Caladenia Counselling is located at the School of Psychology at Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch.

We try hard to keep our fees low so that we are affordable for everyone. Murdoch University kindly support us in providing this community service by subsidising our costs. However, if paying your account becomes a problem for you please speak with your Counsellor about alternate arrangements which may include a longer period to pay your account or a reduction in fee. We will do our best to find a workable solution.

You do not need a referral from your doctor to make an appointment at Caladenia Counselling. You can just arrange an appointment by phoning Wendy on 9360 7848.

Reading through our website is a good start. We hope that it has made you feel welcome and given you a clear idea about the way that we work with clients. Before you come to Caladenia Counselling, Wendy will also send some information through the post that will tell you more about our service.

On your first visit, Wendy will introduce herself to you and ask you to take a seat in the waiting room until your Counsellor and their supervisor are available. We think it is important that you meet both your Counsellor and their Supervisor on your first visit so that you know the team that is taking care of your needs. While you are in the waiting room you will have the opportunity to read through our consent form which explains how our trainee supervision process works and the ways in which we provide support to you through our work with our trainees. Next, your Counsellor and their supervisor will welcome you and have a brief meeting with you in which they will describe the service at Caladenia Counselling and answer any questions that you may have. Then your Counsellor will invite you to walk with them to their counselling room and your session will begin.

Generally your first session may go for a little over one hour and up to 90 minutes. This allows you to get to know one another and to take your time outlining the concerns that have brought you along. We schedule this extra time so that you are not interrupted in telling your story and so that the administrative details such as signing the consent forms can be completed. All sessions that follow will run for 50 minutes.

We think of the first session between a client and their Counsellor as a time in which you can get a sense of whether you feel comfortable in this working relationship. Finding a Counsellor who suits you is a very personal and important process and we encourage you to think about what you are looking for in your therapist and to talk to them about how you are finding the experience. Our trainees are open to these conversations and to working with you to find a way forward that works for you. This is the essence of the person-centred approach that underpins our training. We understand that each person is unique and has different styles and priorities. However, you are under no obligation to continue your sessions. Your counsellor will ask at the end of your session if you would like to make another appointment. We understand that there are many reasons why a client may choose to continue or to not continue with their counselling work at a particular point in time. You will always be welcome to return to Caladenia House if your circumstances change and you feel that you would like to resume your sessions. Of course, if some time has elapsed your original Counsellor may no longer be available but we will endeavour to carefully match you with another Counsellor that is available.

We understand the important benefits of being able to talk about things with others who have similar experiences to you. From time to time we run groups to facilitate this process. Our Counsellors are trained in groupwork and our staff are also experienced in groupwork. If you are interested in partciiapting in a group, please let your Counsellor know.

Most people who visit Caladenia Counselling feel self-conscious about the video camera during the first part of their initial session. After this, we find that most people become used to the presence of the camera and tend to ignore it. We have fitted each Counselling room with a camera so that supervisors may watch an early session live in a central viewing space and so that trainees can review their sessions afterward with their supervisors. Each session is quite complex and filled with important information. It is helpful for trainees to be able to refresh themselves about what happened in the session and also to notice when perhaps they have missed something that was important to you. This allows them to best prepare for their next session with you. If you find that you still feel uncertain about the use of the tapes for supervision, please talk with your Counsellor about this.

At the end of your work at Caladenia Counselling, your tapes will be erased unless you have given permission for them to be included in our research database to help us understand what works in therapy (see question 11 below). We do not keep your tapes for this purpose unless we have your written permission.

We find that telling people how to fix their problems can sometimes provide a sense of instant relief but that this relief quickly disappears when it becomes apparent that the quick fix hasn’t worked.

We are all different and what might work for one person may not work for another. Our person-centred way of working is based on a strong belief that each of us has the capacity to find solutions to our own life challenges even though those solutions are not always easily apparent to us. Your Counsellor will work with you to consider your concerns in a safe environment so that you gain a clearer view of what is troubling you and an opportunity to consider what might work best for you at this point in your life. Sometimes this takes time when what we really crave is an instant solution and a sense of relief. However, we believe that this process of reflection and self-exploration will provide you with a stronger sense of yourself and your life as you find new ways forward. It will not leave you feeling that you need to rely on the advice of others in preference to seeking your own answers.

