Counsellor's Column

by Gaye Stubbs

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

It's almost Christmas and for some it is a happy time and for others not so happy. Whether happy or not, I hope it is a peaceful time for all of us and that 2007 brings you your heartfelt wishes, or at least closer to having your dreams come true. This may sound naive to some, but it is Christmas after all and I still have faith in Santa - or the elves and their hard work.

So how was 2006? Elizabeth Ann, the former Gender Centre counsellor, told me that her time at the centre (around seven years) flew by. This past year, although challenging and busy, now seems to have passed in the blink of an eye. Perhaps it is because the Gender Centre has a vitality not immediately apparent as you walk up the steps of 75 Morgan Street - or perhaps it is the people who come through its doors and bring with them their questions, their trust, their doubts, their experience, their knowledge, their courage, their quest for a niche in this life.

Let me tell you a few things about 2006. Our Transgender Support Group for people aged twenty-five-plus met on the first Monday of each month. It was a small group but it continued to the end of the year. I would like to acknowledge Monique Scorce and Stephie Baird for attending the group as guest speakers. Thank you Monique and Stephie for giving your time and imparting your knowledge to the group. On one occasion the group went on an op-shop shopping expedition which was organised by the social support staff member, Sean Taylor (who has since moved on, to another position with another organisation). This outing was an enjoyable event and a number of purchases were made. Group members were sad to say goodbye to Sean and we all miss his warm and affable presence and his enthusiasm.

There has been a significant number of people aged in their mid-twenties who have accessed the Centre. It may be possible to offer a support group for people in this age group if there is a need.

The Gender Centre receives many inquiries, by phone and email, about gender issues and services available. As the counsellor, I endeavour to be informed in order to give accurate information and if I do not have the information I will refer or defer to someone who has the required information. Katherine, as Librarian and Resource Worker, is someone whom many of us depend on. Sometimes people with whom I am talking are seeking more than information - they are seeking answers or advice from me, as the Counsellor at the Gender Centre, which I am unable to give. I appreciate and understand their need but it is not appropriate, ethical, or even helpful for me to do so. In the words of a wise person who wrote one of the Gender Centre fact sheets: "the purpose of counselling is not to tell any person that they are "right" or "wrong". Counselling is a process of mediation and exploration, rather than being a formulaic process that ensures a particular resolution if the "right" steps are followed." (Exploring Gender Issues, 2006). I guess we are all herd animals at times - and we want to follow other members of the herd as there can be comfort in doing so, but the aim of counselling, in relation to exploring gender issues, is to assist the individual find the "right" way to the "right" place in the "right" herd - or maybe between herds. The choice is not mine.

And as for choices, "the Gender Centre does not consider one client's choice to be better or worse than another's choice. We provide services to all people who present with gender issues regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, self-identity or gender. It is an essential part of the philosophy of the Gender Centre that exploring gender is not in itself, a problem." (Ibid.)

Sometimes exploration leads people to attend their first drop-in on a Wednesday evening, or to a G.P. for a referral to a psychiatrist and an endocrinologist. Sometimes it leads them in a different direction - to contact another organisation, such as the Seahorse Society of New South Wales, or another counselling service, such as the Livingstone Road Centre.

This exploration can be made easier by knowing that there is support available, regardless of the direction taken. There is a network of support to tap into and I would like to acknowledge the support that other services and groups provide to clients and to me in my counselling role at the Gender Centre.

If you phone us in 2007 you will probably speak to Rusty, the Gender Centre receptionist, who has been taking many of your calls so helpfully. I would like to thank you, Rusty.

Finally, throughout this past year, my first at the Gender Centre, I have learnt so much from you. Once again, I hope Santa, whoever Santa really is, is kind to you. Maybe Santa will drop in.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.