Relationship Support,
Counselling, Family Counselling,
Youth Counselling & Support,
Training in Relationship & Life Skills
Send us an email
Tel. 0845 0702 315

Southend Centre

29 Harcourt Ave
Southend-on-Sea
SS2 6HT

Basildon Centre

4 Cherrydown West
Basildon
SS16 5AT

Choosing a Service

  • Choose counselling if you need some support and space to think through your relationships difficulties
  • Choose mediation if you are in the process of separating or divorcing and want to negotiate with your partner as an alternative to lititgation
  • Choose training if you need to build your communication and relationship skills and would prefer to work within a group
  • Choose youth support if you are between the ages of 14 - 18 (and up to 25 if in education)
  • Choose "special" play if you are under 10 years of age
  • Choose "special" play if you are a parent who would like to learn how to enhance your relationship with your children

Couple Counselling

We will work with couples on issues that are affecting their relationship currently or events that have happened in the past that are causing problems now. We ask people to attend weekly for one hour. You will be offered an first appointment, usually within 14 days, to make sure we are the right agency to help you. After that, with your agreement, we will continue on a weekly basis, usually making a contract for six weeks work at a time. We will work with you as long as the service is beneficial for you. This usually means that we work to 6 week contracts, so that you can participate in reviewing your situation and the help that counselling is giving you.
You do not have to be married to attend with your partner. You may be thinking about committing to a long term relationship or concerned that your relationship is not what you want it to be. We encourage people to attend together but this is not essential.
This service is delivered by staff who have been especially trained in working with couples. They may have a Relate Certificate or an AQA Diploma in Counselling with a Couple Counselling as a speciality. They may also have a Family Therapy qualification or a Cognitive Behavioural Counselling qualification.

Individual Counselling

Our work is focused on relationship issues. You might be concerned that you cannot make lasting relationships or you may be in a relationship that is causing you concerns. You might be in a position where you are worrying about events that happened in the past or future events. Sometimes we offer appointments to individuals who later choose to bring their partner along.
We will aim to offer you an appointment within 14 days of contact. The first appointment will ensure that we are the right agency for you and if we don't think we are the best people to help you we will suggest some alternatives. We offer weekly appointments of one hour duration.
This service is delivered by staff that have been especially trained in working with relationship issues. They may have a Relate Certificate or an AQA Diploma in Counselling.

Sex Therapy

This is for couples who have a good relationship that is threatened by particular sexual difficulties. When couples attend for the first session the therapist will assess whether they are best able to help you or whether a relationship counsellor would be better able to help. Sex therapy requires a commitment of between 10 - 20 weeks and the therapist can help with difficulties like non-consummation of a partnership, orgasm/ejaculatory problems, painful intercourse, erectile problems or lack of sexual interest.
All of our staff have undertaken the Relate Diploma in Psycho-sexual therapy.

Parent and Teenager Mediation

We often get couples in counselling sessions talking about their teenagers. We also get teenagers complaining that their parents do not understand them. The opportunity for one parent and one teenager (Mum/Dad/Carer/Step-parent) to get together with a mediator and a youth counsellor for one or sometimes two sessions has proved very helpful.
This a no-blame situation with the focus on making things run more smoothly in the future. Both adult and teenager have an opportunity to be heard individually and together and the staff are there to create a safe space for discussion, listening, negotiation and planning to take place.
There may be issues around new partners, about the tensions of having a teenager in the house, of young pregnancies or stresses from school as well as sibling rivalry.
The first session usually lasts for around 1.5 hours and sometimes parents and teenagers ask for one follow-up session. The emphasis is on mutual respect and finding a solution to the problem.
Staff will hold a counselling and/or mediation qualification.

"Special" play for parents

This service developed from the success of the play therapy work we have been undertaking. Play therapy is for children between the ages of 5 - 11 years and we believe that children younger than this should be supported by their parents and carers - people they know the best and already have trust in.
The idea of "special" play has been developed from the American Model of Child/Parent Relationship Therapy, which encourages parents to use techniques borrowed from play therapy to enhance their interaction with their children.
In 5 - 10 sessions parents are shown how to build their child/parent bond by putting aside half an hour per week for exclusive interaction with their child. Special toys are chosen for this time and parents are encouraged to allow the children to lead the play - not forcing learning but looking at the emotional bond that is being formed.
All staff are trained counsellors/trainers with additional "play" therapy training.