Public Address | Cafe | Up Front: Professional Counsel

david kinniburgh

Mon, 11 Nov 2013 09:40:53 +1300

Long shot; long bow. And might be totally inappropriate. But theres a book called "A Course in Miracles" which might be of use to you (or it might not ) If you are interested, I can get a copy to you without cost (davidknz at clear dot net dot nz).…

Kyle MacDonald

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 19:17:28 +1200

David,
I would certainly happily support any public statement from Sovereign that clearly states that they support and are happy to continue to fund the ongoing use of talk therapy in the treatment of depression, and especially in those covered under your income protection policies.

One point of clarification from…

andin

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:53:38 +1200

For example, we recognise (as do the Mental Health Foundation) that exercise is probably one of the most effective ways for a person to recover from depression and as such, we may pay for occupational therapists to develop an exercise programme designed to introduce not only physical activity into the…

David Drillien

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:21:53 +1200

Kyle, we (Sovereign) would have been very happy to talk to you at any stage to help you report the facts around how we approach policyholders who are incapacitated due to mental illness. Unfortunately there were many inaccuracies in the article you have referenced as your source.

The insurance policies…

Hilary Stace

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 21:38:04 +1200

It was a long time ago – and babies born when he died now have babies of their own. But that thing of there being no rules, no normal way to do grief is so right. It can also take a long time to fade from painful to chronic sorrow,…

andin

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 15:47:25 +1200

As a member of a profession that has had hundreds of years experience in the talk/listen/counsel model (being a clergyman) I know this approach works – but then being a clergyman, what would I know?
Yes the clergy did have to counsel people and of course it worked. I'm not…

Jackie Clark

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 15:32:19 +1200

Yes. Anticipatory grief. I had never thought of it that way, but that's what it is. And I am so sorry about your husband, Hilary. I had no idea.

Hilary Stace

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:23:56 +1200

The first time I went to a counsellor was when I was supporting a family member (my husband) who was terminally ill. I had read the contact details on the noticeboard in the ward numerous times but thought all that usual stuff about my needs not being important, that there…

Jackie Clark

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:58:25 +1200

Oh Alistair. My heart aches for you, and for your family. This is a very short dance, I fear. Not much time for us all to get our heads around it. May you laugh again, and feel joy. Arohanui.

Kiwiiano

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:42:27 +1200

" Judith Collins sees no evidence it works and WINZ are also reportedly tightening up the access of funding via disability top ups for counselling costs. "

There's none so blind as those who do not want to see....

wendyf

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:03:40 +1200

Jackie – this is a hard time, for both of you. Afterwards is hard too, but you will get there. For now, if you can be with your friend as much as you are able, and talk about the good times, and laugh about the funny times and cry about…

Alistair McBride

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 10:28:15 +1200

Hi Jackie, you are right. My wife has recently died after a long dance with cancer. Three months ago things changed and I took leave to care for her. Amongst the teams that came through our house were occasional visits from a counsellor from Hospice, a minister friend, and the…

Hilary Stace

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 21:25:11 +1200

Some good resources here too http://www.skylight.org.nz/ Mainly aimed at children, young people and families but not exclusively. Wellington based but some services in other centres.

andin

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 18:26:07 +1200

– it’s meant to be about the patient –

Well Yes, and in a broader sense this society is meant to be about people- all of us.
Not just about who will benefit in the short term. And if money is the driver to motivations it will be a short…

Jackie Clark

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 17:38:09 +1200

Absolutely! Carol's been in my life for 33 years, the problem is she's gone from being perfectly healthy one minute to having abdominal pains and then 5 weeks later, do not pass go, she's terminally ill. Beaches are good, dogs are good, people are good, but the gaping hole that…

Jackie Clark

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 17:35:59 +1200

thanks for this, Kyle – bless you x

Islander

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 17:32:25 +1200

What I do know is this: it’s only been 3 weeks since the diagnosis, and this could be a short road, or a long road, but either way, at some point along it I could sure do with someone professional to talk to. That won’t be covered by insurance, and…

Kyle MacDonald

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 16:56:37 +1200

Hi Jackie, This isn't free but it is partially funded and they have a generous sliding scale based on means:
http://www.griefcentre.org.nz

Kyle MacDonald

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 16:53:39 +1200

I totally agree Bart. And Increasingly I've been thinking this week, is health services and profit driven models just fundamentally incompatible? Is it even possible to do this ethically?

Kyle MacDonald

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:31:33 +1200

In my utopia, there would be funding available to all New Zealander's eligible for health care, to spend on up to 12 sessions? per year of therapy, without question or need to justify. You could just have it. I suspect the long term economic and health savings would more than…

Bart Janssen

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:26:13 +1200

less of a stigma about talky therapy

and more respect for those who are good at it

Bart Janssen

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:25:45 +1200

money

It's worse than just penny pinching. It's stupid penny pinching. SSRIs are cheap, but the cost of treating side effects can be cripplingly expensive. However, the department managing the budget for the SSRIs is probably different from the department handling the costs of side effects. The "not my budget"…

Tim Michie

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:19:13 +1200

Will be keeping you in mind and hoping the PA community is of help to you Jackie.

Jackie Clark

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:05:20 +1200

My best friend is dying. We don't know when – it could be a few months, it could be a year, depending on what palliative treatments are offered, or appropriate. What I do know is this: it's only been 3 weeks since the diagnosis, and this could be a short…

Public Address

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:05:20 +1200

Discussion from blog post.