Confidential help for children and young people whose worries are affecting their wellbeing
iRelate is Relate West Surrey’s service that offers confidential counselling for children and young people aged 10-18. For a teen, life can be difficult and hard to manage: feel sad, scared, hopeless or angry? You are not alone and it is okay to ask for help and support.
What it is
iRelate is a counselling service for 10-18 year olds to help young people and teenagers with problems at home, at school or college, with anxiety, anger, feeling isolated, with bullying, or with identity issues to do with gender or sexuality. Young people aged 16 or over can self-refer. Under 16’s can be referred by parents, carers or guardians.
How it helps
We offer a totally confidential space in which young people can open up about their difficulties. We would only break confidentiality if they or others they know are at risk. We can help to empower young people to take charge of their lives and develop strategies to cope with their emotions and move forward with their difficulties
What to expect
We see a young person for an initial appointment for up to 45 minutes to find out if we can help. Then we book regular weekly counselling sessions of up to 45 minutes either face to face or online. We are part of the NHS CAMHS Mindworks service in Surrey. For more information about this service which can only be accessed via a GP or school, click on this link: Mindworks – www.mindworks-surrey.org
Young people counselling case study
Young man aged 16 had stopped going out with his friends and whereas he was a keen footballer had now withdrawn from his local team.
He had seen a psychiatrist as he disclosed at school that he was hearing voices. As he was year 11 he was also anxious regarding his GCSE’s.
The goals he set for himself were to take up football training again once a week. He now goes regularly and is considering trying for the team. He admits it has had a really positive effect.
With regard to the voices, this is just one voice which calls out his name. The recurrence of this has significantly reduced and it is now not an issue for him and therefore he did not feel this needed to be made into a goal.
The counsellor worked with him to set up a revision timetable which was achievable for him. This has been good for him as he can plan ahead and feels he is keeping up with what he needs to do. The counsellor wrote to the school to ask if it is possible as he has exam anxiety to put him in a smaller room and make sure he is at the end of a row near the exit. He says his grades (and the mock exams he has had to do) have improved dramatically since this has been put in place.
He has said that counselling has made a difference to his life and he in the future will not be afraid to ask for help if he needs it.
Please note names have been changed for reasons of confidentiality.
