When to Seek Counselling

Many people benefit from counselling at some point in their lives but it is not always apparent when it is necessary. Here are some signs for when it might be necessary to seek counselling for yourself or a loved one:

  • Uncontrollable anger, sadness, worry, or hopelessness
  • Withdrawing from family or friends
  • You’ve lost interest in the things you enjoy
  • Loss of control
  • Changes in sleeping patterns and weight gain or loss
  • Thought of death and suicide. Using drugs, alcohol, food, or sex to cope with emotions
  • Extreme feelings of grief associated with a loss (divorce, death)
  • Something traumatic has happened in your life
  • Parenting challenges
  • Domestic abuse
  • Relationship challenges
  • Concerned about the behaviour or psychological status of a loved one and wondering about how or even whether you should intervene
  • When others have expressed concern over you or a loved one’s wellbeing and/or behaviours (peers, colleagues, teachers, daycare workers).

 

Benefits of Counselling

  • Less anxiety
  • Relief from depression
  • Increased self-confidence
  • Increased self-esteem
  • Increased creativity
  • Increased assertiveness
  • Better relationships
  • Resolution of trauma
  • Emotional balance and stress relief
  • Mental and physical health benefits
  • Better connection to yourself and others
  • Increased intimacy with family and friends
  • Better communication skills

Counselling Programs

Counselling and therapy services are offered at the Aulneau Renewal Centre.

The programs include both long and short-term individual counselling sessions for children and parents, dyad work for parents and young children, family or group counselling sessions and parenting workshops.

The objectives of the programs are to promote personal growth and self-reliance for adults, children and families enabling them to be more functional and autonomous, develop life and social skills, and improve their parenting capacities.

Objectives also include assisting families and individuals in accessing resources from other parts of the social services network, and collaborating with other community-based organizations to help meet their needs.

Therapeutic Approaches

Each clinician works from their own integrative therapeutic orientation, which for most is an blend of different therapeutic approaches and evidence-based interventions and tools, including: 

  • Play Therapy
  • Verbal Psychotherapy
  • Family Therapy
  • Couples Therapy
  • EMDR
  • Circle of Security Parenting Program (for individuals)

Confidentiality & Your Rights

Privacy

Aulneau Renewal Centre respects your right to privacy and will ask only for information that is relevant to the therapy. We require your consent to obtain this information. Our policies and procedures for the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information, conform to the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA).

The Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) provides access to information and protection of privacy rights concerning personal health information. PHIA allows individuals to examine and receive a copy of their own personal health information from a trustee holding this information. PHIA imposes obligations on trustees for the protection of personal health information, specifically its collection, use, disclosure and security.

PHIA applies to trustees who maintain (have custody or control of) personal health information. Trustees are:

  • all public bodies that fall under FIPPA
  • health professionals licensed or registered to provide health care or health professionals (such as doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, etc.);
  • health care facilities (such as hospitals, personal care homes, psychiatric facilities, medical clinics, laboratories, and community health centres or other health care facilities designated in the regulations)
  • health services agencies providing health care under an agreement with another trustee (such as the Victorian Order of Nurses and We Care).

Personal health information is information about an identifiable individual that relates to an individual’s health and health care history including genetic information, the provision of health care to the individual, or payment for health care provided to the individual. This includes such things as your Personal Health Information Number (PHIN) assigned by Manitoba Health, as well as any identifying information collected in the course of providing health care services.

For more information about PHIA, please check the following websites:

Limits of Confidentiality

It is important that you understand the confidential nature of your relationship with your therapist. Information that you disclose about your situation will be treated as confidential. No one at Aulneau Renewal Centre will release your name, or information about you, or your counselling, to anyone outside of the agency without your informed, voluntary, and written consent, except as outlined below:

  1. If we obtain information which leads us to suspect that a child (18 and under) is at risk for, or has been, physically abused, sexually abused, emotionally abused, or neglected, we are legally obliged to make a report to Child and Family Services.
  2. If you inform us about any intent to commit an act which could result in the injury or death of another/others, we are legally obliged to contact the police.
  3. If a counsellor has concerns that you are a danger to yourself, she/he will discuss with you any plan that they may need to take on your behalf (e.g. call a family member or family physician). However, in situations where your counsellor is unable to discuss this with you, they may need to proceed without your consent to fulfill their obligation to ensure your safety.
  4. We are ordered by court subpoena to release information to a third party, such as a lawyer.
    In order to ensure accountable, ethical, and effective clinical service your therapist may consult with a Clinical Consultant, and/or colleagues, for clinical consultation. Identifying information will be kept to a minimum during any such clinical consultation.
  5. If you are a CFS client attending therapy, CFS does ask for reports on a regular basis. This is to ensure that goals for treatment are being met and to ensure CFS to continue to support the family.

Release of Information

If you need your therapist to release information to a third party, such as a, doctor, or lawyer, you must provide us with informed, written, and voluntary consent. A form must be completed before any release of information.