RELATE 2U
INFORMATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
What is counselling about?
Relate 2U is a counselling service for young people who between 16-19 years old. We can support you in dealing with difficulties you may be having with relationships Relate 2U provides an opportunity to talk to someone about how YOU feel; someone who will listen and not take sides.
Talking to parents, friends or teachers can sometimes be hard. You can talk to a counsellor in a different way. Counselling can help you make sense of your feelings.
Counselling is not an advice service; the counsellor’s role is to be a listening ear and to enable you to see the situation from a different point of view.
How will I know if Counselling is right for me?
You can meet the counsellor for one or more sessions to find out for yourself. You can ask questions, see how you feel. The counsellor will talk to you about where and when to come and how long the counselling will last. Counselling is voluntary. You have the choice to come along or not. Whatever you decide will be OK.
What about privacy? Will other people know what I have talked about?
What you talk about is confidential between you and the counsellor. It is your time and space to be with someone who is there to listen to you. If you are at risk of harm the counsellor may need to talk to someone else to help keep you safe but would talk with you about this first.
What you talk about is confidential between you and the counsellor. It is your time and space to be with someone who is there to listen to you.If you are at risk of harm the counsellor may need to talk to someone else to help keep you safe but would talk with you about this first.
Will anything be written about me?
Keeping any information about people safe and confidential is very important to the counsellor.
Keeping any information about people safe and confidential is very important to the counsellor. The counsellor will make some notes about what has been talked about in the session. These notes are kept in a secure place by the counselling service.
A counsellor presents their work to a counselling supervisor regularly. This person checks the counsellor is working well with you. Neither your name, nor your school are mentioned.
How do I make an appointment to see the counsellor?
Someone may have suggested it to you, or you might have talked to a member of staff who you trust. This could be your Head of Year or Mrs Watson.
Will my parent be told?
It is possible to come to counselling without your parents being informed although we would always encourage you to talk to your parents about this, wherever possible. It is always helpful for you to have the support of your parents for this work. Sometimes the counselling process can be difficult and it could help you if your parents are aware of the fact that you are having counselling; they do not need to know the details unless you want to tell them.
SAMPLE LETTER TO PARENTS
Dear Parent,
Relate, the organisation that is well known for helping adults with relationship difficulties, has recently begun a new service especially for young people who are experiencing difficulties with relationships.
In setting up this service, ‘Relate 2U’, Relate has acknowledged that many parents would wish their children to have access to the type of professional support which, until now, has only been available to adults.
We are fortunate to be able to work with Relate to offer easy access to any of our students who could benefit from professional and confidential support.
All Relate Counsellors are professionally trained with counselling skills and specifically trained in young people’s counselling to enable this service to be offered within school.
“Relate 2U” will be available to young people who are over 16 years old and who are attending the Sixth Form Centre. Relate 2U will be available on Tuesdays and any student wishing to see the Relate 2U Counsellor should speak to his/her Head of Year or to Mrs Watson.
Referrals can be suggested by parents, school staff and students although we would always want to encourage students to take responsibility for referring themselves; the student would always have to be in agreement that they wanted to see the Relate 2U counsellor. Young people have the right to refuse or discontinue counselling at any time.
Please return the slip below to acknowledge receipt of this letter. There is no need to do anything further unless you have questions regarding this service, in which case, please contact Mrs Watson.