Media Release 21 May 2009
Counselling Changes Peoples Lives
“Counselling changes peoples lives,” said Jeff Sanders, CEO of Relationship Services, one of the organisations
supporting Counselling Awareness Week (May 17 – 22).
“Many people seek counselling during a rough patch in their life, or when they want to make some changes,” said Mr
Sanders. “And it does work. Our client feedback confirms that people who seek counselling find it very useful.”
“It is good to see Paula Bennett, Minister for Social Development and Employment, supporting Counselling Awareness
Week,” said Mr Sanders. Ms Bennett will be speaking at a celebration breakfast to mark Counselling Awareness Week on May
22.
Many people are uncertain what counselling is about, and there are still many myths about it. “It’s not like the
American TV shows,” said Mr Sanders. “It’s a chance to talk with an experienced professional about things that you
aren’t happy about, or you’d like to change in your life.”
One of the most popular pages on the Relationship Services website is ‘What happens in the counselling room?’. It
explains what people can expect when they go to a counsellor. “If people are thinking about counselling, I’d recommend
going to our website, www.relate.org.nz to have a look at this and all the other material available there,” Mr Sanders
said.
Ends