What Relate does

Relate is the UK's largest dedicated relationship support charity, operating since 1938 (originally as the National Marriage Guidance Council) and now functioning as a distinct brand within the Family Action charity group (Charity number 264713), headquartered at 34 Wharf Road, London. The organisation delivers relationship counselling, individual counselling, sex therapy and family counselling online (across England and Wales) and through a network of local centres, complemented by a 25-minute initial assessment and a focused 'One Session Therapy' format priced at £75 per 50-minute session. Free counselling is funded through national partnerships with the Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC), GroceryAid and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAFBF), and through NHS referral pathways.

The organisation has built a self-serve digital product line on top of its counselling core, including more than ten downloadable 'Relationship Toolkits' covering menopause, fertility, grief, family repair, new relationships and boundaries, priced at £5–£10, plus a paid 'Understanding Others' counselling techniques course at £49.99 delivered on a LearnUpon LMS. Commerce and intake are operated through Stripe (payments) and Typeform (booking forms), with no proprietary technology platform evident in the input. Revenue is generated through a mix of paid session fees, one-time toolkit and course purchases, training programmes for prospective counsellors, B2B workplace relationship support for public and voluntary sector employers, partnership-funded free counselling, and donations via the Family Action giving page.

Name

Relate

Legal name

Relate (Family Action)

Website

https://relate.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Relate is the UK's largest relationship support charity, providing online and face-to-face counselling, sex therapy and family counselling across England and Wales, plus a paid portfolio of downloadable self-help toolkits and an online counselling techniques course.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Relationship Counselling Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Couples & Family Therapy Teletherapy Platforms (HLALAEAG)

Keywords

• Relationship counselling
• Couples therapy
• Family counselling
• Sex therapy
• Mental health support

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Counselling Services: Paid counselling sessions for individuals, couples, and families including relationship counselling, individual counselling, sex therapy, and family counselling. One session therapy priced at £75 for 50 minutes.
2. Digital Toolkits: Downloadable self-help workbooks and resources covering relationship topics. Priced at £5-10 per toolkit, purchased as one-time downloads.
3. Training Courses: Online courses such as Understanding Others: Everyday counselling techniques, priced at £49.99.
4. Free Counselling (National Partnerships): Free counselling provided through partnerships with organisations including RNRMC, GroceryAid, RAFBF, available to eligible individuals.
5. Published Books: The Relate Guide to Sex and Intimacy book by Cate Campbell, published and available through book retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Relate is a UK charity that delivers relationship, individual, family, and sex therapy counselling (face-to-face and online across England and Wales) alongside downloadable self-help workbooks (Relationship Toolkits, £5-£10), an online counselling techniques course, and a published book on sex and intimacy. Services are funded through paid sessions, charitable donations, and free counselling delivered via national partnerships with military, grocery, and NHS organisations.

Product overview

Relate is a UK charity offering relationship counselling and support services through a hybrid model combining direct therapeutic services with self-service digital products. The core offering consists of face-to-face and online counselling (relationship, individual, sex therapy, family counselling) plus One Session Therapy for quick issue resolution. The digital portfolio includes over 10 downloadable workbooks/toolkits priced at £5-£10 covering specific relationship challenges (menopause, fertility, grief, family dynamics, new relationships), plus an online training course 'Understanding Others' at £49.99. A published book 'The Relate Guide to Sex and Intimacy' extends the brand into retail. Services are available to individuals, couples, families, and organisations through direct booking, workplace schemes, and NHS partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Relate Counselling Services: Relationship counselling, individual counselling, family counselling, sex therapy, and one-session therapy services
• Relationship Toolkits
• One Session Therapy
• Understanding Others: Everyday Counselling Techniques
• Free Counselling through National Partnerships