Counselling is full of moments when even experienced Counsellors find themselves faced with issues that they are unfamiliar with. The person-centred way of working emphasizes that we as Counsellors cannot know what is best for each person in each situation. Indeed even if we knew what might work for us in that situation, our solutions may not work for you or someone else in the same situation because we are different people living different lives. However, our Counsellors are trained to listen carefully to what is troubling you. Their focus is on supporting you in finding your way to a clearer understanding of your concerns and in sharing their own sense of your worries as your conversations unfold. This relational process can often help unstick clients in their ways of thinking and feeling about their circumstances which opens up new possibilities for the future.

If you feel that your Counsellor is not understanding your concerns or is not responding in a helpful way, we encourage you to talk with them openly about this. Responding to feedback from clients is an important part of their training and something they are familiar with before beginning their work with clients at Caladenia Counsellinge. An open and genuine relationship between Counsellor and client is an essential element of the person-centred approach. Often it is moments in which our clients tell us that we are ‘not getting it’ that become important turning points in therapy when we connect anew with what is of most concern to you. Supervision is also an important part of training for our Counsellors. Each week they meet with their supervisor and talk about the issues brought to sessions by their clients as well as reflecting on their own responses to these issues. This reflective process can enhance your Counsellor’s capacity to respond to your concerns in the next session. Supervision is also an important opportunity for trainees to seek advice from supervisors should they feel they need it. We encourage Counsellors to continue this supervisory process throughout their careers. In the rare instance that your Counsellor or their supervisor feel that there is a particular problem that they are not able to respond to in a helpful way, they will talk with you about this and suggest referral to another Counsellor either at Caladenia Counselling or at another service.

In general what is discussed in your sessions remains confidential between your Counsellor and you and their supervisor. It is important that your Counsellor talks with their supervisor about your sessions so that they can be sure they are providing you with the best possible support. The only times when your confidence would be breached is in the rare circumstance where your Counsellor or their supervisor felt that you were at immediate risk of hurting yourself or someone else. Under these circumstances, they would tell you of their concern and discuss with you what steps might need to be taken to make sure that you and safe and that you do not pose a risk to anyone else.

People vary in how many sessions they find helpful. Sometimes you may find significant relief from your concerns after just one session, or you may wish to continue for many weeks. It is not uncommon for people to continue for 12-16 weeks or even longer.

As part of our commitment to our clients to be accountable in our practice, we are very committed to understanding what works and what doesn’t in Counselling. We find our what works through reviewing video tapes of sessions when clients have given their permission. This allows us to ask questions like ‘How well did the Counsellor follow what their client was saying?’; ‘Did the Counsellor show warmth and empathy to their client?” and “How did the client respond to the Counsellor’s inquiry?”. These sorts of questions can help us know the aspects of Counselling that are important in training new Counsellors.

Of course, all use of tapes for this research purpose, are stored securely for 5 years and then destroyed. They remain confidential and no information is reported that could identify you or your Counsellor. We hope that you agree that this is an important part of providing a good service and that you will feel able to give your permission for us to review your session tapes in this way. However, you are under no obligation to do so and your access to Counselling will not be affected in any way if you choose not to consent to your tapes being kept in the research database.

If you cant make you’re appointment just call Wendy or your Counsellor to let them know. This will allow us to fit someone else into the session time. If you unintentionally miss an appointment, just call Wendy or your Counsellor to make another time.

We understand that there are many reasons why a client may choose to continue or to not continue with their counselling work at a particular point in time. You will always be welcome to return to Caladenia House if your circumstances change and you feel that you would like to resume your sessions. Of course, if some time has elapsed your original Counsellor may no longer be available but we will endeavour to carefully match you with another Counsellor that is available. It is helpful if you feel able to tell us if you decide that you do not wish to continue so that we can offer a place to someone on our waitlist.

Your counselor will talk with you about what you would like to happen when we close over the Christmas break. They will begin this conversation with you in plenty of time to decide what you might want to happen. Often clients and their Counsellors will aim to complete their sessions in the time available, sometimes by having more frequent sessions. If this is not feasible, we can talk with you about a referral to another Counselling service as the end of the year approaches. Finally, you might decide to take a break from your Counselling work and come back to Caladenia House in the New Year when we have a new intake of trainees.