The Family Counselling Clinic

Specialised support services for working with parents who have separated, their children and their extended family members.

The experience of separation and divorce is a time of significant change for individuals and families.

The adjustment, like any, can come with many challenges and most people find it difficult and stressful. While there are legal and financial aspects to consider there is also the aspect of helping children to adjust to the changed circumstances, while the parents themselves , are also adjusting to their new situation.

The Family Counselling Clinic practitioners are qualified and highly experienced mental health professionals who specialise in working with adults, children and families experiencing divorce-specific issues. They are experts in their field with extensive experience working with Court-mandated referrals; and have sound knowledge of divorce-specific issues experienced by children and adults, child development and welfare, parenting matters, family systems and trauma.

The Family Counselling Clinic provides family-focused therapy with individuals and groups, using an evidence-informed approach which has been developed by Davide Di Pietro, MSW(Q) AMHSW (Principal therapist of The Family Counselling Clinic at The Resilience Centre).

The Family Counselling Clinic practitioners work with individuals and all types of family constellations, where the aim of therapy is focused on improving relationships and functioning within families after or during parental separation. This may include, however is not limited to, working with parents who have experienced separation or who are going through separation, working with a child whose parents have separated or are separating, or in fact a whole family unit. Associated fees for seeing a Family Counselling Clinic Specialist Practitioner (FCCSP) differs from that of other practitioners at The Resilience Centre.

 

The Post-Separation Parenting Solutions Program

Offers a 3 hour workshop which aims at equipping parents who have experienced separation, with tools to guide their children through this adjustment. The course gives parents the opportunity to learn about things to look out for and learn strategies to minimise the impact of conflict for children whose parents are or have separated. Completion certificates are provided upon completion of the program.

 

The Family Counselling Clinic consultants at the Resilience Centre offer a unique family support service that utilises all members of the family in working towards strengthening safe and resilient relationships between family members through separation. The consultants at the Family Counselling Clinic provide:

Voluntary and Court Ordered Individual and Joint Family Focused Services/ Co-parenting support.

Consultants have particular expertise in working with parents, young people and children at all stages of the separation process. Consultants assist parents in achieving the best-case scenario for children, as well as assisting parents in making their parenting arrangements and court orders work effectively for their children. Family focused therapy sessions can be provided individually or in a family group setting.

Families within the Family Court system may be directed to attend family counselling to attempt to resolve issues that may have arisen or to minimise harm to children in matters of high conflict. The Court may direct families to engage in “reportable” or “non-reportable” family therapy. For “reportable” family therapy, the family practitioner may be called upon to provide an opinion regarding outcomes achieved in therapy and opinion regarding certain matters raised. For “non-reportable” family therapy, counselling is completely confidential.

Expert Reports

The Family Counselling Clinic at The Resilience Centre offers support to families within the Family Court system. We have trained and experienced professionals who have specialist skills in assessing matters including: family relationships and attachment, relocation, parenting capacity, family violence, mental health and risk assessments.

Therapeutic Child Contact Services

Practitioners offer supervised contact between a parent and children. This service offers the opportunity for parents to demonstrate and rehearse their parenting skills and continue to build connections with a child whom they do not live with. Observation and coaching support provided by a consultant can be helpful for parents to activate strategies that supports the development of their children and helps build healthy relationships within families. A short report is available following each session.

Family Inclusive Conferencing

Is a (1 day) program unique to The Family Counselling Clinic at The Resilience Centre. Family Inclusive Conferencing brings family members together to plan for their child or young person following parental separation. This process combines a seminar style program to assist families to better understand the needs of the child, with a strategy building or planning session which produces a tangible outcome by the end of the process. Family Inclusive Conferencing is inclusive of a child’s extended maternal and paternal families and attempts to utilise greater social and organisational resources for the child.

Specialised services for children and adults who have experienced traumatic experiences through the separation

The Family Counselling Clinic at The Resilience Centre provides specialized services for individuals and families who have experienced traumatic experiences in their adult relationships, including family and domestic violence. This service further supports family members who have experienced other traumatic events as a result of separation.

Barriers to effective communication during a separation or divorce – a vodcast with Davide Di Pietro

 

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Appointments

Appointments can be made over the phone and all calls are treated with the strictest confidence. Private health insurance rebates apply for clients with the appropriate cover and Medicare rebates may apply for specific services with a referral from a GP after completing a Mental Health Care Plan.

 

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