Counselling: The Break Counselling Service
You deserve to be happy.
Let us be The Break you need.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We support you to thrive not just survive. Our goal is to remove the obstacles blocking you from happiness.
COUNSELLOR SKILLS
You will be assisted by professionally university-trained male & female counsellors, with bachelors to masters degree level training.
All our counsellors undertake continuous professional development and weekly professional supervision to ensure they are in a position to support you as best they can. Counsellors donate their time and fees are used to support the charity.
LOCATIONS
We can offer in-person counselling in Elsternwick. If you cannot reach our office, then we can offer online or phone sessions.
FEES
We have a sliding scale of fees for standard 50 minute sessions, often with it ultimately costing you nothing.
Centrelink:
$30/session – counsellor with Bachelors degree level training
$40/session – counsellor with Graduate Diploma level training
$50/sesion – counsellor with Masters degree level training
$80/session – no Centrelink;
Free sessions – donor rewards program
AREAS COVERED
Our counsellors work across a range of issues from relationship, parenting, stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, work issues and much more.
Meet Our Counsellors
Counsellor 1 Name
![](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1-counsellors-1e-8.jpg)
Counsellor 2
![](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-counsellors-1e-1.jpg)
Counsellor 3
![](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-counsellors.jpg)
Counsellor 4
![](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-counsellors.jpg)
Counsellor 5
![](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/5-counsellors.jpg)
Counsellor 6
![](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6-counsellors.jpg)
Counsellor 7
![](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/7-counsellors.jpg)
Counsellor 8
![](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/8-counsellors.jpg)
How It Works
1. Send Us a Message
![](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-get-response-3-1024x519.png)
Testimonials
I could tell my counsellor cared as she arranged free case managers to help me with filling in forms and finding other supports. She also was flexible enough to meet me where I was at, with whatever was happening right now. Not like my purely CBT psych who was just running a process on me.
![Christiana](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/plugins/elementor/assets/images/placeholder.png)
I was at risk of going to jail. My therapist was patient, listened and really got me. Their report to the courts saved me from doing time. I'm forever grateful as it gave me the chnace to stay on this new path to staying clean and get my life back together.
![JS](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/plugins/elementor/assets/images/placeholder.png)
The Break is like no other service I have ever experienced. They go the extra mile. I got the counselling I needed to develop the insight to see why I kept repeating the same patterns. I also got to join the kayaking and ecotherapy, which I would have never otherwise trialled and found I loved them both.
![Julie](https://thebreak.org.au/wp-content/plugins/elementor/assets/images/placeholder.png)
I have been to every anger management program both inside and outside jail. They did little to change my thinking. I got more out of 3 sessions at The Break than the rest combined.
ChrisClient
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FAQs
The below questions are indicative of what many clients ask us, but do not be afraid to email us any other questions you may have.
All of our counsellors have bachelors to masters degree level training. Furthermore, they are required to undertake continuous professional development to grow beyond their studies and they undertake weekly supervision with a very experienced counsellor to ensure they are providing the best care possible.
Our counsellors donate time to ensure no one falls through society’s cracks. Any fees are utilised merely to keep the service running.
‘Counsellor’ is not a protected title like psychologist or psychiatrist. Hence, many counsellors lack training or have minimal (if any) qualifications. Let alone, any oversight to ensure their work is adequate. Our counsellors all have undertaken between bachelors to masters degree level training. Furthermore, they are required to continue professional development throughout their time attached to our service and undergo supervision to ensure they provide the best possible service.
Studies have also indicated that counsellors passionate about their work produce better outcomes. Therefore, our counsellors donating time because they want to help people are likely to produce better outcomes than counsellors trying to just maximise their income.
You will be offered online (Zoom, Teams, etc) sessions or even phone sessions can be employed if you are unable to make it in.
We have a range of counsellors available. There is no shame in trialling someone else within our service for any reason. We gladly will discuss other options and seek a better match.
Centrelink recipients
$30 per 50 minute session with a Bachelor level trained counsellor
$40 per 50 minute session with a Graduate Diploma level trained counsellor
$50 per 50 minute session with a Masters level trained counsellor
Full fee no Centrelink
$80 per 50 minute session
Donors are eligible for some free services (including counselling) in recognition of their support beyond their tax deductible donation.
7 Reasons The Break Counselling Service is a simple choice
(1) Below industry costs – The fees charged as less than the typical psychologist gap fee and below standard rates charged by counsellors.
(2) No referral required – You do not need a Medicare referral to book a session, just call/email us directly.
(3) Affordability – Even without a Medicare rebate we are typically more affordable.
(4) Privacy – Being outside of the Medicare system you can be assured of less people being aware of your session.
(5) Flexibility – we do in-person, Zoom/Teams and phone sessions
(6) Variety – if you don’t click with your counsellor or are seeking a new counsellor for a different issue then we have a variety to offer you
(7) Add-ons – as a charity we chase grants constantly. We often secure grants for ecotherapy and adventure activities. We prioritise our clients to attend these events, which are free while grants last, or for minimal fees when grants have expired.
No. No referrals are required.
You just need to contact us directly yourself and we can book you in.
Our counsellors are not psychiatrists, so we do not recommend, push or prescribe medications. We purely do counselling to help you build insight and strategies to better manage your life and acheive your goals. To achieve this a wide scope of counselling approaches could be utilised dependent on what you appear to be need. We work across the lifecycle from youth to the elderly. We address issues related to mental health and the psychological consequences of physical issues (eg stress, anxiety, depression). We also support people who have relationship problems, addictions, work stress, and other stressors of modern living. Having many counsellors with varied interests give us a wide scope of issues we can address.