Frequently Asked Questions

What’s it going to be like?
Counselling service is a caring, non-judgemental process where you can discuss and explore issues that concern you. The pace of the process is tailored to suit you so that you are comfortable with it at all times.

How does couples counselling work?
One of our areas of specialisation, is working with couples. When couples seek help, it can be to resolve problems that may be either short term or ongoing. Their intention being to make their relationships better.

Usually a couple would be seen together. Sometimes, however, one member of the couple may wish to have assistance individually with these issues and that too is beneficial to the relationship.

When do I seek help?
Some people are under the impression that one seeks help only when there is a crisis at hand. Even in cases where there appears to be no obvious crisis, early and timely intervention can prevent unwelcome developments. Furthermore, there are always areas of our lives that can be enhanced with a little professional help, which will maximise our enjoyment of life.

Are sessions confidential?
All consultations are confidential, and in accordance with the guidelines of the Psychologists Registration Board of Victoria and the Australian Psychological Society.

Why Come to Counselling?

• Friends and family have their limitations.

We all use family and friends for support. However, there are times when we might feel uncomfortable or embarrassed to discuss certain issues with them, when we might feel like they see things differently from the way we do or when they might be part of the problem that we are having.

• Relationships need work, they are important to all of us.

We all seek to have happy fufilling relationships with the people in our lives. At times we develop concerns about parts of our relationships and are worried about how things are going. Sometimes we just want to make things better and strengthen the ties we share with people.

• From time to time we don’t feel like life is plain sailing.

We all experience the ups and downs of life. Addressing a difficult problem or a painful emotion can be hard work on your own.

• Recurring issues or problems perplex us.

We have all said "why do I keep doing this?" in relation to some problem. Often important issues can stump us and as a result they remain unresolved and we find ourselves repeating behaviours that make us unhappy.

• We need to develop particular skills.

Life presents many challenges and we are constantly having to adapt. This can be difficult to develop on our own. Personal development ensures we have the skills to meet these challenges.

• We can’t see the forest for the trees.

Sometimes the more and more we stare at something the less and less we see and understand; it all becomes blurred and confusing. When we attempt to struggle with it on our own, we rely solely on our own perspective and problem solving with all its associated blind spots.

• We need to understand ourselves better.

The expression "the tip of the iceberg" is similar to people and their personalities, that is, large parts or ourselves are usually hidden, and we are unaware of them and the impact that they have on our lives. People make positive progress as they understand themselves better.