FAQs

What is counselling and how is it different to crisis support?

• Counselling offers a safe and confidential professional service between a qualified counsellor and a client where problems can be worked through together at a deeper level to enhance mental health, self-understanding, and resolve identified concerns. You can learn more about what counselling is here: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/counsellors-and-counselling
• Crisis support is short-term support for people who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping or staying safe. It is a confidential one-to-one support with a trained Lifeline telephone crisis supporter who will listen without judgement and provide a safe space.

Do I need to prepare for counselling?

• You do not have to prepare for a counselling session. You may want to reflect on what you want to talk about, what you’d like to be different and what you’d hope to get out of 4 counselling sessions.
• We encourage you to book the session at a time when you are available and can be in a quiet and private space.

Why would I want counselling when I can call Lifeline anytime?

• Counselling and crisis support are different types of support. You can still call Lifeline when experiencing crisis or feelings of overwhelm. When you book in to see your counsellor it will be with the same person allowing you to work on a challenge or concern over multiple sessions.

How long will the counselling services be available for?

• The IntA Lifeline counselling service is being offered for a limited period of time, from mid-July 2024 – September 2024.

Will it be in person/ online/ on the phone?

• The counselling sessions will be on the phone and will last 45 minutes.
• The call will come from a private number at the time booked with you.
• They will try again after 5 minutes if they do not get through the first time.

When will the intake officer call me?

• An intake officer is someone trained in having the first conversation with you to understand your needs and explain the counselling service.
• They will ask more personal questions to make sure you get the right counsellor.
• You will have told Lifeline about your preferences for the time of your first call. This will be between 9-5pm AEST, Monday to Friday.
• It will be 1 business day after you are referred to the counselling service and will last about 20 minutes.

Who is paying for this?

• Lifeline is funding this counselling.

What happens if I don’t attend?

• Please let the counsellor know in advance if you are not able to attend a session by emailing LifelineCounselling@lifeline.org.au. You will not be charged for not attending and your next booked appointment remains the same.
• If you do not attend two sessions in a row without letting the counselling service know, your future sessions will be cancelled.

Will you remind me to go to my session?

• Yes, you will receive a reminder via text or email 1 day prior to your session.

Can I have more than one session a week?

• You will have access to a total of four sessions. You can let the intake officer know that you would prefer to have them more frequently, and this will then depend on availability of the counsellor.

How long will I have to wait for my first session?

• The first step will be to have an intake conversation to understand your current needs. The counselling service will contact you within 1 business day of Lifeline sharing your number with them. Depending on your availability, we will aim for you to have your first session within 2 weeks of your intake conversation.

Can I provide preferences about the counsellors’ gender?

• You can express preferences at the intake conversation. The service will do their best to match preferences, but this will depend on when you and the counsellors are available.

Who can access the counselling?

• We are trialling offering the counselling service for a short time period to people who phone Lifeline regularly (around 16 times per month or more). Therefore, there are limited places.
• The counselling service is available to people aged 16 or older. If you are younger than 16 you can access free phone counselling via Kids helpline at 1800 55 1800.
• We are offering counselling to people who are not currently attending counselling or therapy.

Will my family members or friends be told I am receiving counselling?

• The counselling service is confidential, and the counsellors will not inform your family, parents, or friends that you are receiving counselling.
• The counsellor will not inform anyone else that you are receiving counselling, unless they are concerned about the safety of you or others. If so, they may alert local emergency services in efforts to protect your safety.

Why was I offered counselling?

• Your phone number was identified as contacting Lifeline regularly.
• You expressed an interest in counselling and wanted to work with a counsellor on your current specific challenges.
• You can choose if you want to accept the offer of counselling or withdraw at any stage. This will not affect your ability to use Lifeline services in any way now or into the future.

What if I don’t like the counsellor I get. Can I swap to another one?

• If you are finding it difficult to connect with the counsellor, you can contact the Intake team on LifelineCounselling@lifeline.org.au in order to request a different counsellor. You will receive four sessions in total from the counselling service. If you change counsellor, you will need to explain your experiences and current challenges to the new counsellor.

What if four sessions are not enough for me?

• We recognise four sessions of counselling is a brief intervention. At the end of the four sessions the counsellor will make a plan with you and work out what your next steps are. This may include looking at options with other services for longer term counselling.

Can I bring a family member? Can this be counselling for a family/ couples?

• This counselling is designed for individuals. If you would like to bring a support person you can let the person know who’s doing the intake conversation that this is important to you.
• If you are looking for couple or group counselling, Relationships Australia has affordable online and in person counselling services and resources for couples, families, and communities.

What sort of counselling do they offer?

• IntA Lifeline Counselling service offers different counselling approaches so they can best meet your needs.
• If you are looking for a specific type of counselling, there are other services that provide these. There is some further information on these pages:
  • Financial Counselling
  • Grief Counselling

Why do I have to share my number and preferred name with Lifeline?

• Your phone number will be passed on to IntA Lifeline Counselling so they can contact you and book in the sessions.
• Your preferred name will be shared with IntA Lifeline Counselling so they know how to address you when they phone. You do not need to provide your legal first name or your last name to Lifeline crisis support.

What will happen to my counselling records at the end of the program?

• Your records will be kept confidential in accordance with the Lifeline Privacy Policy.
• The intake officer can explain more about how records are kept.

How are you using my data?

• The content of the discussions is kept confidential between you and the counsellor. All notes will be kept in accordance with the Lifeline Privacy Policy.
• Lifeline Australia will be reviewing if short-term counselling is supportive for people who phone Lifeline regularly (around 16 or more times per month).
• If you consent, we will follow how counselling affects your use of Lifeline crisis support. We will review this for up to three months after your last counselling session. This will help us to understand if it is a good model.
• We will also be keen to hear from you and gain your feedback via the survey.