Support group testimonials

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.