Changing public attitudes and increased government support for mental health will see more people taking advantage of a range of counselling services, according to the Jansen Newman Institute (JNI).

JNI is a respected education provider offering higher education courses in counselling, psychotherapy and community services.

"Almost half of the Australian population will experience a form of mental health disorder in their lifetime.* Luckily, national initiatives such as Beyond Blue and R U OK? Day, have helped Australians become more open about mental illness, but more resources are needed," says Professor Carolyn Noble, Head of College at JNI.

The government has recognised the importance of building a stronger, more effective mental health system with a $2.2 billion commitment so that Australians can more easily seek professional help for themselves and their family and friends.

"For those living in the community, access to mental health group sessions or specialist appointments will become easier, and it is important that the allied health sector can provide trained, qualified practitioners," says Professor Noble.

JNI anticipated the enhanced national focus on mental health by developing a Master of Counselling and Applied Psychotherapy to strengthen the industry, particularly in specialist areas.

"The opportunity to specialise will provide JNI Masters graduates with the skills to work in particular areas of mental health, such as eating disorders, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder," says Professor Noble.

Associate Professor Meg Smith from the University of Western Sydney consulted to JNI during the development of the Master of Counselling and Applied Psychotherapy and gave the course her professional endorsement. 

"Most people with serious mental illness live in the community and there continues to be a great need for trained counsellors to provide support and treatment to enable people to recover and grow," says Professor Smith.

"While community workers and case managers can provide practical support in crisis situations, ongoing counselling, treatment for specific mental health issues, and support for living in the community, is still difficult for many people to access.

"For example, while depression has been identified as a key problem for residents in nursing home care, counselling is often hard to access for these clients due to the lack of trained mental health counsellors," says Professor Smith.

Pippa Sangster is among the first graduates of the JNI Masters course and says appropriate qualifications and experience are an important consideration for many people when choosing a counsellor. 

Sangster operates a small private practice, provides pro bono services at a local community centre and is a volunteer telephone counsellor with LifeLine. 

"I chose to specialise in two areas of particular interest: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy - a psychotherapeutic approach designed particularly to treat suicidal individuals with borderline personality disorder; and Psychotherapy in Context – an investigation of the cultural, social and political utility of psychotherapeutic work," says Sangster.

"The two courses are part of an interesting, thoughtful Masters curriculum which enhanced my critical thinking about psychotherapy, human development and mental wellbeing.

"I further developed my counselling skills for working with different groups and illnesses, so I feel confident moving into professional practice," she says.

Sangster, 42 years old, is particularly passionate about providing low-cost counselling services in the community.

JNI runs two community clinics, providing low-cost counselling services to the public. The community clinic also offers a real-life, supervised environment for students to develop their face-to-face counselling skills.

JNI’s courses in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Community Services and Human Resources Management have been developed in consultation with leading academics and industry bodies, such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) and Counsellors and Psychotherapists Association of New South Wales. The Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Counselling) is also accredited by PACFA.

Applications for 2012 T1 intake are now open –
For more information please call JNI on 1800 777 116 or visit www.jni.edu.au

Classes commence 6 February 2012
On-campus and online courses include:
• Graduate Certificate in Counselling
• Graduate Diploma of Counselling
• Bachelor of Applied Social Science (majors in Counselling, Community Services and Human Resources Management)
• Master of Counselling and Applied Psychotherapy (only available on-campus)
All Australian students applying for all courses can apply for FEE-HELP. For more information please call the Jansen Newman Institute on 1800 777 116 or visit www.jni.edu.au.

*2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Australian Bureau of Statistics

For more media information or to arrange interview/photo opportunities, please contact:
Jenni Ellard
IMPACT Communications
02 9519 5411/ 0415 715 737
jenni [at] impactcommunications [dot] com [dot] au
Kimberley McMillan
IMPACT Communications
02 9519 5411/ 0422 076 334
kimberley [at] impactcommunications [dot] com [dot] au

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