Why TheRightCounsellor-ForMe?
TheRightCounsellor–ForMe believes that one of the most important factors leading to positive outcomes is the selection of the right counsellor.
TheRightCounsellor-ForMe doesn’t endorse or recommend any particular counsellor nor counselling approach. It aims to bring practitioners offering counselling together in a way that makes it easy for those wanting counselling to access it.
TheRightCounsellor-ForMe acknowledges that there are many people able to offer counselling and there are many different approaches to counselling. The choice can be confusing and even overwhelming. This website has been created to guide the process of finding the right counsellor for you and your needs.
Counsellors are invited to register with TheRightCounsellor-ForMe free of charge. People seeking counselling can access the website free of charge with any fees owing for counselling being paid either direct to the counsellor of choice or to the counsellor through the TheRightCounsellor-ForMe booking function.
Registrations of counsellors will be checked for clarity, completeness and consistency and then uploaded to the website. Counsellors will be later charged a small fee if they then choose to use the booking function of TheRightCounsellor-ForMe.
Background to TheRightCounsellor–ForMe
Saba Mussie and Paula Peterson have been friends and colleagues for thirty years. They have worked together to develop the TheRightCounsellor–ForMe initially as a response to the increased need for access to mental health and emotional support observed in the midst and aftermath of the global pandemic.
TheRightCounsellor–ForMe is directed towards people seeking and/or providing counselling from/as private practitioners. People seeking counselling are invited to browse the site and make their decisions based on their needs. This is free of charge. Ultimately fees charged by private counsellors vary and are determined by the counsellor. A portion of private practitioner fees may be recouped from Medicare or private health insurance.
People providing counselling are invited to list their service free of charge. Providers will be later charged a small fee (up to 1% of total fee) if they then choose to use the booking function of TheRightCounsellor–ForMe.
There are many excellent high quality professional mental health support services provided or funded by government without charge to eligible clients. Information about those services is not included in this site but should be easily accessible through a simple online search.
Who We Are
Saba Mussie, originally from Ethiopia, has a passion for building a fair and equitable world where people have access to the help they need, when they need it and on their terms. TheRightCounsellor-ForMe is part of her vision. She has worked for various counselling organisations including refugee torture and trauma support services, mental health and domestic violence services for many years. She has also worked in the IT field as a consultant. Noting that the crisis in mental health is not only an Australian but a global phenomenon, Saba is committed to facilitating access to mental health and emotional support to anyone who needs it. Ultimately she would like to expand the model of TheRightCounsellor–ForMe beyond Australia. She has a profound appreciation that sound counselling and therapy is built on a bedrock of trust and commits her skills in IT to bringing about her vision.
Paula is from Brisbane, Australia and a social worker by training. Her background is primarily in the field of cross cultural service provision. Her forty years career spans clinical work, counselling, research, service management and supervision. She is passionate about the rich possibilities that exist when people are supported, understood and encouraged to overcome their difficulties. TheRightCounsellor–ForMe aligns with her core values of fairness, openness, and honesty. She is excited by the possibilities it presents.
Together Saba and Paula have a deep appreciation of the stressors of daily life that affect people and families and communities of all descriptions. They are deeply committed to facilitating access to high quality professional services and have created TheRightCounsellor-ForMe as a reliable resource with information that is current clear and trustworthy.
Security
Maintaining the confidentiality and security of our service users’ information and data is of utmost importance to us. We do not keep clients’ clinical data. We assure you that we will never sell information or data to marketing or other agencies. This is our promise.
Saba Mussie and Paula Peterson
Founders