Press Releases
APRIL 2010
PRESS RELEASE: Relate 2U Service launched for Grammar School Sixth Formers
A new counselling service for 16 to 19 year olds has been launched at the Grammar School Sixth Form Centre. Relate 2U aims to support young people dealing with difficulties they may be having with relationships.
A member of staff at Relate, Guernsey, is qualified as a Relate Young People’s Counsellor, and the organisation approached the Education Department to offer its services.
It has been agreed to launch a pilot free counselling service offering one to one sessions to students who attend the Grammar School Sixth Form Centre.
‘We aim to support the emotional health and well-being of our students as well as encouraging their academic achievements,’ said Director of Sixth Form, Tina Watson.
‘We already work closely with the School Nursing Service which provides support for students with more generic emotional difficulties. This partnership with Relate, Guernsey, will enable us to provide focussed support for students experiencing difficulties with their relationships, enhancing the support offered to young people at an important stage in their student lives.’
The Relate 2U Service will offer regular weekly drop-in sessions. Referrals can be made by parents, school staff and students themselves; students can make individual appointments to see the counsellor either by talking to their form tutor, the Director of Sixth Form, or attending a drop-in session.
Annette Stewart from Relate, Guernsey, said that the new service would provide students with an opportunity to talk to someone who would listen and not take sides.
‘Talking to parents, friends or teachers can sometimes be hard. Students can talk to a counsellor in a different way and they can hopefully help them make sense of their feelings,’ she said.
‘The counselling is confidential and voluntary. Although students may attend without their parents being informed, we would always encourage them to talk to their parents about their difficulties, wherever possible.’
Thanks to commercial sponsorship, the Relate 2U Service will run for a year initially with evidence being collected and collated towards the end of that period in order to evaluate the impact it has on helping support students dealing with their emotional difficulties, enabling them to continue focusing on their studies. A decision will then be taken on whether to continue the service or possibly extend it to other education sites.
November 2009
PRESS RELEASE: Relate helps Guernsey relationships with Library books
Relate, the local relationship counselling service, is reaching out to couples with problems by donating a number of self-help books to the Guille Alles Library. Relate Centre Manager, Annette Stewart will officially be handing over the books to Maggie Falla, Chief Librarian on Thursday, 26th November at 9.30 a.m.
Annette comments “Couples with relationship difficulties often struggle on hoping that things will somehow get better between their partner and themselves, when actually counselling can often ease their difficulties more quickly and help them to see the issues from a different light. By putting these books on the Library shelves we hope they will enable those who are struggling with various relationship problems to easily access valuable professional advice for free from the pages of these books, with the knowledge that should they need it, face-to-face professional counselling is available for them nearby.”
Relate is offering seven books in total to the Guille Alles Library:
Loving Yourself Loving Another: The Importance of Self-Esteem for Successful Relationships by Julia Cole - This book reveals how a lack of self-esteem can profoundly affect an individual's close relationships. Comprising exercises, advice, and self-awareness puzzles, this guide is designed to help the reader improve their emotional well-being.
After the Affair: How to Build Trust and Love Again by Julia Cole
Finding out that your partner has had an affair feels like the end of the world. This book looks at why people have affairs and the effect they may have upon the person who has been betrayed. It attempts to help couples understand their feelings, overcome feelings of betrayal and help them decide the next step.
Stop Arguing Start Talking: The 10 Point Plan for Couples in Conflict by Susan Quilliam – This book aims to help couples break free of old patterns of behaviour and avoid using words as weapons when the going gets tough. It shows couples how to have upfront discussions rather than resorting to nagging, and to bring dialogue rather than confrontation back into your relationship.
Staying Together: From Crisis to Deeper Commitment by Susan Quilliam
This guide offers advice on how to learn to come to terms with a failing relationship, assess whether it is worth saving, and how to overcome relationship difficulties.
How to Have a Healthy Divorce by Paula Hall - This is an accessible, sympathetic and uncomplicated guide to facing divorce with pragmatism and optimism, helping to emerge from a healthy divorce with valuable lessons learnt and the tools to build a secure and fulfilling future.
Moving On: Breaking Up Without Breaking Down by Suzie Hayman - In this book the author provides information, advice and practical strategies to help cope with divorce of break up, as positively as possible, with the stress of breaking up with a partner. The issues covered are how to manage negative feelings, help children through the difficult process, communicate with everyone throughout, cope with shared parenting responsibilities and sort out financi al issues. Sympathetic, sound and full of positive, practical advice, this is an invaluable guide for all those facing the breakdown of their relationship.
Starting Again: How to Learn from the Past for a Better Future by Sarah Litvinoff - A guide to looking to a positive future after the grief of a failed relationship. Through self-assessment questionnaires, tasks and discussion points, the author helps the reader to reach a greater understanding of him- or herself and to build a new social life.
The seven books can be found on the first floor of the Guille-Alles Library. If the books prove popular Relate Guernsey will consider providing more titles in the future as part of their continuing efforts to help couples in Guernsey with relationship problems.
November 2009
Maggie Falla, Chief Librarian accepts the Relate books from Christopher Bradshaw, Chairman and Annette Stewart, Centre Manager Relate Guernsey