Why do we always put things off until it's too late? We avoid visiting the dentist until we have a toothache, leave getting a haircut until you can't see past your fringe and forget to call the plumber about that leak until the pipe bursts.

Some things are far too important to put off until tomorrow. Your relationship should be one of those matters, but sadly many people are missing out on valuable help from Relate because they're put off by a number of misconceptions about the way we work.

. Dispelling the Myths: The most common misconception is that we only provide our service to married couples. Although many years ago we used the term Marriage Guidance, as the nature of families and relationships has changed and evolved with time, so have we. . Our services are open to anyone, regardless of marital status, age or sexuality. . In fact, you don't even have to be in a current relationship to seek our support as we also offer counselling to those who have difficulty forming new relationships and those dealing with separation or divorce.

• Many people also assume they must be at crisis point before they can ask Relate for help. In fact, it's always better to tackle the problem as soon as it arises. Relate's guidance can be especially useful for couples that have no specific problem but are facing a life change and feel that some guidance would help them to deal with their new circumstances. We can offer support for those who are about to enter the commitment of marriage or facing initial incompatibilities after deciding to move in together. We're not just here to help you through the dark times but to help you make the bright times last.  
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• Another common misconception is that you will have to wait weeks or even months for an appointment at Relate. The recruitment of several new counsellors at Reigate and Epsom has meant that we've been able to offer initial appointments almost as soon as we receive a call most of the time. Depending on a client's availability, we can also usually offer an ongoing slot within two to three weeks, sometimes even less.  
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• There are also a number of misconceptions around the way Relate works. Our counsellors are completely impartial and will help you to work through your issues together to find the best way forward. Counselling will move at your own pace and, once given, your ongoing slot will be yours for as many weeks as you need it. Your counsellor will never allow blame to be pointed in any direction and will help you to reach your own solutions rather than tell you what to do. You are always in control of your counselling.
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• Alongside couple counselling we also offer Sex Therapy for couples where the relationship is good but there is a specific sexual difficulty, and a Young People's Counselling (YPC) listening service for those aged between 10-25 who have been affected by the breakdown of a relationship within the family, usually of their parents. It can be useful to help them identify emotions and fears brought on by change and to develop self-confidence and coping strategies. Where the problem affects other family members, our Family Counselling service can be helpful for improving communication and identifying patterns of relationships. 
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• We receive no statutory funding and rely on donations and income from our popular charity shop at 2A/B Trehaven Parade, Woodhatch to allow us to provide our services to the public. Feel free to drop into our shop at any time to browse our stock and chat to our volunteers.

If you're still unsure whether Relate counselling is for you, why not give us a call and ask us for more information?

We might not be able to help with your toothache, but if you would like relationship advice then please don't hesitate to give us a call.  .