The PACE Family Support Service offers FREE counselling, support and advice to all family members whatever their age or sexuality. The service is designed to help
- Heterosexual parents who may need support when discovering their child is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT)
- Children struggling with an LGBT parent
- Siblings struggling with a LGBT brother or sister
- Lesbian and gay men who are either thinking of having children or wish to adopt or who have already done so
- LGBT parents needing support regarding parenting, family or educational issues
- LGBT young people feeling isolated, confused and scared about the impact of coming out on themselves and their family. See Youthwork.
- Parents concerned about homophobic bullying at their child's school.
The service also offers low cost Couple Counselling as well as FREE family therapy and support groups for people who want to address their concerns about their relationship or family issues.
In order to support those people who are not able to come to our service we also provide a FREE phone support and telephone counselling.
If you need immediate phone support, you can contact :
London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard 020 7837 7324 (10am-11pm)
Or contact The Samaritans on tel: 08457 90 90 90
The Samaritans can also be emailed at: jo@samaritans.org
Lesbian and gay parenting
We offer workshops on parenting. Parenting can be very challenging. Lesbian and gay parents may have added stresses and tensions which may contribute to feelings of isolation and vulnerability.
Workshops are facilitated by an experienced group and couples therapist, who is also a gay parent.
To find out more or book a place please call Jo Beecham on 020 7700 1323 or e-mail Jo Beecham by clicking here.
Family Support Helpline
The Helpline is part of the Family Service at Pace and offers email and phone support to anyone living in the UK who is dealing with issues related to being lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans and being in relationships and/or families.
These might include: coming out, relationship issues or difficulties, family dynamics, gay parenting and support for heterosexual parents with LGBT children.
We think it will be of particular value to those unable to travel or who live in areas of the country where there may be little in the way of lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans support services.
We are able to offer:
-Ad hoc telephone support
-Structured Telephone Counselling, of up to 6 weekly 30 minute sessions
-Ad hoc email support
-A more in depth email dialogue
We are not able to offer an emergency service.
To contact the Helpline:
Email: pacehelpline@pacehealth.org.uk
Phone: 0808 1807 223 (Mon from 9:30am-12:30pm and Thurs 6:30pm-8.30pm).
Please note that from the 6th April 2010 the Helpline will no longer be available on Tuesday afternoons.
