Counselling Services

The Counselling Service is co-ordinated from Lutheran Community Care at Blair Athol and supports trained Christian Counsellors - some paid and some voluntary from the Blair Athol site and a few country locations.

Counselling locations:

• Barossa            8562 2688
• Blair Athol         8269 9300
• Magill                8331 3111
• Morphett Vale    8331 3111
• Mount Barker     8331 3111
• Murraylands      8531 3644

WHAT IS COUNSELLING?

Counselling provides an opportunity to share personal concerns with another person who will listen and respond with caring and a purpose.
This will involve helping you to:

• clarify your concerns
• gain understanding
• consider alternatives
• define goals
• take action for change

Counsellors accept you as you are and provide a service that is strictly confidential except where a reportable offence (e.g. child abuse) has been disclosed or where there is a risk of harm to yourself or another person.

Records are not protected against court subpoena but are available to you with notice.

Sessions may last from one to one and a half hours hours but the first one is likely to be longer.

You remain responsible for all decisions made.

Counsellors receive professional supervision of their work to ensure high standards are maintained and the supervisor is also strictly bound to maintain that confidence. Use of names is not necessary in those discussions.

RELATIONSHIPS

Relationship problems are best resolved together, when both partners share the experience. However, even if your partner won't join you in discussing concerns, you can still explore what you can do and grow stronger.

Services Include:

• Personal counselling (past abuse including sexual, physical, emotional and neglect, domestic violence, parenting, personal concerns, crises, anxiety, depression, guilt, fears, loss and grief etc)
• Pre-marriage preparation and counselling including PREPARE and ENRICH
• Marriage and relationship counselling
• Support through separation or divorce
• Assistance to families
• Christian spiritual issues

Who Is Available

Appointments are available with a male Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00pm or female every Wednesday and Thursday.

Another female counsellor travels to Kangaroo Island three days each month on a Thursday to offer a service at the Cook Centre attached to the Kingscote Hospital KI.

FEES

The following rates per counselling session will apply from 1 July 2007:

• Arrangement for time to pay could be discussed.
• Appointments with a trainee counsellor will attract a fee of $20. Trainees are under formal supervision by a professional counsellor
• Credit card facilities are available