SOURCES OF HELP
| I am researching information to add to this section
about ways to stay
safe in a counselling context. I'm not talking primarily about
being
purposefully harmed - by counsellors or therapists that are
'bad'. I
am talking about you feeling comfortable with the person you are
seeing. There are many factors that come into play, including: * Whether or not, at first glance, you like the person or not * Whether the approach they take to counselling is consistent with where you want to go with your recovery (I may think of other factors later) There are two main reasons why the counselling process doesn't feel comfortable, one rather inevitable and the other manageable. 1) It is usually very difficult to go and see someone about an issue, and to talk about things that are very private. Until you settle in with the person you are seeing, this will NOT be comfortable, but it is usually a good idea to just push through with this discomfort, realising it is normal. 2) The discomfort touched on above is manageable by finding another counsellor. If you are uncertain how you feel try discussing your uncertainties with the counsellor. It is part of the counsellor's job to ensure you feel safe. Perhaps trust is a major issue for you, as it is with many abuse survivors, and you may be unlikely to trust any counsellor. It could be worth exploring this with the counsellor before deciding whether or not to go ahead with further counselling. |
YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
See what’s available at your Community Health Centre. They may also know of services available in your area.
Also Lifeline should know what's available in your area.
AUSTRALIA WIDE
Lifeline
131114 (for the cost of a local call) to speak to a telephone
counsellor.
DVIRC (Domestic Violence & Incest Resource Centre) www.dvirc.org.au
- most states have a Toll Free number operating 24 hrs a day for support and referral
The CASA (Centres Against Sexual Assault) www.rwh.org.au/casa
(This website is currently unavailable - I'm enquiring about it)
DVIRC (Domestic Violence & Incest Resource Centre) www.dvirc.org.au
- most states have a Toll Free number operating 24 hrs a day for support and referral
The CASA (Centres Against Sexual Assault) www.rwh.org.au/casa
CASA provided the NASASV (National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence), website which should list all the Australia-wide services:
www.nasasv.org.au(This website is currently unavailable - I'm enquiring about it)
WEB-BASED
This Website:
Go to the THOUGHTS section
for an accumulation of weekly thoughts.
For discussions about issues raised in Tell No Secrets, the THOUGHTS section of this website and abuse issues in general, you are invited to submit questions to jtbm05@gmail.com
These will be answered in the:
Q & A Section
You can also respond to the discussions already there. Just state the question number you're referring to.
for an accumulation of weekly thoughts.
For discussions about issues raised in Tell No Secrets, the THOUGHTS section of this website and abuse issues in general, you are invited to submit questions to jtbm05@gmail.com
These will be answered in the:
Q & A Section
You can also respond to the discussions already there. Just state the question number you're referring to.
Articles by:
Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. www.traumacenter.org
One of the world’s leaders in Trauma Research
(recommended by Toni Mehigan, Psychologist)