Support group testimonials

When our son suddenly seemed to change overnight a couple of years ago our lives changed also. He was bravely living a parallel life but was struggling. The reason was he had ASD, always did, but was yet undiagnosed. Through a series of events we eventually came to the realisation that our very special, incredibly gifted yet unusual child was really challenged when it came to living in this world which is designed for others.

The things that I have read, the people I have met and the time I have spent with him exploring this condition and it's ramifications have helped me see life another way. Part of the journey has been counselling and the group sessions were invaluable in that they bring like minded people together to help each other. It can be a stepping stone to all the other possibilities out there for help. I would recommend we all go and keep going to support each other. Justine's sessions are a really great catalyst for moving forward in a positive way.

Mum of 19yr old boy with ASD.

Upon diagnosis I felt the need to become focussed on our immediate goals and was fearful of connecting with others.  I was afraid of taking my eye off the ball because it was the scariest journey I have ever undertaken.  

After less than 2 years from diagnosis to reaching school I drew breath, and found Justine and a wonderful group of mothers!  She guided our group through of our personal journey, allowing us the priviledge of telling it how it really was.  I realised that I missed out on looking after myself and my emotions along my journey.   I also realised that my journey was so painful that I failed to take many friends and family along with me.  Justine supported us all with the compassion and understanding of someone who has been through a similar experience.

Mother of 6 year old with ASD

I was sick and tired of telling “my story” as people didn’t seem to understand. Well, we all told our stories in the group and it was great as we could empathise with each other because we all had kids with special needs. I felt very comfortable with the other participants and appreciated their support. The meetings were well organised. I really appreciated Justine’s encouragement, empathy and expertise. I thoroughly recommend the experience – especially to other men!”

Father of 2 year old with a Global Developmental Delay

Eighteen months after my son’s diagnosis I found that I was still feeling overwhelmed with emotions which were preventing me from moving forward. I felt stuck. On reflection, I realised that my son was indeed progressing very well, but interestingly, I was most definitely not. It was then that I made the decision to join one of Justine’s groups. Having the opportunity to tell my story to others who really understand from firsthand experience and who can genuinely empathise is something which I have not had the opportunity to experience elsewhere, but which has been an essential part of the process for me. Being able to listen to others’ stories was equally beneficial as it made me realise that some of my responses were universal under these circumstances. I really did not appreciate how useful this could be until having experienced this in the supportive environment created by Justine. By listening to and considering the perspective of others, I have been able to re-evaluate some of my own unproductive thoughts and beliefs. Something else which I have realised is that I have some capacity to provide support to others who are in the early stages of their journey. I know that ahead lie many challenges however, the end product of this experience for me has meant that I now have some really useful tools in my toolbox with which to move forward. This will be in a more positive, coping and productive direction, rather than on a downward spiral. Thank you for this.

Mother of 4 year old son with ASD

I am the mother of two boys with Autism, and have always craved the companionship of other mothers in the same situation. These groups let you open up and share more and hear more about others in the same boat. Justine has a very simple way of helping us interpret our feelings and guiding us to think of our situations in a more positive way. It has given me some direction and I certainly feel that I am not alone in this journey.

Mum to two boys with ASD

Participating in the carers group put me in touch with others that truly understood what it means to be a carer. Hearing other stories made me feel that i really wasn't alone and a gave me huge sense of hope. Most of all the group gave me an understanding that it is paramount that we carers find the balance between self care and selfless care if we are to remain strong in our role as a carer while maintaining a solid sense of self.

Suzy mother to ASD son aged 3.

I thoroughly recommend the counselling services and support groups of Justine Watson. My son has autism and is now 14. I resisted all advice to get counselling until two years ago, when I joined a group to “make up the numbers”. I thought I was coping pretty well, and that crying at the drop of a hat, feeling down about our lost dreams and being too caught up to do anything fun was pretty much my lot in life. What I experienced was a supportive and confidential environment where I felt that my hardships were truly understood and I was able to unload and put behind me so much sadness, and take positive steps to making the future better for the whole family, even myself! Justine gave me somewhere safe to do all that, and two years on I am still benefitting. The fact that she is also the mother of a child with autism enables her to understand the enormity of the challenges parents such as myself face. I know now that feeling so low does not have to go with the territory, and I highly recommend “Counselling for all” to all parents who are coping with the challenges of autism.

Mum, 14 year old son with ASD

The supported group environment gave me the opportunity to talk with others about my daughter's diagnosis and the impact it has had on myself and family. I also gained a great deal of strength from listening to others in a similar situation. I found it hard to take the first step to actually go, but I am glad I plucked up the courage. Overall I am feeling more confident and better equipped emotionally to face the everyday challenges that autism provides. My only regret is that I did not do it earlier.

Therese - mum to Ineka 7, ASD

I was quite sceptical about how much value counselling would provide but thought I would give it a go as I was running on empty. Justine's support has helped me rethink my approach to my situation. She has a blend of intelligence, pragmatism and empathy that helped me clarify what I needed to do to live my life more fully.

Mum

Two and a half years ago our lives came crashing down when our most beautiful boy suddenly .. and mysteriously .. developed ASD. Nothing made sense - from the incessant trips to medical 'experts' who couldn't tell us what'd happened or what to do - through to the actual nuts and bolts of trying to deal with our son. In the midst of this stress, grief and lack of sleep, fortunately we 'stumbled' across Justine. I'm not necessarily a great talker - after all, I'm a middle aged Aussie male. But it is good to talk to someone who's made the same journey that we we're undertaking. There are no sermons or miracle cures. Just someone to talk to .. and the odd sensible tip or piece of advice .. from someone who 'gets it'. She's made us realise we are doing our best .. that we're not alone... and that it's OK to reach out for some help and advice.

