(This information is also available in Bosnian)
In this segment:
What is Counselling?
At QPASTT and at other services that provide support, particularly emotional, psychological and social support, you will hear the word counselling. What do we really mean by this word? The word counsel is defined in the dictionary as:
- ‘deliberation together’ or
- ‘consulting together’
The counsellor thus deliberates or consults together with the client over the issues the client brings to the counsellor. To deliberate is defined as to weigh in the mind, to ponder, to determine after careful thought. Therefore counselling happens in the following way:
- Firstly, carefully and thoughtfully examining and reflecting on the issues and experiences a person has faced or is facing in their life.
- Secondly, providing information, strategies and exploring options to solve problems.
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Counselling Guidelines
The following guidelines have been developed to explain the way our counsellors work.
How Counselling Sessions are Arranged
- You, your interpreter and your counsellor will meet at the arranged time and place.
- Your counsellor and interpreter may have a short meeting (no more than five minutes) to prepare for the session.
- Your interpreter will then tell you what was discussed.
- The session will last for about one hour and not longer than one and a half-hours.
- At the end of the session your counsellor and interpreter may spend a few minutes completing administrative procedures and discussing the interpreter’s work in the session.
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Expectations & Responsibilities
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The primary focus of counselling at QPASTT is on healing from torture and trauma.
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The purpose of the counselling is to work together to resolve the issues you wish to work on.
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QPASTT regards the relationship between you and your counsellor and interpreter as a team effort and the counsellor is responsible for the team.
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No information you provide will be passed on to anybody else without your permission. Counselling is confidential and you have right to privacy unless there is a risk to the safety of yourself or others.
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Your counsellor and interpreter will respect your political, religious or other values.
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Your counsellor and interpreter value your opinions and would like to know what you think, even if it a criticism.
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Interpreters are employed by the Telephone Interpreting Service only for the time of the interview and are not supposed to provide transport or give out home phone numbers.
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If you can’t make an appointment please try to let us know at least 48 hours beforehand so that we can cancel the interpreter.
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If you miss two appointments in a row without letting us know we will no longer keep an appointment space open for you, as we have many clients waiting. You are welcome to re-contact us at any time if you decide you would like to recommence counselling, however, there will be some waiting time depending on the availability of appointment times and interpreters.
Your Rights
- You have the right to end counselling at any time and you do not have to talk about anything you do not want to.
- You have the right to request a change of interpreter or counsellor.
If there is anything in these procedures you are not clear about please feel free to ask your counsellor for clarification.
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