A face-to-face counselling service set up by LifeLine Waikato just 15 months ago is moving into new, bigger premises in central Hamilton to cater to the growing need for counselling.

The service, an extension of LifeLine Waikato’s free phone-counselling, offers clients low-cost personal counselling of up to six sessions when the need is urgent or other forms of counselling are too difficult to access.

LifeLine’s face-to-face counselling began in November 2010, and was initially set up in a small office in London Street, in Hamilton.

“We have now grown out of that office, and are shifting the service to the central business district,” says LifeLine Waikato director Shelley Walker.

“The bigger space we now have available for the face-to-face counselling means we can have two rooms, so we are able to see more clients. As well, we are now offering after-hours counselling, and also counselling on Saturday mornings.”

Shelley Walker says more than 90 referrals to LifeLine Waikato for counselling were made last year, and 160 hours of counselling were provided. Those given counselling are asked to make a donation of whatever they can afford towards the cost of providing the service.

“It is obviously working very well, and the service is quickly becoming known,” she says.
“Waiting time to get counselling is only a week to 10 days, and Waikato is one of only three LifeLine centres in the country offering the service.

“The real value of being face-to-face with the counsellor is that the client can see the counsellor, and is able to build a personal relationship with them a lot more easily.”
She says the service is available only in Hamilton, although it is open to people from surrounding Waikato towns.

For further information, phone Hamilton (07)838-0715.

Waikato golfers are being urged to take a swing at a fund-raising golf tournament for the benefit of LifeLine Waikato, as part of the service’s celebration of 20 years of work in Hamilton.

The team-day Ambrose tournament, to be held at The Narrows Golf Course on Friday, February 17, so far has 12 four-person teams enrolled, but organiser and LifeLine Waikato director Shelley Walker says she’d like to have at least 20 teams playing on the day.

“We’re hoping to raise $20,000 to help cover the costs of the service expanding its present premises so we can accommodate our rapidly-growing face-to-face counselling service,” she says.

The tournament is scheduled to start at 11.30am with a barbecue, with teams teeing off about 12.15pm. The round will be followed by a well-sponsored auction at the Narrows clubrooms.

“We hope more business houses from Hamilton or other centres in the Waikato will be interested to put teams in,” says Shelley Walker. “Cost is $35 per player.”

Teams can register with LifeLine Waikato by phoning Hamilton (07) 838-0715; or 021-0242-4725.

More volunteer counsellors are being sought for LifeLine Waikato, as the need for the organisation’s phone counselling services continues to expand.

As well, LifeLine Waikato has recently set up a face-to-face counselling service for people in need of low-cost counselling, and the demand on this service is also growing.

Shelley Walker, Director of LifeLine Waikato, says the organisation already has about 70 volunteer counsellors who help provide the 24-hour seven-day-a-week phone counselling service from Hamilton, but there is always a need for more.

“Last year we took more than 7900 calls, and it is likely we will take about the same number this year,” she says. “There has been a marked increase in calls from the Christchurch region, because the Christchurch LifeLine centre was knocked out by the February earthquake and there is a need for counselling from that area.”

Calls from the Christchurch and Canterbury region were till recently being taken by other LifeLine centres around the country.

Shelley Walker says a selection day for volunteer counsellors will be held on Sunday, June 26, and she hopes to obtain at least another 20 new counsellors.

“They will be given detailed training in a wide range of counselling skills in sessions covering 54 hours during three months,” she says.