Drug and Alcohol

All counselling programs at the Centre work from a Social Determinants of Health and Trauma Informed Care framework. The objective is for synchronicity between individual client’s priorities, needs and presentation at any one time and the most appropriate and well fitting therapeutic response.

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Counselling is client focused, confidential and conducted in a supportive, trustworthy respectful environment with individually tailored treatment options utilising each person’s inner strengths to resolve their problems and reach their life goals.

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The Alcohol and Other Drugs Counselling Program provides brief interventions, short, medium and long –term counselling addressing current substance use, maintenance of long term recovery, support with pharmacotherapy maintenance and can addresses complex co-occurring issues and underlying trauma issues, which may include:

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• Anxiety

• Depression

• Mental health issues

• Domestic Violence

• Stress

• Self-esteem

• Grief and Loss / Bereavement

• Relationships

• Parenting/Child protection

• Childhood sexual assault

• Adult sexual assault

• Sexual Abuse

• Trauma

• Physical health problems

• Being a carer

• A history of abuse and/ or neglect.

 

For clients in active alcohol and or drug misuse, Harm reduction strategies may be a feature of counselling to help reduce related harms to clients and to the community and also be utilized to increased opportunities and enable positive long term changes in health and well-being.

Relapse prevention strategies are commonly utilized for clients in recovery, who are unstable in their abstinence or on pharmacotherapy maintenance.

 

AOD counsellors at the Centre are also able to provide counselling and support to clients in 12 step programs.

 

The SWCC alcohol and other drugs long term counselling program can work on complex underlying issues around childhood abuse, domestic violence etc. within the safety of our trauma informed care framework.

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Although the Centre’s AOD counselling program can assist and support the goal of quitting it is not within the brief of the Centre to provide treatment for withdrawal or to manage clients whose substance use is at dangerous levels. The AOD counselling program can help with referral to detox and or AOD rehabilitation services.

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Clients mandated into treatment by MERIT and Family and Community Services can also access counselling at the Centre.

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Women presenting at the Centre in an intoxicated state either from alcohol or other substances, or who present with signs and symptoms of overdose from drug use will be referred for appropriate medical care.

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You are a person to meet, not a problem to solve.

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Alcohol and other drug misuse can be a way of coping with trauma, stress, loss or difficult changes in life. Sometimes it can feel like it is becoming unmanageable or has left your life in a mess. Seeing one of our experienced therapists/counsellors at the Centre can help to uncover what is going on and facilitate your journey to more productive patterns and a better state of psychological/mental and emotional wellness.

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If you are concerned about or are impacted by alcohol and/or drug use of a family member or person close to you, our counselling program can also be helpful for you.

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Empowering women to improve the quality of their lives and fulfill their potential.

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