Surrey Counselling & Mediation (formerly Relate Mid and East Surrey) FAQs
Supporting Relationships for Everyone, Everywhere
We help thousands of people each year – individuals, couples, and families – to build stronger, healthier relationships. With themselves, or others.
FAQs
We’ve collected the most commonly asked questions about our services. If you have a general question about our services, it may be covered here.
Relationship Counselling
Yes. We will not give your name or any information about you to anyone outside our organisation unless someone’s personal safety is at risk.
Counselling helps you take time out from your situation and see it from a fresh perspective. Working with a counsellor gives you – or you and your partner – the opportunity to reflect, talk openly, and explore what can be done to improve your situation. It also offers a safe, confidential space to explore complex or difficult issues.
At Surrey Counselling & Mediation, we support people with all aspects of relationship counselling. Whether you’re facing challenges in a current relationship, coming to terms with the end of a past one, or finding it difficult to form new relationships, we’re here to help you work through the issues.
Counselling can help restore communication between partners, address unresolved feelings from past relationships, and build confidence to handle future challenges more effectively.
Yes. Whether you are single, or if you have a partner who doesn’t want to come or you simply want to discuss things alone you are welcome to bring any aspect of your current, past or future relationships to us, by yourself.
We always welcome feedback and are committed to improving our services. We have a complaints procedure designed to be clear, fair, and accessible.
If you wish to make a complaint, please raise it initially with the Centre. Your concerns will be fully investigated, and you will receive a response within four weeks.
We work with individuals and couples from all backgrounds, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The minimum age to apply for couples counselling is 16 but there is no upper age limit. Young people’s counselling is available to those aged above 11 years.
Yes. We welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Whether you’re in a same-sex relationship, part of the LGBTQ+ community, or exploring your identity, we’re here to support you.
We understand the unique challenges that can affect LGBTQ+ individuals and couples – from issues that place strain on relationships and families, to those that cause more subtle stress or uncertainty. Whether you’re facing difficulties or simply want to strengthen what’s already working well, we provide a safe, non-judgemental space to talk things through.
As each person’s situation is vastly different from the next, we cannot give an average number of sessions. Your slot is yours for as long as you need it. Some people find that one or two sessions will help them work through their problems and help them to move forward, while others may find they need to attend for several months.
Sex Therapy
In sex therapy you and the therapist work with the problems you have identified. The therapist will design a programme of exercises especially for you and you will be asked to do specific exercises at home. At your sessions, the therapist will discuss your progress with the exercises and the best next steps for you. You will never be asked to undertake any sexual tasks during the sessions.
We deal with every client’s situation individually and the length of time a course of therapy takes depends on your circumstances. Sessions are usually weekly and therapists always work at your pace, not to a timetable, so you will never feel rushed or obliged to come back unnecessarily.
Sex therapy can help where people have ‘gone off’ sex – lack of desire is the most common problem for female clients. It can also help with problems such as erectile dysfunction or if sex is painful, where this is not caused by a medical condition.
Sex therapy can be very successful in helping people re-establish an active sex life. 93% of people who have completed sex therapy said they felt their sexual relationship improved after using the service. Working with a our sex therapists will help you to overcome the problems you’re having and find a way to move on from them.
No. Many people are referred to sex therapy by their GP but you can also make an appointment with us to discuss any aspect of your sex life or relationship without a referral.
Yes, if you are single, or if your partner doesn’t want to come along, or if you simply want to see a sex therapist alone.
All our sex therapists are qualified in couples counselling having undertaken training for two to three years. They then undertake further specialist training in sex therapy.
Young People’s Counselling
Our YPC counsellors have been trained specifically to help children affected by the breakdown of a relationship within the family. We offer a listening service to those between the ages of 11 and 25. YPC can help your child to understand the way they are feeling about their situation and to develop coping strategies, while building their self-confidence for the future.
YPC clients are treated with the same confidentiality as those attending couple counselling or sex therapy. While it may be possible for you to pass on information that you feel your child’s counsellor will find helpful, their counsellor cannot discuss any aspect of their case with you. Breaking the confidentiality would break the bond of trust between client and counsellor.
We want young people’s counselling to be accessible to everyone. If cost is a barrier, please speak to us – we may be able to offer support to help you access the sessions.
Family Counselling
We use a carefully planned assessment to identify whether we are the most appropriate agency to provide this help for you, or whether another source would be more appropriate.
Family Counselling is open to couples and other family members seeking help with their family difficulties. ‘Family members’ could be parents, children, siblings or extended family, including those from different generations and blended families.
You may gain an increased understanding to make choices about how you manage your relationships within the family setting, develop more effective ways of managing areas of difficulty within the family, and develop better communication, both within a couple relationship and across generations. We can also offer information on other courses of help which may further improve your situation.
We often offer Family Counselling to assist family members who are experiencing some difficulties in their relationships with one another.
Education & Learning (Workshops)
Workshops and courses are run by qualified trainers who are also qualified counsellors. Their approach is sensitive, understanding and non-judgemental.
Generally you will be together with 8 to 12 people at a similar life stage. However, we do have some courses that are run in schools & colleges and some professional courses that are much larger. Course materials are based on modern adult learning principles. During the course you may take part in group discussions, case studies, questionnaires, games or a variety of other tasks. Some courses for professionals include role-play elements in order to practise essential skills.
Yes, most of our courses and workshops are for individuals. However, the Couples Course requires both partners to attend. Increased benefit can be gained if both parents attend the Parents Apart workshops.
Contact Us
Learn more or make an appointment:
- Reigate 01737 245212
- Epsom 01372 722976