Simply choose the counsellor you would like to talk with and select an available time. Pay for the session via our secure payment system. 10 minutes before your appointment, make sure you logged into the Client Software Program (you have already downloaded) using your normal Collective Support login details. This will automatically dial your counsellor and inform them you are waiting and ready for your session. Then, all you need to do is wait for them to accept, and you can start talking Face to Face.

Bunbury website reaches out

A NATION-WIDE website to help people battling depression and other life challenges will be launched from a Bunbury home this month.

Rob Martin and his partner Nichola Hartwell have been working non-stop on their website Collective Support since August last year.

Mr Martin sold his house for the site.

Having battled with depression himself, Mr Martin said there was not an all-encompassing support network for those needing help.

He often found websites would direct users through a maze of other sites and help lines would still leave you feeling alone once you hung up the phone.

“With my background in marketing, I wasn’t happy with the service,” Mr Martin said.

“What was lacking was I didn’t know where to find help.”

Collective Support is designed to help sufferers of depression, cancer, divor-ce, grief, domestic violence, sexual assault and relationship breakdowns to find all the resources needed in one spot.

By logging on and becoming a member, people from Bunbury and across Australia will have access to counsellors via video link, books dealing specifically with their issue and a forum to talk with other members.

Mr Martin has lined up counsellors from around Australia for the network.

“It’s about helping everybody, not just rural but metro as well and it brings a service to the bush not there before,” Mr Martin said.

Mr Martin said the website aimed to build a sense of community, something lacking in many people’s lives.

The first part of the website, depression, should be up and running by the end of the school holidays.

The other six topics will follow.

FiFo employment places extra strains on relationships! Of course you've heard this before and probably read differing and conflicting studies that either say that there is no difference in relationship pressure of FiFo families and normal working families, and other reports that condemn the whole FiFo concept saying it destroys families. Here's the thing , if your relationship is strong and secure to start with FiFo will either further strengthen your relationship or it may weaken it a little. However if your relationship is under any type of duress or stress then FiFo will certainly add a great deal of difficulty to an already difficult situation. When taking on board the FiFo job and the attractive money to be earned , you may need to ask some pertinant questions such as 1. Will our relationship survive this? 2/ Will our children be affected negaively by this? 3/ If I earn all this money will I lose it all through a divorce that may cost me much more?

Of course there are many more considerations to take  on before going on FiFo job , too many to list here, but there are ways to make sure there is minimal impact on your family and relationships . A couple need to consider what impact FiFo may have and how they are going to deal or cope with it , without ending up in the divorce courts. One of the main things is that both partners are in full agreement of the FiFo job and that they set a goal or target they want to reach or even an agreed time limit ( eg 2 years) so that an end is in sight.

Later I will be running support groups for both male and femalr partners of FiFo workers and soon a training course on relationship enhancement covering Step 1. effective communucation in a relationship will be available on-line. Keep and eye on this site for further information as it comes up.

Thanks

Herman

In the back of the book there are lots of exercised you can do, the one I recommend the most is the 10 letters.  If you are having troubles letting go of something or someone you write 10 letters, each one with a specific topic & objective, they are not meant to be sent, they are just for you to say what you may not have been able to say in person.

Most of the exercises are based on the 12 step programme (AA etc) & is known to be affective.

If you or someone you know is having troubles letting go why not give this book a try, I did & it worked for me.

ToniL

• A win-win Behaviour Management Strategy - easy to use with a 99% success rate
• Sleep Solutions - with NO Trauma & NO Controlled Crying
• Keys to Easy Parenting
• The importance of Parenting Consistency & Routines
• The Secret to Happy Children
• Early Learning Ideas for Optimal Learning

I love my life, I love my family, but my life sometimes makes me incredibly tired and at times I struggle with an array of emotions and feelings.  Collective Support has been obliging in opening up this forum for me to indulge my vision of providing a safe and caring and non-judgemental space for carers like me and you to come together and support one another. 

I invite you to share your story here.  Share as much or as little as you like.  I hope to reach people far and wide and hopefully we can share a sense of hope and understanding as we support each other in our caring roles.

This is our supportive place.....this is your supportive place....

Welcome to Collective Support Online Carer Support Forum.  A caring role is one of highs and lows.  It can bring much joy and reward and at the same time present challenges never imagined. 

I'd like to extend the hand of friendly support to other carers such as myself.  Here at Collective Support we have opened a public online forum for those in a caring role to come together.  We can share our stories and learn from each other without having to leave the comfort of our own homes or find respite care! 

At any time of the day or night when you may be feeling sad, lonely, isolated or completely alone and disconnected from the world around you, the online forum is always here.  You may need to off load some of those overwhelming feelings or you may like to share one of those precious 'warm and fuzzy' moments you had during your day; you know, those special little moments that come from nowhere and fully capture your whole being; the ones that fill you with such immense joy or admiring awe.

