Relationship counselling

We offer relationship counselling for free, in partnership with Relate. This is aimed at couples or individuals whose relationships have been impacted by a brain tumour diagnosis. Whether you need tips for keeping a relationship strong or your relationship is struggling, we’re here to help.

Are you experiencing changes to your relationship with a partner because of a brain tumour?

Do you feel you need support to help start a new relationship or keep your current relationship on track?

If so, you don’t have to try to cope with this alone. We’re here for you.

Free relationship counselling for people affected by brain tumours

Good quality relationships matter for our health. They can even affect our survival and quality of life. But a brain tumour diagnosis can put a strain on even the healthiest of relationships and make it harder to start new relationships.

Our Losing Myself report found that 2 in 3 people felt their diagnosis had a negative impact on their relationship with their partner. And 72% of the respondents said it had affected physical intimacy.

That’s why we’ve partnered with Relate, the leading relationships charity in England and Wales. With their help, we are proud to deliver a free relationship counselling service for UK-based couples and individuals whose relationship has been affected by a brain tumour.

Our free relationship counselling service is here to support you, whether you just want to check in to help keep your relationship on track or you feel like you’re really struggling. And you can access it as an individual or as a couple – it’s up to you.

You can find out more about our Relationship Support Service in our relationship counselling FAQs or book an initial assessment call using our online form. You can also contact our Support and Information team today to find out more about the service.

Book an initial assessment callRelationship counselling FAQs

If someone is looking for practical or emotional relationship advice, I can’t recommend it highly enough to help navigate the tricky ways in which a brain tumour diagnosis can impact on a relationship.

Read Ed's story

Ed from Kent was diagnosed with a Grade 4 glioblastoma in June 2018 after he collapsed at work. He and his wife have recently been using the relationship service the Charity offers in partnership with Relate to help support him as a husband and father.

“My wife and I had been together for 10 years when I was diagnosed. Until then, our relationship had been so carefree. From day one, we knew that we had a long-term future together and we had a good grasp of what we both wanted that to look like too. However, my diagnosis threw all that into question overnight. We did still get married just nine months later and we soon welcomed our first child after going through IVF.

“The diagnosis really changed how I viewed myself and how I felt that other people saw me too. All of a sudden, I needed help and support to complete what should be really simple tasks. I thought that I had become a burden – someone who needed caring for – and it really knocked my confidence. This resulted in a total lack of interest in the physical side of a relationship.

“The relationship service with Relate was so empathetic. I quickly built a rapport with a professional ear which gave me the confidence to discuss in detail the emotional and practical barriers which were creating the issues in my relationship. We talked openly and real effort was made to understand my situation, offer practical solutions and also understand that sometimes maybe I didn’t want to talk.

“If someone is looking for practical or emotional relationship advice, I can’t recommend it highly enough to help navigate the tricky ways in which a brain tumour diagnosis can impact on a relationship.”

Free counselling for individuals

If you want to talk about issues broader than can be covered in relationship counselling, we also offer a more general counselling service for anyone diagnosed with a brain tumour, or their loved ones.

Find out more

Book an initial assessment call for our Relationship Support Service

To refer yourself to our Relationship Counselling service, please first complete the below form and then head to the following page to book an initial assessment call with a member of our Support Team. The initial assessment is simply an opportunity for us to understand more about the support that you are looking for, to ensure this is the right service for you.