.

What difference can Relate make?
The aim is to help people work out what they want to do with their lives so they feel empowered. It may be a relationship is having problems, but they don't want to break up; however, sometimes a person wants to know how they can end a relationship.

Also Relate helps people to think about how they talk to each other and how to respect each other in families or relationships.

This radiates into the workplace and schools and the whole community.

What do you find most rewarding?
I know that what people get from us is really worth having. Clients have sent us flowers to say thank you, or cards saying that thanks to you I'm expecting my first baby. It is great to know that we have been able to help people really change their lives.

Brent Relate is at Wembley Centre for Health and Social Care in Chaplin Road.

For more information call 020 8427 8694 or visit www.relatelondonnw.org.uk