What is counselling?

Working with a counsellor may help you to see an issue more clearly or from different perspectives, get some insight into its origins, and think about how to move forward. Counselling can equip you with new ways to think about your situation, while helping you to make use of your resources and feel more in control.

The counselling process begins with you and your counsellor developing a clearer understanding of your problem and thinking together about how you might move forward.

In counselling, the learning is about yourself, who you really are and where you are going with your life, how to manage emotions, or how to resolve or cope with what's going on in your life. Counselling can help you feel more in control and goal oriented while renewing a sense of active engagement in learning and life.

If you need specialist help, or help we are unable to offer, we can help you consider how to access this.

Any time life changes, whether it's with relationships, work, study or just within yourself, you may find it useful to discuss with these changes with a counsellor. Some students seek counselling when they feel they have tried everything else and have run out of options, but students generally find the earlier they see a counsellor, the better and easier life is for them.

Sessions are usually for 50 minutes. Shorter sessions are booked according to your need and following discussion with your counsellor. In most cases you will need to contact the service ahead and book a scheduled appointment.

When you attend counselling you can expect a professional, responsive and respectful service. Our counsellors are fully qualified and experienced psychologists and social workers with extensive knowledge and understanding of the mental health, personal, family and work problems of students. Counsellors aim to be independent, good listeners, and do not blame or pass judgements.

Students can see a counsellor for different issues. They can include:

• study issues
• stress
• motivation issues
• procrastination
• relationships
• depression
• anxiety
• family matters
• grief and loss
• identity issues
• suicidal thoughts or self-injury
• homesickness
• adjusting to Uni or living in Melbourne
• exam stress
• presentation performance stress and anxiety
• anything else you would like to talk about in confidence.

Counselling is provided to students on a short-term basis which usually involves one to six sessions. If you need more sessions, depending on your needs and the type of issue you are going through, your counsellor will discuss this with you as well as possible referral options.

Yes. We are committed to providing culturally sensitive counselling for all local and international students at Victoria University. Our counsellors have been trained to be highly effective in communicating and collaborating with clients. For students who are making the transition from another country to study in Australia, our counsellors are particularly familiar with issues of adjusting to a new culture.

Counsellors have been trained to be aware of their own worldview so that they do not impose their personal and cultural assumptions on their clients. They also have been trained to respect cultural differences and to work collaboratively with individuals and different cultural groups.

Culture can be defined as the patterns, traits, and products which are the expression of a particular period, class, community or population. In terms of its people, Australia has a high level of cultural diversity. Similar to Australian society, our counsellors come from a variety of cultural backgrounds. They are experienced with a wide range of people and work to put people at ease so that trust and confidence in the counselling process can be built.

Cross-cultural counselling occurs when the cultural patterns of the counsellor and the client differ. Counsellors have been trained to be aware of their own worldview so that they do not impose their personal and cultural assumptions on their clients. They also have been trained to respect cultural differences and to work collaboratively with individuals and different cultural groups.

In addition your counsellor will ask you questions about your own interpretations of your cultural background and general life experiences as they affect you, in an endeavour to more clearly understand you and your concerns.

Yes. The information gathered by the counsellor about you and your situation will remain confidential and secure within the service and will not be shared with parents, faculty, or staff without your permission.

There are a few exceptions:

1. subpoena by a court or if disclosure is otherwise required or authorised by law
2. to protect your safety and/or the safety of others
3. your prior approval has been obtained to:
   a) provide a written report to another person or agency; or
   b) discuss the material with another person.

If you wish to access your records at any time, you can discuss this with the counsellor and apply to do so. You can refer to Victoria University's privacy policy.

Counsellors are required to keep records of each counselling session. They will generally take notes during or after a counselling session to keep track of your progress, to follow up on any discussions in previous sessions and to determine the best solution or strategies for you.

Some of the details we collect will also be used for general statistical analysis of our services. We will not use your name, contact details or other identifiable data in these statistics. We may use data to determine the number of students who attended counselling and services, the average number of sessions for each student and the types of issues students present with.

Tony is the team leader of the Victoria University counselling service. As someone who studied at Victoria University, his passion is to provide a holistic service to students by offering a range of programs that are accessible, relevant and engaging. Tony works with students to co-design a service that acknowledges the challenges and strengths in the cohort and ultimately empowers students to get the best out of their time at university and beyond.