Kevin Maxwell, 5 year old son with ASD

I couldn't speak more highly of the support groups, I felt safe and comfortable sharing my story with other mums of children on the spectrum. It was great to meet other people from my world, and helped me not feel so alone. It was nice to listen and share some triumphs as well as set-backs. I found it refreshing to be able to talk openly about the impact our children have on our lives and our relationships with others. I found that Justine really “gets it” being a mum of a special needs kid too.

Mum of 6 year old with AS

I have avoided groups like the one Justine runs for the 3 years since Conor's diagnosis. But this year he has gone to school and I have a little more time to reflect on what we have done in the last 3 years. This group created a time and an environment to do this in a semi structured way, with Justine setting guidelines to our conversations. Probably the best thing about the group was the inspiration I gained from the other mother's of children with diverse disabilities. These mothers acted to put my situation into perspective and to allow me to grieve once again. But also to celebrate what we have achieved with Conor. It is no bad thing to reflect on life from time to time, and Justine's sessions allowed me to do that. If you are thinking that counselling might help you with your situation, Justine's groups may be an opportunity to talk about your experiences with others who will empathise and support you.

Alison mother of Conor, 6, ASD.

Mum to 6 year old with San Filippo Syndrome

I am very pleased I attended the group counselling. It is actually one of the best things I have done for myself in years. But I am still in the process of discovering the benefits which included: Being even more candid and honest about the negative feelings I have about my caring role and my son who I care for. This was difficult for me. Being able to do this more effectively and with greater confidence has led to me being able to access additional, essential services for my son and family. My DADHC case worker reported that – since the counselling – she felt I was being more open with her even though I felt I had told her “my story” over and over again without her hearing me. So I have become a better advocate for my son in the process. Practice telling “my story” where previously it was always told from my son’s perspective. What had remained untold often was how that profoundly affects me, my husband, my other son and our extended family. I would love for my husband and parents to have the same opportunity to share this and feel less isolated by their experiences.

To feel “validated” in feeling the way I do about my situation through the empathy of Justine and the group. I cannot stress enough the importance of this validation. For years, I have been dealing with professionals who – in following policy – always try to be positive and therefore never acknowledge how difficult our situation is. This continuously undermines my personal experience. For the first time, I had had the luxury of telling the “whole story” and for people to respond with understanding and empathy. This enabled me to feel a bit more accepting of and less guilty about my own negative feelings.

Justine’s focus on my own health, happiness and wellbeing was also “new” and very welcome. I am brain-washed, as we all are, by the mummy martyr complex and it was the first time that anyone had said that it was OK to want more peace, more time, more space, for myself. She instilled in me the importance of carving that time out in terms of being able to continue to care for my son. And helped me understand that taking care of him does not necessarily mean doing it literally by myself. That being able to source and delegate to appropriate services is also a way of me taking care of him.

Justine encouraged me to question some core beliefs of mine that were outdated and not serving me well. Eg. beliefs around what a “good mummy” is, what unconditional love is, and about asking and receiving help. This process was really helpful to me in terms of consciously deciding to change some long-held beliefs and look at new, more open, positive ways of doing things.

Justine made me realise that the reason I was struggling so hard to find and maintain respite services for my son (who has very challenging behaviour) were because they were the wrong services. I had felt as if, if I worked hard enough and kept trying to manage the situation, it would be OK. But Justine made it clear that this was a bandaid solution and not sustainable. This was, in retrospect, a real “light bulb” moment and has enabled me to be smarter about where I direct my energies going forward.

Finally, the course helped me realize that my quest for finding someone with a very similar experience was fruitless and unnecessary. I had been hell-bent on finding someone who had a child similar to mine. I came to realize that disabilities are so diverse, this was not ever going to happen. And even if it did, the reality was, it would only be some comfort, if the parent of this child responded in the very same way I did to the situation. The bottom line is, I have given up this pipe dream in favour of focusing on improving my own situation and my responses to it. I would highly recommend this opportunity to other mothers, fathers and grandparents of children with a disability.

Mum to 6 year old with San Filippo Syndrome

This has been a very important space for me to acknowledge my isolation and struggles as a mother/carer of a special needs child.  I felt supported for the first time.

Brigid,  Son age 7  VCFS

My son was diagnosed with Atypical Autism following nearly a year of investigations - involving many, countless tear-filled, sleepless nights.  The diagnosis was not exactly a suprise, but still a shocking blow to our hopes and expectations.

I was in emotional freefall during this journey - and in the depths of despair after the diagnosis. This was made much worse by my feelings of isolation - of not having anyone to talk to could genuinely empathise with how i was feeling.

I was lucky to attend one of Justine Watson's counselling groups. Over the course of 6 weeks, i met 4 other amazing mums and was able to hear their stories and share mine.  I found this to be incredibly worthwhile and emotionally nourishing. Justine created a dynamic, protective environment and supported us in better reading and responding to our emotions.  I would recommend this level of support to anyone on the journey as for me, the early intervention part & coping with the diagnosis and the roller coaster journey that follows it was overwhelming.

Mother of a 3.5 year old son with Atypical Autism.