|
||
|
||
|
|
 |
||||||||
Date: 9th September 2005 Parliament Called on to Promote Benefits
of Relationship Counselling Services Adults in Scotland need better access to relationship counselling services according to Mary Toner of Scottish Marriage Care (SMC). Her plea comes in advance of next weeks Stage 1 debate on the Family Law Bill. Mary Toner has called on the Scottish Parliament to promote understanding that counselling works for couples of all ages and stages. She knows that the damage caused by acrimonious relationships to individuals, families and the wider community is not fully comprehended. From research, SMC knows that many couples have had relationship difficulties for up to seven years before they seek help from counselling. This is a prolonged, distressing, time for adults, children and wider family. Counselling does help unhappy relationships by reducing stress and changing negative behaviours, and works equally well for men and women of all social backgrounds. Relationship counselling also reduces work absenteeism, improves productivity and enables couples/individuals to take on new skills and knowledge through the counselling process. Relationships can be helped at an early stage or when they have drastically deteriorated. Damaged relationships do not need to end in separation, divorce or acrimony. With the right help from relationship counselling services, couples can thrive individually, as can the children and wider family, e.g. grandparents. The benefits of improved access to relationship counselling services are far reaching. These include better relationships with children, and better communication skills in the home as well as the workplace, contributing substantially to a more stable family life. From research and practice SMC knows that children thrive if the adult relationship is good even though the parents may be separated. SMC recognises that the provision of Family Support Services is key to the reform of Family Law in Scotland. Yet couples in Scotland face a number of different barriers to accessing services, including denial that a problem exists, lack of awareness of services and how to access them, and availability. Mary goes on to point out that "We know
that better knowledge of and access to a range of
Family Support services would strengthen families
by strengthening relationships - both the couple
and the parenting relationship. However a general
problem is the absence of clarity regarding the
distinction between the various support services,
as each one offers something entirely different,
and each is required at a different time.
Relationship counselling is a highly effective and
cost efficient intervention, which would reduce
recourse to the law and reduce the need for
absent parents to activate PRRs." For further information, please contact: Mary Toner, Chief Executive Phone:0141-222 2166 |
|||||||||
|
||||||