Tony is a registered psychologist with experience working in the community and private sectors in Australia and overseas, offering therapeutic services to a variety of clients and organisations. He has developed a significant level of practice and research into themes such as:

•   Excessive Video gaming
• Family violence
• Sexual assault and child abuse
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health
• Asylum seeker and Refugee mental health
• Clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• Clients from the LGBTIQA+ community

Tony uses a range of evidenced based therapeutic approaches for a range of mental health challenges to any students including:

•   Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma and Complex Trauma
• Suicidal ideation
• Grief and Loss
• Identity issues
• Relationship issues
• Study related issues

Tony's qualifications & memberships

Bpsych (Hons), MPsych (Com). Registered with the Psychology Board of Australia, Member of the Australian Psychological Society (MAPS).

Liz has over 20 years of experience of counselling within the tertiary education sector, having previously worked in community health.  She has an abiding commitment to the West and an appreciation of the cultural and social diversity of the region.

Liz has a holistic approach to counselling, with extensive experience working with clients across a broad range of personal, family and relationship issues, gender diversity, grief and loss.  She has a particular interest in narrative therapy and other strength based, collaborative approaches, valuing the importance of the therapeutic relationship.

Liz's qualifications

BA Social Work, MA (Education), GradDip, (Community Development), GradCert (Narrative Therapy).

Adriana is an AASW Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with specialist training and experience in Lacanian Psychoanalysis.

Adriana has worked as a counsellor, analyst and mental health clinician with young persons and adults, in both public and private practice settings. She has over 10 years of counselling experience in the tertiary education sector.

Adriana has a strong interest in the areas of:

• learning and barriers in achieving academic and life goals
• developmental trauma
• complicated grief
• existential difficulties
• attachment issues.

She uses a range of therapeutic approaches including cognitive, analytic, psychodynamic and phenomenological frameworks.

Adriana is an accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor.

Adriana's qualifications

BA (Phil), BSW, DPC, AMHSW, MFSM.

Sara is a registered psychologist with extensive experience working with young people in both community and educational settings. She has a passion for helping individuals experiencing a range of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, as well as educational and adjustment concerns.

She engages with students through a compassionate care approach that places them at the centre of the therapeutic process and allows their unique voice to resonate and be heard. She utilises several evidence-based therapeutic approaches to promote change which include cognitive behaviour therapy, emotion focused therapy, acceptance commitment therapy and mindfulness techniques.

Sara is happy to provide counselling support in both English and Arabic.

Sara's qualifications & memberships

BBNSc (Hons), MPsych (Couns). Registered with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Whitney is motivated to help every student learn healthy means of dealing with mental and emotional difficulties. She is dedicated to providing compassionate, results-orientated and solution-focused care. Whitney has experience working with various age groups in both tertiary and private practice settings, as well as people from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. She likes to take an integrated approach to suit the needs of her students. Whitney uses a range of evidence-based psychological interventions in her work with students.

Whitney is happy to provide counselling support in both English and Shona.

Whitney's qualifications & memberships

BA, BA Psych (Hons), GDip (Couns), M.ProfPsych (Prof Psych). Registered with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Member of Australian Psychological Society (APS)

John is a registered psychologist with over 20 years’ experience working in community and tertiary settings. He enjoys working with clients from a variety of age groups with diverse backgrounds and presenting issues. John has a passion for helping individuals experiencing a wide range of issues affecting their mental health such as depression and anxiety, relationships, grief and trauma as well as issues relating to educational concerns and adjustment.

He integrates a range of evidence based therapeutic approaches to meet the unique needs of each student he supports. These include cognitive behavioural, acceptance commitment therapy and solution focused techniques and strategies.

Jodie has over 20 years combined experience working in the counselling, disability, employment and tertiary sectors. Jodie has a keen interest in supporting Neurodivergent individuals, people experiencing grief, loss and trauma as well as individuals impacted by financial, employment and life stage changes.

Jodie has a holistic, warm and eclectic approach to counselling with a focus on person centred, trauma informed and strengths based therapeutic approaches.

Jodie is a full member of the Australia Association of Social Workers (AASW).

Jodie’s qualifications

Lived experience, MBA (undertaking), Master of Social Work, Masters of Counselling, Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution, Certificate IV in Disability, Bachelor of Community Development.