​Welcome to Hastings Relationship Therapy

I am a Relate trained practitioner with an MA in Relationship Therapy. I am a registered member of the BACP and abide by their code of ethics.

I am experienced in working with children, individuals, families and couples of all ages and backgrounds, helping them to improve the quality of their relationships. I consider this a privilege.

I am married with two grown up children. Before training as a therapist I studied the History & Theory of Art at Kent Canterbury. I worked in interior and garden design. This was very intimate relational work, helping people with their personal spaces. It was important to understand their priorities, way of life, tastes and differences between partners’ preferences. I learned to be a good listener and to work together with the client to create something new.

In many ways this reflects my therapeutic work; a close collaboration to uncover hope and creative possibilities, at points in life when these might seem to be submerged in difficulties.

Taking the step to come to therapy can be a turning point in itself. I look forward to welcoming you in a safe and relaxed environment to work together on what is important to you.

I understand that people can sometimes struggle with relationships.  We all struggle with them at some point in our lives but some relationships are worth working at.

Relationship therapy can help couples, individuals and family’s explore the problems and patterns that can affect their quality of life.  The aim of the therapy is to develop an awareness of the conscious and unconscious relationship dynamics to create deeper understanding and enable the individuals to relate in a healthier way.

I work with a wide range of couples, from different cultural backgrounds, age ranges and sexual orientations. Issues within relationships can vary considerably. Below are some of the most common relationship issues that can be addressed in therapy:

Taking the step to come to therapy can be a turning point in itself. I look forward to welcoming you in a safe and relaxed environment to work together on what is important to you.

Helen Genty

Taking the step to see a relationship therapist may feel like a huge decision.  We may have felt that this was something only other people need to do, and that we could deal with on our own, in our couple or with the help of family and friends.

Many couples do indeed find that there are times when their usual resources don’t seem to be helping and they would benefit from talking to a therapist. Things that can make this easier is that the therapist doesn’t know you or your family and friends. They don’t take sides but support you both equally. You are in a neutral space with no distractions. You can sometimes find that the process of talking to a therapist makes your thoughts and feelings clearer. Likewise when you hear your partner talking to the therapist you are able to listen in a different way and sometimes get a new perspective.
All of the above advantages act as a foundation. To that foundation the therapist brings her theoretical knowledge and experience which helps to focus the sessions usefully.

What happens in our first session?

Our first meeting will be an opportunity for you to tell me your ‘story’ and what you want out of therapy. We can then decide together if therapy is likely to be beneficial.

What sort of things will we talk about in sessions?

We will explore your problem and what is keeping it in place. We may talk about your family of origin, family scripts and customs, communication styles. We may try to understand how your past may be influencing your experience of the present, and to discuss your hopes and wishes for the future. We may look at particular incidents in detail, breaking it down to look at how you are making meaning from your partner’s words or actions. This may enable you to develop new perspectives, options, understandings and ideas.

Children may be affected by troubles and changes in their lives.  Normal life can present problems such as house moves, change of schools, change in parental situation, illness or loss of a loved one.

Often these situations cause considerable stress to the adults and other members of the family and can often leave you feeling powerless and unsure on how to deal with it.

A change in behaviour, such as withdrawal, angry outbursts, lack of concentration, sleep problems or slipping back a developmental stage could all be communications of distress.

It can be heartrending to see the child you love having problems. Using play, drawing, sand-tray, stories and ‘pretend’, enable children to use their natural gift for metaphor to describe their internal world. Although we can’t change outer difficult life conditions, facilitating the expression of feelings that are acknowledged with care and empathy is in itself a healing process.

Every family goes through difficulties at some time. These can be to do with adjustments to new situations, like separation, house moves, school changes, loss of someone special or transitions like the changes experienced in adolescence.

Sometimes families need support with a longer term situation like living with depression, or rebalancing, or re-connecting after a rift, or after enduring behavioural problems such as child to parent violence and abuse.

Maybe parents need support with developing a parenting approach that works for them and their families. Working together with parents and children can create collaborative conversations.

What happens in our sessions?

In the course of this work, we would meet sometimes individually and sometimes with 2 or more family members. The key is to have the right mix at the right time.

I am experienced in making young people feel at ease. I offer them the option of attending with a parent or on their own.

Young people are often happier to talk when they are doing something else. One of the ways to facilitate this is to have drawing or doodling materials to hand, and where appropriate we may use sand tray which is very ‘hands on’.

For younger children we may use therapeutic games to encourage involvement in the discussions.

Who is it for?

Family therapy can cover a wide spectrum of ages, relationships and demographics. It is an honour to work with people to help facilitate understanding and support their relationships.

The first session and ongoing sessions for couples, 2 family members, or for individuals are 50 minutes long. The fee for this sessions is £80.

Family sessions including 3 or more family members, require longer sessions of 75 minutes . The fee for this sessions is £120.

Children’s sessions are generally shorter depending on age. I am happy to discuss this with you.

A minimum of 48 hours notice is required for all cancellations. As much notice as possible is always appreciated. The full cost of a session will be charged if cancellations are made with less than 48 hours notice if we can’t reschedule that week.

For date and time availability please contact me using the contact form, email hastingsrelationshiptherapy@gmail.com  or call me on 07815 44 24 08.

I offer sessions online and face-to-face.

My practice hours are Monday to Thursday, 10.00 to 19.00.

I am available within the following periods:

Mental Health Role: Psychotherapist
Credential Type: Membership
Organisation: British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Membership Type: Registered Member

If you have any questions or enquiries please give call or use the form below:

Helen – 07815 44 24 08

Practice hours: Monday to Thursday, 10.00 to 19.00

How to get to me:

My consulting rooms are on the top floor of Oak Passage Chambers.

Address: 6 Oak Passage Chambers, High Street, Hastings, TN34 3EH

This building is at the corner of George Street and the High Street.

On the lower street level is Fagin’s restaurant.

The entrance to Oak Passage Chambers is accessed via an upper walkway from the High Street. No.6 is the top floor of this building.

There’s a bell push to the right of the door. Press No.6 and I’ll come to meet you.

There are several carparks nearby – Pelham Place on the sea front, and one on The Bourne.

Finding the Entrance: Oak Passage is a charming, narrow walkway located off the western side of the High Street. If you are walking up from the seafront, the passage is on your left. Look for the entrance to the passage between the shop fronts; you will see a sign for Oak Passage Chambers at the entrance.

From Hastings Railway Station (Walking – approx. 17 minutes) For those arriving by train, the walk to the High Street takes you through the heart of the town.

• Exit Hastings railway station and head south toward the seafront.

• Walk down Havelock Road and turn left onto Robertson Street, continuing through the pedestrianized shopping area.

• Cross over the main road toward George Street, a popular pedestrian street filled with independent shops.

• At the end of George Street, turn left onto the High Street.

• Oak Passage is a small, historic alleyway located on the western side of the High Street. You will find the entrance to the chambers tucked within this passage.

From the Seafront (Driving & Parking) If your visitors are driving, the closest access is via the A259 seafront road.

• Follow the A259 toward Hastings Old Town and look for parking at the Pelham Place or The Bourne car parks.

• Once parked, walk toward the High Street.

• From the southern end of the High Street (near George Street), walk north for a short distance.

• Look for the Oak Passage entrance, which is situated between the shopfronts on the left-hand side as you walk up the hill.