RELATE Cheshire and Merseyside have analysed their client data for 2022 and identified the five key reasons people in the area turn to counselling.
It was a busy year, during which their highly trained counsellors supported more than 1,500 people.
Here are the top five reasons people turned to Relate for help in 2022:
1. Communications. When relationships are under strain and when we’re unhappy or dissatisfied, it seems that the first thing to suffer is our ability to communicate with each other. “Talking helps”, we are told, yet we often forget this. A massive 96% of clients reported that communication issues were at the heart of their relationship problems.
2. Behaviour. Almost nine out of ten (88%) of Relate’s clients in 2022 pinpointed the behaviour of others, usually their partners or spouses, as the reason for signing up for counselling.
3. Sex and intimacy. Some would argue that these are the ties that bind us, but when the ties begin to fray, relationships become strained and unbalanced. Almost three quarters (75%) of clients cited sex and intimacy as being significant issues within their relationships.
4. Relationship Breakdown. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the final breakdown of a relationship, whether that resolved itself into separation or divorce, was a key factor in the reasons behind more than seven in ten (72%) of clients turning to Relate for counselling. Counselling can still help you and your partner, even when a relationship has irrevocably failed.
5. Health and Bereavement. Health problems and bereavement are hammer blows to happiness and for 68% of Relate’s clients during 2022, they played a part in their decision to turn to the counselling service for help.
From these figures, it’s clear that the need for counselling has never been greater and most of the reasons are familiar and, perhaps, not unexpected. However, it’s perhaps more of a surprise to find communications at the top of the list of issues.
In this age of smart phones, it’s never been easier to keep in touch, but something is clearly going wrong with much our ability to communicate Perhaps the distraction and disruption smartphones bring to domestic settings, where we ought to be able to rely on old fashioned conversations, is a factor.
Happily, counselling remains an effective and accessible means to resolve relationship issues. A reassuring 95% of clients reported counselling to have been beneficial and 81% felt it had improved their situation. Register for counselling with Relate Cheshire and Merseyside via their website www.relatecm.org.uk or simply call 0300 330 5793. There are no waiting lists and counselling slots are available right now!
