Carer counselling

Throughout the caring journey, many carers experience a range of emotions including anger, depression, anxiety, loneliness, loss and grief. Family and friends can provide an important informal support network, however by accessing professional support through counselling you will learn new strategies to help you:

• Deal with overwhelming and confusing feelings
• Better understand your experiences as a carer
• Work out your own needs and develop ways to solve problems
• Manage conflict, stress and other emotional factors 
• Learn and apply healthy communication boundaries
• Build resilience and cope with change
• Improve your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing
• Cope with grief and loss and learn how to re-build when your caring role ends
• Identify support systems and be connected to services 

Counselling through Carer Gateway

Carer Counselling in now provided through Carer Gateway by calling 1800 422 737 or visiting www.carergateway.gov.au

Accessing counselling through Carer Gateway

Carers can arrange counselling sessions for themselves or give consent for someone else to make a referral on their behalf.

Self-referrals

• Call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 
• A Carer Support Officer will assess your eligibility and collect some personal details
• An appropriate counsellor will be allocated to you, based on your location, counselling needs and availability

Making a referral on behalf of someone else

• Discuss the program with the carer and obtain their consent to make a referral
• Call the Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737 to discuss the referral with a Carer Support Officer
• The Carer Support Officer will contact the carer directly to discuss eligibility for the program.