Garratt Health Services is staffed by qualified and experienced health professionals offering counselling, coaching and mentoring services throughout the Albury Wodonga region as well as educational services nationally.
Drawing on diverse and comprehensive experience in the areas of crisis intervention, mental health, chronic illness and workplace management and incident debriefing, combined with our health management experience we offer a uniquely holistic service.
Our counsellors take a very solution oriented approach to life issues. This means that more time is focussed on the ways in which you would like things to be different or better, and the strategies needed in order to achieve your goal.
Loss and Grief
Feelings of sadness, anger, denial and shock are all normal parts of grieving when you have experienced a significant loss. Many people can benefit from counselling during this period while they come to terms with their loss and adjust to a new way of living. For some people the grief becomes more complicated and can last a longer time, or be more difficult to manage. In these cases counselling can be recommended in order to identify obstacles to healing and to develop strategies for finding a new ‘normal’.
Grief does not only occur when a person dies, but can occur at any time there is significant change, such as in the case of divorce or moving house. Grief processes can also begin at the time you or a loved one is diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness. Our counsellors have experience in helping you navigate all these challenges.
Relationship or marriage counselling
Many couples go through a period of struggle in their relationships and seek assistance to negotiate new boundaries and develop strategies for moving forward. One of the first questions to ask yourself if you are seeking marriage counselling is whether you are doing so because you have decided you want to end the relationship, or whether you want to make it work. Your counsellor will ask you this directly and work with you on that basis, whether that means developing a plan to become successful singles and co-parents, or a plan to negotiate a future together.
Drugs and Alcohol
We are not proponents of a harm minimisation approach. Harm minimisation generally suggests that all things, even those that may be contributing to your negative behaviours or relationships can be ‘modified’ to reduce the harm or risk. Our highly successful approach challenges you to consider whether you are seeking to minimise the harm, or contribute positively to your life. We will help you make the big changes necessary to achieve the latter, and do away with problem behaviours so that you can be back in control again.
Generalist counselling
Generalist counselling can offer support when facing many life challenges including:
- relationship difficulties
- parenting issues
- loss and grief
- self esteem and self confidence
- stress and workplace issues
Perinatal issues
Suffering a pregnancy loss, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth or termination can be extremely traumatic and the help of a professional counsellor with experience in this area can you help you to work through it non judgementally, and with compassion for your loss.
Depression, anxiety or day to day concerns can be magnified by pregnancy and the post natal period. Our counsellors are also health professionals with experience in mental health and in perinatal issues.
Health and Lifestyle Counselling
Many people suffer physical or emotional issues as a result of ill health or unhealthy lifestyle habits. Both John and Debbie have years of experience working with people suffering chronic and terminal illnesses as well as mental health issues, and draw on this valuable experience to assist people, including carers, with the unique challenges that ill health can bring.
Sometimes all you need is some support and guidance in making different lifestyle choices, set goals, and learn to make healthy changes.
Some reasons people seek health and lifestyle counselling include:
- depression/anxiety
- stress management
- terminal illness of self or family member
- chronic illness
- seeking to make healthy lifestyle changes
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
We offer a comprehensive Employee Assistance Program to several local businesses, from provision of one to one counselling services for employees and their family members, onsite critical incident debriefing, to group education programs on stress management, communication, harrassment and bullying, and much more.
For appointments please phone: (02) 60594500 or if you are international please email us to discuss an appointment suited to our timezones.
Please see below for terms and conditions related to cancellation of appointments, courses and on-site services: CANCELLATION POLICY