The Carers Forum costs nothing. Thanks to the Collective Support Website I am now able to offer support on a personal and professional level to other carers far and wide, regardless of location; and I too can do this from the comfort of my own home without the need to find respite care or organise transport or watch the clock to get back or feel guilty or anxious for not being home!  Yes, even though I am a Professional Counsellor and help people with the struggles they encounter in their own lives, I still work through the same fears and worries as other carers do!  To consider myself an expert would be a huge dis-service to those who come to see me.  I walk with my clients, not direct them from a self erected pedestal!

In the future I would like to facilitate some private online groups (closed groups with participants only having access) that would focus more intensely on dealing with the difficulties in our caring roles.  That would involve hiring or setting up a private forum room and a small charge of $5.00 per week would occur just to cover my costs of renting the online space.  I'd love to know your thoughts on the idea of private secure forums so please feel free to private message me via the Collective Support Website or email me at cassielcounselling@bigpond.com.

I invite you to become a contributer to the online Carer Forum and I look forward to seeing you there.  I'll visit it daily leaving reply posts and relevant resources.  Join with me at Collective Support and help us bridge the gap and build supportive communities.

Cath & her husband have printed these books and they can be obtained by emailing mummyalwayscomesback@westnet.com.au

I would like to announce that the support group for adults who have experienced any form of child abuse.. is now open for business!

Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for survivors so I've decided to open the forum now until xmas (when I go o/s for 2 weeks) and then again from 11th January ongoing.  It will start with blogging, then we'll organise live sessions at a mutually agreed time by the participants. The cost is $5 per week.

I'd appreciate it if you could put the word out to anyone you think may be interested - there is such a deep sense of isolation and despair experienced by many survivors of child abuse who have family or relational difficulties at this time of year. 

Thanks! ... and if I don't speak to you beforehand, have a sacred Christmas with family and a Healthy, Happy, Harmonious and Prosperous New Year/Decade.

Love & Light,

Tabby xo

Support Group

Guidelines

In order for the support group to run smoothly and for a respectful and safe environment to be established for everyone it is important we adhere to some guidelines within the group:

1)    Confidentiality – What’s said in the room, stays in the room. Please do not repeat any personal or identifying information about another member outside of the support group.

·        The only exception to this is if the Facilitator has a legal obligation or duty of care to follow up if someone is at risk of harming themselves/another or discloses they have committed/intend to commit a crime, or if the facilitator needs to debrief.

2)      Respect – Variety is the spice of life. We all have different views, ideas, beliefs, values & styles of communicating. Please take care not to ever criticise and to use respectful language & tone while online. A non-judgmental and accepting atmosphere in the group is vital in order to create a trusting environment in which everyone feels comfortable to share their experience, feelings & thoughts.

3)      No advice-giving - Having advice given to you can feel disempowering. Also what is right for one person may not be right for another - we all heal in different ways.  It is more helpful to word any feedback in the ‘I’ form. Share similar experiences or feelings from your own perspective. E.g. “I found that for me ….. was really helpful”.  Also it is not helpful to try to diagnose others - this is best left to medical professionals.

4)    Content – This group is designed to support people in their current lives who may be dealing with fallout as a result of their childhood abuse. Childhood abuse can affect us emotionally, psychologically, physically, spiritually, sexually & can greatly impact mental health, self esteem/sense of self & core relationships. Disclosing details of previous abuse can be triggering & put ourselves & others into an unsafe place/cause dissociation. Disclosing suicidality or self harm is also triggering for other group members.  For this reason it is suggested that if you feel a need to talk about details of the actual child abuse or are suicidal or feeling urges to self harm, that this be done within the safety of a therapeutic one to one counselling relationship, rather than in a group environment. Please call Lifeline on 131114 if feeling suicidal or unsafe.

      No explicit details allowed within the group.

5)    No perpetrators – Although many people who commit child abuse have experienced some form of abuse or bullying in their own childhoods, in order for people to feel safe within this group, no perpetrators of child abuse are permitted to participate. Again one to one counselling is more relevant under these circumstances.

6)    Sobriety – While in the online group members are asked not to be under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs/illicit substances. While it is recognized that many people use substances to cope or escape difficult feelings/life circumstances, it can limit members’ ability to participate fully and can be triggering for others.

7)      If feeling affected – Please operate within the structures of the support group and speak up if there is anything you are feeling uncomfortable about. Support groups are good places to practice boundaries and assertiveness that survivors often struggle with. Because there is no face to face contact with online groups and all non verbal communication is unseen, it is important to communicate if you need further clarification about anything or if you are feeling affected. You can also private message me for brief one to one support if necessary.

8)      Open Group – The support group will be open to new members until the maximum limit has been reached. (12 participants). The group will be moderated daily.

      Breach of these guidelines may result in posts being deleted, member suspension from the group or banning in order to maintain safety and comfort of the group as a whole.