• Depression
• Suicidal thoughts and attempts
• Anxiety, panic attacks
• Psychological, sexual, emotional abuse
• Domestic violence, rape
• Relationship problems e.g. Parenting, Separation/Divorce
• Crisis Pregnancy
• Major illness e.g. cancer, H.I.V., A.I.D.S., Hepatitis C
• Sexuality
• Bereavement and grief
• Loneliness
• Bullying and discrimination
• Coping with life as a teenager / adolescent
• Major life changes
• Stress and work related problems AND MANY MORE …

Counselors are strictly held by professional codes of conduct. Confidentiality is the major premise of a professional counseling service. However, like other professionals we are sometimes legally required to report information. Other than these legal requirements, your signed authorization is necessary before any information can be released. You can also make special arrangements regarding the confidentiality of mail or telephone contacts, at the time of your initial call. At all times, your best interests will be represented and your right to privacy respected.

Your first appointment, called the intake session, will involve an evaluation of your needs and time to discuss your present concerns. This session will help both you and the counselor decide how Oikos Counseling services might best match with your needs. If it is mutually decided that a sessions at the Oikos Counseling are needed, you will be assigned to a staff counselor, who may or may not be the same person you saw for your intake. Individual counseling sessions typically last 45 to 50 minutes and group therapy sessions are typically 90 minutes weekly.

The number of sessions it takes to bring clients to ultimate solution of their problem varies wildly. It depends on the nature of the problem, the clients’ willingness to change, type of therapy, and many other variables. Oikos Counseling places no restriction on number, or frequency of counselling sessions.

It happens often that one person or another in the relationship has resistance to couples’ therapy. Maybe they find it difficult to talk to a stranger about personal problems, or to ask for help about anything. Maybe they feel secretly to blame for a lot of the problems and are afraid to admit it. Whatever the reason, in our opinion it is fine for the person who wants to get started to begin. Many changes and improvements can be made from one side of the equation; changes in one spouse often leads to change in another. And then often the other person can be invited to participate at a later date.

NO referral is necessary for retaining counselling services at Oikos Counseling. People may self-refer by calling the Centre’s Intake Line at 03-8023 9655