Products and services

• Relationship Counselling Ongoing counselling services for couples, individuals, and families delivered online or face-to-face across England and Wales by trained Relate counsellors.
• Individual Counselling One-to-one counselling for anyone seeking support with relationships, bullying, grief, or low self-esteem.
• Sex Therapy Specialised therapeutic support for individuals and couples experiencing sexual difficulties or seeking to improve their sexual relationship.
• Family Counselling Counselling services designed to help families navigate challenges, improve communication, and strengthen family relationships.
• One Session Therapy A focused, solution-oriented single counselling session of 50 minutes priced at £75, designed to help individuals or couples work through a specific issue or build a particular skill quickly, delivered online via Zoom.
• Initial Assessments A 25-minute introductory call with a counsellor providing a safe, non-judgmental space to express concerns and receive initial guidance.
• Free Counselling Through National Partnerships Free counselling services delivered in partnership with RNRMC, GroceryAid, RAFBF, and other organisations for eligible individuals.
• Counsellor Training Programmes to train and qualify individuals as professional relationship counsellors.
• Relationship Toolkits Downloadable self-help workbooks priced at £5-£10 covering specific relationship topics including menopause, fertility, family repair, new relationships, grief, boundaries, and relationship audits. Includes topics like Menopause and Relationships, Repairing Family Relationships, Talking About Fertility, Forming New Relationships After Loss, Setting Boundaries with Family Members, and more.
• Understanding Others: Everyday Counselling Techniques Course An online training course priced at £49.99 teaching active listening, communication skills, systemic ideas, change and loss concepts, goal setting, and self-care for supporting others in personal and professional contexts, delivered via LearnUpon.
• The Relate Guide to Sex and Intimacy A book by Sex Therapist Cate Campbell helping readers identify intimacy needs, improve sexual communication, and develop satisfying sex lives through practical exercises and expert guidance.
• Workplace Relationship Support Organisational support services for public and voluntary sector employers to help employees manage relationship challenges affecting their work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Toolkits available at £5-£10 price point for accessibility

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Family ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelate is part of Family Action, a registered charity (Charity number: 264713). Family Action provides organisational infrastructure and oversight, with Relate operating as a distinct brand focused on relationship support services.
• RNRMC (Royal Navy Royal Marines Charity)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership providing free counselling services to Royal Navy personnel, Royal Marines, and their families as part of military welfare support.
• GroceryAidmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing free counselling support for workers in the grocery industry, accessible through GroceryAid's employee assistance programme.
• RAFBF (Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering free counselling services to RAF personnel and their families through the benevolence fund.
• NHSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelate works with the NHS to provide relationship counselling as part of integrated healthcare pathways, with services potentially available through NHS referral.
• RSPCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on pet loss and bereavement content, with RSPCA referenced as a resource for coping with pet death.
• Blue CrossminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPet bereavement support charity providing free, confidential support to anyone affected by losing a pet, referenced in Relate's grief resources.
• The Relationships AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPolicy and campaigning alliance bringing together relationship support organisations to advocate for relationship wellbeing at national level.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marriage Care: UK charity delivering relationship counselling and marriage preparation, with a network of local centres and paid/funded counselling. Directly comparable as a charity competitor offering couple and relationship counselling across the UK.
• OnePlusOne: UK relationship support charity focused on couple relationships, separation, and family breakdown, with digital self-help resources comparable to Relate's toolkits. Strong overlap in audience and self-help content strategy.
• Tavistock Relationships: UK charity providing couple counselling, family therapy, and relationship support training. Directly comparable in mission, service mix (couple and family therapy), and training programmes, with overlapping London roots.

Broad incumbents

• BetterHelp: Large online therapy platform offering subscription-based individual counselling. Comparable as a competitor for online counselling demand, especially for users seeking individual rather than couple-focused support.
• Talkspace: Publicly listed online therapy platform with individual, couples, and teen therapy. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the online relationship and mental health counselling category.
• Mind (UK mental health charity): Major UK mental health charity with information, local services, and campaigning. Comparable as a broad mental-health charity incumbent that overlaps with Relate's individual counselling and emotional support remit.

Emerging players

• Cruse Bereavement Support: UK bereavement charity offering grief counselling, support, and information. Comparable on the grief and bereavement toolkit/support portion of Relate's offering, including pet bereavement support overlaps.
• YoungMinds: UK charity focused on children and young people's mental health. Comparable as an adjacent specialist serving some of Relate's children and young people segment with parallel support content and helpline services.
• Couple Connection (by OnePlusOne): Digital self-help platform for couples developed by OnePlusOne. Comparable to Relate's toolkit offering, focused on free, web-based relationship support resources.

Others

• BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy): Professional body for counsellors in the UK. Comparable as the regulator/standards body whose accredited counsellor base overlaps with Relate's practitioner pool and whose training routes are adjacent to Relate's counsellor training programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/people/Relate-Relationship-Counselling/61584627450408
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/relate
• Instagraminstagram.com/relate_charity
• Xx.com/Relate_charity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Relate