Free Sessions To Help Children Cope With Family Break-ups

Published on: 8 Feb, 2015
Updated on: 8 Feb, 2015

Help for children in emotional distress over family break-ups is being offered in a group session format starting in Guildford on March 5.

Surrey Family & Mediation Services, a non-for-profit charity with more than 30 years experience, has places available for the next phase of its free support programme.

Christine Peters from the organisation said: “Family separation or parental divorce is very difficult for children whatever their age.

“Often children are angry, confused, frightened, anxious and deeply sad which can lead to challenging behaviour both at home and in school. For the last eight years we have provided a unique free of charge counselling service dedicated to the support of children whose parents are either in the process of separating and divorcing or who separated some time in the past.”

The group courses are for children aged six to 13 years who might need additional emotional support to understand the changes happening in their family.

The courses are on a rolling programme and after March the next groups will start in May.
The service is funded by The BIG Lottery.

Parents are encouraged to refer direct, call 01372 749911, with no need to go through a GP or school. Parents are also supported and offered a two-hour meeting to discuss what their children need and are given tips and ideas on how to support their children.

Most sessions are in school time. The service has a good working relationship with local schools that are generally supportive of the results the service has achieved. Each child is given a letter for their teacher, which explains where they are and what they are doing.

Christine adds: “One little boy who attended the service was grateful for the support he received and said that he could now understand that his mum and dad both loved him although their feelings for each other had changed.

“He realised that he could not ‘stick them back together’ and was delighted in the prospect of having two homes and two birthdays.

New groups for children will also be starting in March in Woking, Chertsey and Epsom, all with places available.

More details at Surrey Family & Mediation Service’s website.