PACE is delighted to offer a new low-cost couple counselling and relationship support service for people who identify as LGBT and their partners. PACE knows that experiencing healthy relationships can be key to achieving wellbeing in life.
Face-to-face counselling for individuals wanting to address relationship issues is available right now at PACE’S London office. Additionally, wherever LGBT people live across the UK, they can now access one-to-one relationship support by phone or email. This would suit people living outside London or those who would prefer more flexibility than a weekly appointment.
Our online chat service will also be operational soon. Go to http://www.pacehealth.org.uk
Face-to-face couples counselling is also available right now at PACE’s London offices. Where possible it will involve both partners, but we understand that at times one partner may not feel ready for counselling, in which case we will work with one partner to address their relationship concerns. We can also talk about ways to involve the other partner
Counselling can be just the thing for couples who want to:
• work out how to stop quarrelling and fighting
• stop going round and round the same issues
• work out the ground rules for their relationship, no matter what stage they’re at
• talk about intimacy in the relationship
• work out how to fit their relationship in with the demands of children and family
• find a way to end their relationship well when they feel they just can’t stay together.
PACE counsellors don’t make judgements about who is right or wrong. They don’t tell people what to do. And they won’t try to persuade couples to stay together or to separate. They will help LGBT clients to:
• understand the relationship they share
• rediscover why they were attracted to each other in the first place
• find out what they want from their relationship and from each other
• discuss what they’re prepared to do to make the relationship work and then work around this.
Kath Blake Counselling Service Manager at PACE says:
“Every day I see people coming into counselling feeling so worn out by what’s happening in their relationships and feeling powerless to stop it. They’re not able to stop fighting, they’ve lost the feeling of intimacy they had, and they feel bewildered about how they got to the place they’re in.
Some people are struggling with ordinary issues and some with extraordinary things. For some it’s all about how to make time for themselves and their relationship in the midst of a busy work and family life. Others are facing the repercussions from an affair, the effects of grief, the demands of work or stress. Others may be trying to work out how to negotiate spending time with, or having sex with, other people outside of their relationship.
There are as many issues as there are people. And for LGBT couples, there are often additional issues in sustaining a relationship.
At whatever the stage of a relationship – beginning, middle or end – counselling is a way of clearing the path, restoring hope and finding ways to make a difference in people’s lives. In some ways it’s just that simple.”
Anyone who thinks they could use this service then contact KBlake@pacehealth.org.uk or call 020 7700 1323 for more information.
Info and enquiries: 020 7700 1323 or email counselling@pacehealth.org.uk or kath.blake@pacehealth.org.uk
