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	HSE's National Counselling Service in the South East Waterford Today May 27, 2009 http://www.waterford-today.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6076&Itemid=1&ed=617 'A safe place to be heard' - 264 adults were referred for counselling in 2008 to the HSE National Counselling Service for counties Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford. The HSE National Counselling Service is a free service for any adult who has experienced the trauma of abuse or neglect in childhood. Set up at the same time as the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, and in operation since September 2000, it provides professional counselling and psychotherapy services to help people to cope better with their life and relationships. Counselling is available at 60 locations throughout Ireland and can be accessed by phoning (1800) 235 234 for an appointment at a location of your choice. This unique service is specifically dedicated to adult survivors of childhood abuse of any type including neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Priority is given to adult survivors of abuse in institutions who represent a significant number of clients attending the National Counselling Service. When survivors of institutional abuse applied to attend the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, most also took up the opportunity to have counselling to support them following their hearing at the Commission. The National Counselling Service in the HSE South East Area is Comhar Adult Counselling Service. People living in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford and South Tipperary who have experienced abuse in childhood can refer directly to this service by ringing the freephone number (1800) 234 118 Gerard O'Neill (Director of Counselling with the HSE South East Area) has said: "The launch of the final report by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse and the accompanying media coverage means the next couple of weeks may be a distressing time for anyone who has experienced abuse in childhood and particularly those who have experienced abuse in institutional care. People may find that this kind of media coverage can trigger feelings and memories from the past and leave them feeling vulnerable and isolated. At times like this it is important that people know what services are available. In the HSE South East Area the National Counselling Service is available on (1800) 234 118. Some Key Facts about the HSE National Counselling Service in the South East: The service is free, accepts referrals directly from clients on (1800) 234 118 and facilitates clients to be seen at venues other than their own local area if they so choose. The service is available at 10 locations across the South East. In 2008, the service had over 264 referrals for counselling from across the South East area - the second highest since the service began. 84% of these referrals were self referrals over the freephone (1800) 234 118. Referral rates in the first quarter of 2009 are 10% ahead of those in 2008. How do I contact the HSE National Counselling Service? The National Counselling Service is available to anyone who experienced abuse as a child. In the HSE South East it can be contacted on freephone (1800) 234 118. It can be contacted nationally on freephone (1800) 235 234 or details are available on: www.hse-ncs.ie Connect - The HSE also funds a complementary out-of-hours professional telephone counselling service. Connect provides out of hours (Wednesday to Sunday 6pm - 10pm) telephone counselling for adults who have experienced child abuse. Calls are free of charge on (1800) 235 235. See also www.connectcounselling.ie
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