FAQs
We provide counselling under a number of different programs including Medicare (GP referral), the Victim of Crime Counselling Program, NDIS, DVA, and private arrangements. We also provide supervision to other practitioners.
Initial appointments can be between 50-90 minutes. Ongoing/subsequent appointments are 50-60 minutes unless negotiated otherwise. If you are late for your appointment, this will limit the duration of your appointment, as there will likely be a follow-on time slot booked for someone else and it is inequitable to reduce another's appointment time frame.
If you are unable to attend your appointment, we request, if possible, that you give 48 hours notice in advance of your need to cancel/reschedule an appointment. If you miss an appointment and provide no notice about this, as a general rule, we will leave it to you to recontact us to re-book an appointment. If you cancel your appointment at short notice on a number of occasions, this may impact on whether we are able to offer further appointments.
For Victims Services Clients, if you advise of your inability to attend an appointment within 24 hours of your scheduled session, or if you do not turn up for your appointment, this is considered a 'no-show' and has to be recorded as such. Victims Services allow two no-shows across the duration of your counselling service and your counsellor will be paid a no-show fee twice only per client. If you accrue more than 2 no-show appointments, you may not be offered follow on appointments by your counsellor. This will be discussed should this become an issue.
You can check out fees on the website by following this link.
We are a non-crisis service and are only available during business hours. Please note that our phone (text, answering service and missed calls) and email is not attended to after business hours. Whilst we have a mobile phone as our main number, this phone is not taken home after business hours.
Should you require immediate emergency support, or support after hours, we encourage you to make contact with any of the below services.
Lifeline 24/7 | 131114
Kids Helpline 24/7 | 1800 55 1800
Mensline Australia 24/7 | 1300 78 99 78
Beyond Blue 24/7 | 1300 22 4636
Beyond Blue Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service 24/7 | 1800 512 348
Domestic Violence Line | 1800 671 442
Domestic violence or sexual assault phone and online information & counselling | 1800 RESPECT
Mental Health Services (Inpatient and Community based) | 1800 011 511
Psychiatric Emergency Centre
based at The Mater Hospital, Lorna Street, Waratah (present there anytime) | 000 or 1800 011 511
Safe Haven Space, Drop in Mental Health Support Service for those in need/crisis. 22 Stewart Avenue, Hamilton East NSW | Friday – Sunday 4pm – 9pm
Suicide Call Back service | 1300 659 467
QLife (National LGBTIQ support and advice) 3pm - 12am | 1800 184527
Drug and Alcohol Services NSW Health (during work hours only) | 1300 660059
Family Referral Service – info. and referral line for families (work hours only) | 1300 006480