Apart from all the usual strains of family life like money worries and parenting concerns, we know that RAF couples have to cope with additional pressures, like maintaining a long-distance relationship. RAF couples may have to cope with long stretches of time apart from each other on top of all the tensions of keeping their work and family life together. That's why the RAFBF has joined with Relate to provide a bit of extra support.
How does it work?
The RAF Benevolent Fund is offering to pay for up to 6 counselling sessions with Relate for serving personnel and/or their partners. Whether married, living together, in a same-sex relationship, separated, divorced or single, Relate's confidential service can help. Face-to-face counselling, telephone counselling and advice via web-based live chat are now available, giving the opportunity to chat to a trained Relate consultant in the most convenient way.
Is the service confidential?
Everything said to a Relate consultant or counsellor will remain completely confidential. No one in the RAF will be informed. Users of the service will need to give their or their partner's service number to Relate, but this is simply to confirm eligibility.
To access live chat or to find out more go to: www.rafbf-workitout.org.uk or call 0845 077 5556 where a trained Relate consultant will be able to talk through the available options.
"We've been going to RAF Brize Norton, seeing three or four clients a month," says Alan Burkinshaw, Manager of Relate Oxford.
"We're often helping people to deal with regular periods of separation and the impact that has on their relationship. For example, a father may come back from Afghanisatan and may not engage with his family, because he's struggling to come to terms with what he has experienced. Or perhaps he's ready to talk, but his children aren't interested and that causes him to feel angry or upset.
"Coming to see us, confidentially, gives people a chance to talk, be listened to, and not be judged. You can raise difficult topics and there's someone there who can make sure you get a fair hearing and who can mediate. You can start to see things from a different perspective and people have told us it's saved their marriage."
