How to Choose: Counselling & Peer Support
31 Jul 2024
When it comes to LGBTIQA+ mental health care, taking the first step toward support can be overwhelming. If you’re looking for the best support option to aid you on your mental health journey, it’s essential to inform yourself about what each option can offer.
Choosing the best type of mental health support depends on your specific needs, preferences, and the nature of your concerns. Feeling comfortable with your mental health provider is also important — a relationship built on trust can make your treatment more effective.
Here, we’ll explore the difference between counselling and peer support so that you can decide which community mental health service may be right for you.
Whether you’re looking for private, personalised treatment or a more informal approach, Thorne Harbour Health can help.
What is Counselling?
Counsellors, or therapists, typically hold degrees in fields such as counselling, social work, or marriage and family therapy. They support many issues, including relationship problems, stress management, and personal development.
Many mental health services in Australia offer counselling, but for LGBTIQA+ people, it can be a relief to speak with a counsellor who understands your experience and doesn’t need you to explain what it’s like to be queer. Counsellors at Thorne Harbour recognise ‘minority stress’, meaning they acknowledge the very real effects of discrimination like homophobia and transphobia on LGBTIQA+ mental health.
Why Counselling?
Counselling may be the right choice if you are looking for a private, safe space to discuss your struggles. Counselling is one-on-one and entirely confidential, which may make you feel more at ease when opening up to your provider.
Counselling services are also beneficial for those who benefit from structure. Because counselling is personalised, your provider can help you set and create a road map for reaching your mental health goals. Each session can focus on your exact needs that day.
In Adelaide, Thorne Harbour's counselling services specialise in general mental health, and alcohol and other drugs.
In Victoria, our services specialise in family violence support, and alcohol and other drugs.
What is Peer Support?
Peer support involves individuals with lived experience supporting others facing similar issues. Peer support specialists use their own experiences to offer empathy, understanding, and practical advice. This type of support can be particularly effective in creating a sense of community and lessening feelings of isolation.
Why Peer Support?
If formal, structured settings make you feel uneasy, peer support could be the best fit you. Peer support groups are more casual than counselling and can feel like opening up to a group of friends who truly understand what you’re going through.
Some people may feel pressure when the focus is only on their own issues. Peer support groups allow participants to find support while also supporting others. Helping someone else can be fulfilling and could even change your perspective on issues in your own life.
One-on-one peer support is another great opportunity to practice vulnerability and feel heard by someone who has been in your shoes.
Thorne Harbour Health is a massive advocate for peer support, and we offer a range of services in this area, including group support and one-on-one sessions in both Victoria and South Australia. For example, if you’re LGBTIQA+ and living with HIV or LGBTIQA+ and struggling with drug use, it could help to speak with a peer who has had similar life experiences.
Reaching Out:
Whether you choose to see a counsellor or peer support worker, the most critical step is reaching out and taking charge of your mental health and wellbeing.
Remember, you don't have to know what you need before you reach out. Getting started may be overwhelming, but our intake team is here to discuss your goals and help you find the proper support.
Call us today on (03) 9865 6700.