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Rural women – A dreamy existence at times but bloody hard work and challenging!
Rural women – A dreamy existence at times but bloody hard work and challenging!
Watching my cousins all grow up in rural worlds, almost seemed romantic to me as a child. I would visit every holiday from the city and ride horses, milk some cows, pick fruit, ride my motor bike, jump in mud, star gaze, play a lot of cricket, ride on tractors and hang out in makeshift cubbies. I was particularly indulged with attention from one Aunt who lived on a remote property with her husband and six sons. She would beg to do my long hair every day! Aside from the bugs, mice, snakes, dodgy plumbing and the intense quiet where I lay awake at night a little nervous listening to lots of unfamiliar noises in the pitch dark, it was a fabulous escape from the chaos of the city.
But as I grew older, I slowly grew to understand the reality of their world beyond these simple wholesome joys. They were extremely long and physically exhausting days, to get someone to attend to the farm so they could have a break was expensive and stressful, they rarely had a sleep in due to the livestock needs, the weather was unpredictable and often extremely cruel. I watched them cry as crops were ruined, neighbours were fatally injured on machines, deal with regular power outages, witness their favourite horse die from a snake bite, hungry dingo's that surrounded and killed their livestock, endless fences that always needed checking and repairing, the worries of lost stock and children wandering into open dams. I watched dairy farms go bust or forced to convert to beef if they could afford it. Teenagers who were not wanting to remain on the property planning their escape. Medical and other support services that were a long distance away or sub-standard.
My Grandmother had been a very social Melbourne girl when she met my Grandfather Charlie. She had fallen deeply in love with the country boy who seduced her to go rural with stories of green pastures and healthy living. But for Nan, it was beyond confronting. The quiet, lack of resources, facilities, shopping and entertainment, her lack of rural living skills, the initial difficulty of breaking into the local social cliques and community, the non-existent holidays, fear when any of the four children needed urgent medical assistance, the long wait for products and services and financial strain, put her mental health and marriage in jeopardy on many occasions. She once said that whilst she eventually made a lot of lovely friends in her small community, she always kept all her family issues very private and did not feel she wanted to discuss them even with the local doctor who was her neighbours.
All my aunties were country born and bred so their coping mechanisms and understanding of the challenges of rural living were a lot more realistic. They spoke so fondly of their wonderful communities who supported one another and how they could never have endured city living. However, there were still many days when they admitted they wished they had had access to more help to deal with the stresses and challenges, the remoteness, menopause, teen issues, even the empty nest feelings as their children often opted out of rural living.
Family Counselling Support Network and Separation Support Network offer our rural clients confidential, online services with flexible hours to accommodate their schedules no matter where they are located. If there isn’t a time that suits you just email us at [email protected] and we will do whatever we can to help.
We also offer a range of online workshops and courses, fabulous free online book club (Konnect) and resources. BOOK CLUB LAUNCHING SOON!!!
From 1 September we also invite you to join us on the couch with a cup of tea (or cheeky wine) to listen to me having a chat and a giggle with a fabulous range of people talking all things women – ‘On the Couch with Susan & Friends.’
Reach out anytime. We are here for you. x
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Questions about our Services?
Do I need separation counselling or coaching?
It is a Counsellor’s role to help people identify and resolve difficulties stemming from their past which currently impact their marriage, parenting, family relationships and overall life satisfaction. We use a process-oriented approach to help identify patterns of thought and behaviour that hold individuals back.
All of our clients are encouraged and supported to work towards improved emotional resilience and to be better prepared to face the emotional impact of navigating a divorce and its ripple effects on all aspects of life, work and family. The main focus is on feelings within a framework of psychological and emotional issues.
The goal of Separation and Divorce Coaching is to walk clients through the legal, financial and parenting practicalities of separation and divorce and to educate and empower them to take the steps necessary to move forward to achieve affordable, fair and less stressful outcomes.
Our goal is to guide clients through the practical steps of the dissolution of a marriage efficiently and with the least amount of emotional interference in their decision-making especially where children and their custodial needs and care are involved.
Medicare rebate or private medical insurance claim for psychological services?
Most clients prefer to book directly with our Head Counsellor and Psychologist via this website. No referral is required to access this counselling service.
During the first session, you can discuss the benefits of seeking a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP should you wish to pursue this path moving forward. If you require a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) you will need to make a long appointment with your GP and they will make an assessment about whether you are eligible.
All of our psychologists are registered with Medicare and you will need a referral from a GP if you wish to claim Medicare rebates. Under the Better Access program you can receive a partial rebate for up to 10 individual sessions in a calendar year.
All our psychologists are registered with private health insurance providers in Australia. If you have private health insurance, you may be eligible to claim rebates for psychological sessions. The level of cover and any applicable waiting periods vary between providers and depends on your extras cover policy.
To find out if you are eligible and/or how much funding you are entitled to claim for psychological sessions, please contact your private health insurance.
Where applicable, some of our psychologists also see clients who are self-managed or plan-managed through NDIS at the current rate for NDIS.
Cancellation or missed sessions policy
Given the nature of our support services, last minute cancellations are costly, and it means that other clients may miss out on receiving the required support. For cancellations within 48 hours of the scheduled appointment there is a $65 part fee payment. For less than 24 hours cancellation notice or a non-show, the full session fee will need to be charged. These fees are refunded however if the session can be filled at the last minute.
How are your counselling and coaching sessions held?
We know our clients are time poor. For your convenience, all our counselling or coaching sessions are now available online via Zoom.
You can book your appointment online via this website.
Zoom allows us to connect with you via video and audio. It just requires you to click on a link to join. You can sign up to Zoom to create a FREE account and download the Zoom Client for Meetings. Zoom does require internet connections.
After you book you will be sent a reminder about the booking and emailed a link to connect at the booked time. You are also likely to be sent a client information form to complete prior to your initial consultation to enable our Counsellors and Coaches to be better prepared for your first meeting.
Are your workshops in person or online?
Our regular workshops, book club and events are offered online and in person at various venues.
You are very welcome to sign up to receive more information about upcoming workshops and events on offer and all the fabulous book club information . CLICK HERE
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Family Counselling Support Network acknowledges and respects the First Nations Custodians of the land where our offices stand, and where we work to help Australians. We pay respects to their Elders, past present and emerging, lore, customs and creation spirits. We recognise that these lands have always been places of ceremony, teaching, research and learning, and we acknowledge the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples play in our community.
We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible environment where people and communities of all identities and backgrounds are accepted, safe and celebrated.
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