1.When should I seek counselling?

People seek counselling for a variety of reasons, and at different stages in their lives. There is no rule or set structure for when someone should speak with a counsellor. Some of the most common reasons are for treatment of depression, anxiety, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, low self esteem or lowered motivation. People can attend counselling alone, with their partners (relationship counselling) or with their families (family counselling).

 

2.What times can we make an appointment to see a counsellor?

We endeavour to provide the best service for you which means that we offer a range of times such as Saturdays, weekdays, after hours and normal office hours.

 

3.How long does a counselling appointment go for?

To get good results you need to put the right amount of time in. While many other counselling organizations provide one hour appointments, we find that 1 ¼ hours is the best amount of time for couples to achieve good results. This allows for you both to have adequate time where you are not rushed in getting your thoughts and feelings expressed.

When one person attends counselling we find that one hour meets a person's therapeutic needs.

4.How many sessions will it take to solve our problems?

Often positive changes are noticeable after one or two sessions. On average people begin to achieve sustainable positive change after 6-10 sessions. This variation occurs for several reasons, firstly the nature of peoples´ problems; secondly the amount of time the problems have existed; and thirdly the effort and willingness people are prepared to apply to resolving the problems.

5.How do I know if the counsellor is professional?

Ask them:

1. Do you abide by a code of conduct (ethics) that outlines my rights? Can I have a copy?
2. Do you have professional indemnity insurance?
3. Are you a financial registered member of a National Professional Body of Counsellors? (Some of the peak national organizations are Australian Counselling Association (ACA), Australian Psychological Society (APS).

6.Who will you share my information with?

All personal information gathered by the counsellor during the provision of the counselling service will remain confidential and secure except when:

1. It is subpoenaed by a court, or
2. Failure to disclose the information would place you or another person at risk; or
3. Your prior approval has been obtained to
   • Provide a written report to another professional or agency. Eg. a GP or a lawyer; or
   • Discuss the material with another person. Eg a parent or employer.

7.My partner doesn't want to come to counselling, how do I get him/her to come with me to counselling?

This would have to be one of the most common questions asked of us. This situation often occurs because people are worn out by the problems they face and see little hope of anyone being able to help them. If your partner refuses to attend counselling, it is important that you start easing your pain and stress. One positive step is for you to attend counselling. By doing so, you will be demonstrating to your partner that the relationship is important and that you are taking the issues seriously. You will gain strategies and skills towards resolving the issues and most importantly you will have support. As changes occur within the relationship, your partner may begin to see the positives within the relationship and then decide to join you in couples counselling.

We have found that many men will not do the work they need to do on themselves for themselves. So we suggest asking him a few questions with the purpose of getting him thinking. If he has children asking him questions about himself as a father. This is very useful as men generally want to be a great father to their children. Questions could include "What kind of father did you have? What kind of father do you want to be? What is the legacy that you want to pass on to your children? What sort of role model do you want to be to your children? What sort of husband was your father? Do you want to be the same type of partner/husband as him or different?

8.My relationship is the absolute pits, can it be saved?

Yes, without-a-doubt many relationships that frequently appear to be totally lost are brought-back-to-life through counselling. To a large extent this is dependent on the effort that both you and your partner put in to achieving this.

9.What if during the couples counselling one of us realizes that she/he has some personal problems that they want to or need to do some additional work on?

This is not an uncommon occurrence for one person to gain insight and understanding of themselves through their experience of participating in couples counselling. Through counselling, you will gain an understanding of how some occurrences and situations in your life history and experiences have had a negative influence on you and your relationships. You will want to address these issues so that you can take control over your life instead of the issues running your life.

10.Do I need a referral from my doctor to see a counsellor?

No referral is necessary. Some referrals for counselling may be given by your medical practitioner, lawyer, educators, courts, employment assistant programs, health care professionals or other counsellors.

11.How long will it take before I/we can see a counsellor?

During your first phone call we can make an appointment for you to see a counsellor within 24 hours if required. Alternatively we can schedule a time that best suits you.

12.What happens if I need to change my appointment time or cancel?

Should you need to change or cancel your appointment, we ask that you inform us or your counsellor as soon as possible. Session fees will be charged to you if the session is not cancelled at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment time.