EACH year, the compassionate therapists at Relate brace themselves to hear new stories of heartbreak, deceit and addiction and begin the process of helping people get their lives back on track.

With hundreds of couples, youngsters and families crying out for help in the New Year, the Croydon and Purley-based service wants people to know they are there to listen.

Counsellor and life skills trainer Bernadette Thomas works with the charity in Croydon.

She said: "One of the busiest times is after Christmas – January for us is packed.

"I think it's because Christmas brings about a lot of challenges, financial stress and pressure of the whole season.

"People have gone to Christmas parties and affairs have been disclosed as a result. For some people it's a new year and they think 'I don't want to continue with this relationship, I want a clean start'.

"People are taking stock of their lives.

"There are problems with families and extended families – should previous partners come over at Christmas?

"It all impacts on relationships."

Bernadette said a number of affairs are revealed over the festive season.

She added: "One of the clients that sticks in my mind is a man who had lots of affairs.

"One of the women ended up giving birth near the festive period and he wanted to keep that quiet, but she turned up at his family home on Christmas Day holding the baby.

"He had been planning to migrate with his wife and three kids.

"It's a different world out there.

"He didn't know what the word 'faithful' meant."

As well as struggling with monogamy, financial and insecurity problems contributed to Bernadette's client straying so often.

She continued: "There were money issues there too. He was controlling all the finances and that didn't help.

"He came to counselling, he wanted to understand what his issues were and how he could find a way of conquering them.

"It was about liking himself. Deep down he had really low self-esteem.

"I worked with him for a long time and in the end him and his wife found a way to stay together."

As well as couple and marriage therapy, Relate – which has offices in Church Street, Croydon and Brighton Road, Purley – counsels families, individuals and children.

Whether it is a lack of confidence people are suffering with, trust issues or insecurity, dedicated counsellors are on hand to help people talk through their problems and find a way to overcome them.

Trained experts are available for relationship counselling, sex therapy, relationship education in schools and family counselling.

"I don't think I knew how important relationships were before I worked at Relate." Bernadette said.

"There are so many people crying out for the service."

Watching clients overcome their troubles and become happy again is the most rewarding thing about working for Relate, according to one counsellor.

Gerry Fletcher works with adults and also goes into schools, to talk to youngsters.

She loves being able to support them through their difficult teenage years.

Gerry told the Advertiser: "I always say to kids 'if I ask you to carry round a sack of potatoes that weighed 100 lbs would you do it?'

"Then they are able to put words to what it feels like carrying around pain, bad memories, bereavement.

"I work closely with child protection people too."

A violent attack on public transport brought Gerry to a school once more, when she was asked to speak to a group of students.

She added: "There was a stabbing on a bus and I was called in to help with the shock and what came out of that was a lot of children being able to open up about other things they had never been able to talk about.

"I see how they respond and engage."

Gerry, who has worked for the charity for more than eight years, hopes generous sponsors will come forward to help the team.

She said: "What is so rewarding is when sometimes a family come in for just a consultation and they come away saying ‘this was really helpful’."

Relate now relies solely on fees from clients and sales from its charity shops, having had council funding withdrawn.

For more information and for prices, visit www.relatecandw.org.uk or call 0300 003 225.