You're sure to hit a time in your life when things don't seem to be going your way and it seems a bit harder than usual to cope. At times like this, it's great to know that as well as friends and family there is a service that can help. Whether it's face to face, on the phone or via email, there is a  service that could help and some are ready to help at any time of day, seven days a week.

Whether it's relationship issues, self-esteem issues, difficulties parenting children, depression, anxiety or difficulties balancing life's demands, Dr Monica Thielking from the Australian Psychological Society (APS) agrees with the old saying 'a problem shared is a problem halved'. She stresses how talking to a trusted professional can work wonders in coming up with solutions. "It's an opportunity for parents to look after themselves, which is a bit of a luxury, as parents are used to looking after everyone else, but not themselves," she says.

 

Monica says that when there is an issue affecting the whole family, school counsellors are a good place to go for help. Many parents don't realise that school counsellors are available for all students from pre-school to Year 12, and their families. School counsellors are experienced teachers who have post-graduate qualifications in school counselling. Just make an appointment.

Ruth Still, Manager of Student Counselling, Department of Education says school counsellors do many things. "Parents or carers can seek advice from school counsellors about their child's school progress, educational options and behaviour, and for information about help available from other agencies."

As with any helping professional, they will keep information confidential, unless legal requirements such as child protection legislation overrides it, or where someone may suffer serious harm from information being withheld.

You may have an established relationship with your doctor or GP and this may be a good person to approach initially for help. GPs can provide a referral to a psychologist or you can access a psychologist yourself. Medicare rebates are available in many circumstances for people receiving psychological services. Ask your GP.

If you want to find a psychologist yourself, the APS provides an online find a psychologist service which helps you to locate a psychologist in your local area who has experience and training to deal with your particular concerns. The APS has over 17,500 members across Australia that are professionally registered psychologists covered by a Code of Ethics. Alternatively you can call 1800 333 497 to speak to an APS referrer to confidentially discuss your needs and help you to find suitable psychologists in your local area.

Another option is your local community health centre, where services are free to members of the local community. These services are part of the NSW Health services network, which includes hospitals. Psychologists and social workers at these centres can provide support or refer people to more specific services they need.

 

You may have made use of the Tresillian helpline when you first became a new parent. Helplines are great resources for people who feel there is no one else to talk to when they need it, or want to remain anonymous. They tend to be available for 24 hours and therefore can be used when other services are closed.

Helplines are usually staffed by social workers or psychologists with additional specialist training, or trained volunteers.

You might want to put this list of helplines near your phone:

Lifeline 13 11 14

24 hours a day

Parent Line 1300 1300 52

24-hour telephone counselling, information and referral service for parents.

Beyondblue 1300 22 4636

Information and referral to services for depression and anxiety-related matters.

MensLine Australia 1300 789 978

24-hour confidential helpline support for men and their families. There are also separate sites for Aboriginal, Arabic, Vietnamese and young men, with specialised information and support for each group.

Centrelink's Financial Information Service 13 63 57

A free financial counselling service available to anyone.

Credit and Debit Hotline 1800 808 488

Monday to Friday 9.30am-4.30pm. This is run by the Consumer Credit Legal Centre NSW to assist you with managing credit and debt.

Family Relationship Advice Line 1800 050 321

Monday to Friday 8am-8pm and Saturdays 10am-4pm. This is service is provided by the Australian Government to assist families with relationship or separation issues.

 

New technologies have increased the opportunities for people to research information, investigate sources for help and even to receive counselling online. Relationships Australia (NSW) which is known for providing relationship counselling, family dispute resolution, mediation and relationship courses, can provide counselling online for couples in rural and remote areas who cannot get to one of their centres for face to face counselling.

Another example is CounsellingOnline which is a service where you can communicate with a professional counsellor via email about an alcohol- or drug-related concern, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service is free and helpful for anyone seeking help with their own drug use or the drug use of a family member or friend.

Online services can offer more than just information or counselling. MensLine Australia offers discussion forums on relevant topics so that men can come together anonymously in an online peer support group. There is also an innovative tool to assess the health of your intimate relationship with the healthy relationships quiz, as well as a database to find appropriate services in your local area.

 

As well as the services offered for adults, there is a plethora of counselling and other services for young people online. Read more about these in an article called the Online Lifeline and share this information with your family and friends so that everyone can get the help they need when they need it.