Family and Relationship Services
Relationship Counselling involves talking with a counsellor about any relationship difficulties that you are experiencing. Whether you are wishing to enter a relationship, wanting to enhance your relationship, or having difficulties within your relationship, the counsellor will work in partnership with you as an individual or with you and your partner, asking questions to understand your relationship and assist you to find ways to manage your situation more effectively.
If you prefer, specialist counselling services are available for the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (migrants, refugees and people with English as a second language) and people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender or Intersex.
Counselling sessions are confidential.
Parenting Orders Program
The Parenting Orders Program (POP) aims to help separated families who are experiencing difficulty with their co-parenting relationship and maintaining arrangements for their children. Program staff work with parents and sometimes with the children. The program is particularly useful for parents who are involved in Family Court proceedings, and these parents may be court-ordered to attend, however all separated families can access this program.
Some parents will be referred to the program by their lawyer, a court official, Legal Aid, or another community or government agency. Others will be ordered to participate by the Family Court. Some parents participate voluntarily.
All those accepted into the program will have an intake and assessment interview to determine their suitability for participation and to ensure they understand their responsibilities if they agree to participate. This program enables each parent to identify the goals they want to achieve in regard to their children (in the context of parental separation) and their co-parenting. Parents who participate in the program may be involved in groups with other parents who face similar struggles as well as individual appointments to assist them to achieve their goals. Parents may be referred to other services as appropriate, including mediation or counselling.
Family Dispute Resolution
Supporting separating parties to respectfully negotiate parenting, property and financial issues following separation. This process is often referred to as mediation. Our specific program name for this mediation process is ‘Family Dispute Resolution’.
