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Service Category: C

Counselling Services

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Counselling Services

Support through life’s challenges

Ballarat Community Health offers quality and affordable counselling services to help individuals, couples, families, and groups work through a diverse range of life challenges. Whether you are experiencing a difficult life event, relationship concerns, stress, grief, mental health challenges or simply need someone to talk to, our counsellors provide a safe, confidential, and supportive environment to explore what is happening and identify ways forward over multiple disciplines.

What is counselling?

Counselling is a process of working through difficult life situations with a trained counsellor in a private and confidential space.

While counselling is often talk-based, counsellors may also use a range of activities and therapeutic approaches to support your goals and wellbeing. At BCH, our counsellors draw on an evidence-informed approach.

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Family Therapy
  • Group-based approaches

Our team includes professionals with different qualifications, experience, and areas of specialisation. This allows us to provide support that is tailored to individual needs and circumstances.

What can counselling help with?

  • Abuse and trauma
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Depression and low mood
  • Alcohol and other drug concerns
  • Grief, loss, and bereavement
  • Bullying
  • Career, employment, and unemployment challenges
  • Caring for someone experiencing physical health, mental health or alcohol and other drug issues
  • Caring for someone experiencing physical health, mental health or alcohol and other drug issues
  • Family violence
  • Health and wellbeing concerns
  • Identity, sexuality, and relationships
  • Infertility and pregnancy-related concerns
  • Loneliness and social isolation
  • Mental health challenges
  • Neurodiversity
  • Parenting and family concerns
  • Relationship difficulties
  • Multiple or complex issues
  • Other personal challenges and life circumstances

If you are unsure whether counselling is right for you, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your situation and identify the most appropriate support option.

What to expect

  • Individual counselling sessions vary in duration depending on the service, but most initial sessions will go for 50 minutes
  • Appointments are typically offered in person at one of our BCH locations. Phone or video appointments may also be available in some situations.
  • Your counsellor will work with you to understand your goals, strengths, and circumstances, and support you at a pace that feels right for you.

Finding the right service

BCH offers a range of counselling, mental health, alcohol and other drug, family violence, and wellbeing services. Depending on your needs, you may be connected with a specialised program or service area.

Contact

Phone (03) 5338 4500

or refer to the referral forms on the Counselling Services linked to this page.

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Creating Connections

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Creating Connections

Creating Connections (CC) is a program for young people aged 15-25, who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

This service is voluntary and free.

We support young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with employment, education and training, as well as opportunities to develop general life skills.

Creating Connections focuses on early intervention, comprehensive assessment and referral pathways, and offers tailored approaches to support young people moving out of homelessness.

We primarily accept referrals from youth homelessness providers, but we can accept referrals from other agencies or self-referrals.

For further information call us directly on (03) 5338 4500 and request a Creating Connections worker.

Contact

Phone (03) 5338 4500

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Child Health Program

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Child Health Program

The Child Health program works to support families with vulnerable children aged 0-12 who have developmental delay, trauma, family relationship breakdown and other stressors or vulnerability.

Contact

Phone (03) 5338 4500

Child Health works with families to

  • Develop and review individualised goals
  • Connect to health and wellbeing services
  • Strengthen parent-child bonds
  • Address developmental delays
  • Make and attend medical appointments
  • Complete paperwork and other administrative tasks

The Child Health Practitioner works with families with children up to 12 years old who have disabilities or developmental delays.

It is a free and voluntary service. For further information call us directly on (03) 5338 4500 and ask to speak to our Child Health Practitioner.

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Cardiac Health

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Cardiac Health Program

The aim is for you to feel better supported in managing and understanding your heart condition and recovery. Being a group program, it also provides peer support with others who have experienced similar heart events.

Where?

You have the option to attend the program at Lucas or Sebastopol.

What to Expect?

You will attend a 90minute initial assessment with a cardiac nurse and exercise physiologist. This is then followed by seven weeks of twice weekly exercise and weekly education sessions. Your program can be tailored around work/personal commitments where possible. Family members are encouraged to attend education sessions with you.

What does the program offer?

Education sessions are facilitated by qualified professionals including Cardiac Nurse, Dietitian, Counsellor, Pharmacist, Exercise Physiologist and Ambulance Victoria.

Your exercise program is adapted according to your heart condition and recovery post heart event.

Are You Eligible?

Have you experienced within the last 12 months

  • a heart attack
  • heart stents
  • heart bypass surgery
  • angina
  • surgery or treatment on the valves of the heart
  • controlled heart rhythms such as Atrial Fibrillation
  • placement of a pacemaker
  • controlled heart failure conditions
  • High risk of cardiovascular disease

How can the Program Help Me?

  • better understand your heart condition
  • learn about your medications
  • understand your risk factors & how to manage them
  • create a healthier lifestyle
  • return to normal activities and or work
  • figure out what to do in an emergency.

Cost?

There is a small cost per session however a fee waiver can be offered if experiencing financial hardship (enquire for further information).

Ready to Get Started?

You can self refer to this program or get a referral from your doctor or cardiologist. Allied Health services at Ballarat Community Health are often in high demand. Please contact our customer service team on 03 – 5338 4500 or complete the referral form below to confirm current availability of this service.

GP’s or health professionals wanting to refer a client please complete the referral form below or fax your referral to 03 -5338 1613. We prefer referrals via ReferralNet- ReferralNet ID: urn:refnet:ballaratappt

Allied Health Referral Form

Allied Health Referral Form

Additional Information

pdf Cardiac Rehab Brochure

In Allied Health 1814 downloads

Download (pdf, 2.45 MB)
Cardiac Rehab Brochure

The Cardiac Health Program is a professionally supervised 8 week exercise program in a well-equipped gym. Heart health education is also delivered to improve outcomes for people who have had a heart event.

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