Wellbeing FAQ

Meridian Wellbeing Services is not a crisis service. We are an appointment-based service and respond to phone calls and emails during normal business hours: 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Our clinicians welcome discussions about difficult mental health experiences and how we can support keeping you safe. However, the focus of our service is on providing therapeutic support and counselling in a non-emergency setting.

If you are in crisis or if you have concerns about your safety or the safety of someone else, please contact emergency services on 000 or a crisis support service.

You can:

• complete the form on our Contact page, making sure you tick the box next to ‘This enquiry is for Meridian Wellbeing Services (counselling and psychology)’
• call us on 02 6257 0372
• email [email protected] 
• submit a referral by completing one of the below forms (if they are currently accepting referrals; please see our wait times):

Self-Referral Form

Client Referral Form

Eligibility criteria for our counselling service: 

• aged 15+
• currently living, working or studying in the ACT
• at least one of:
  • LGBTQ+ or questioning/exploring your identity and/or sexuality
  • a carer, ally or member of the family-of-choice of a person who is LGBTQ+ or questioning/exploring their identity and/or sexuality
  • living with or impacted by HIV
  • a sex worker.

Eligibility criteria for our Inclusive Pathways (Psychology) service:

• aged 16+
• currently living, working or studying in the ACT
• LGBTQ+ or questioning/exploring your identity and/or sexuality
• have a current Mental Health Treatment Plan (issued within the last 12 months).

Our services are completely free for people who meet the eligibility criteria.

A current Mental Health Care Plan is required for our psychology service (issued within the last 12 months).

Our counselling service is made possible with assistance from the ACT Government under the LGBTIQ+ Community Health Services Program, and Inclusive Pathways (Psychology) is funded by the Capital Health Network (CHN).

We use a ‘segment of care’ model, which is designed to increase client access and cater to your specific needs and goals.

The segment of care model begins with a care planning session, during which you and your clinician can discuss your needs and develop a plan for your therapeutic support. Following this, you can access 4 to 8 sessions. The exact number of sessions will be collaboratively determined with your clinician, usually at the end of the care planning session.

Upon completing a segment of care, you can re-engage by submitting another referral, subject to a maximum of 12 sessions in a 12-month period.

Wait time between segments of care will vary.

This is subject to change, but there is usually a wait. Please see our wait times.

We prefer to provide face-to-face support as we generally find it more effective. However, we understand this is not always possible and can hold appointments through video conferencing on request.

To ensure your safety and the safety of the clinician, you will need to agree to our video conferencing protocol before having a video appointment.

We accept both self-referrals and referrals from other service providers.

Please note that eligibility criteria apply.

You can refer using the below forms if they are currently accepting referrals (please see our wait times):

Self-Referral Form

Client Referral Form

Counselling Service: No, you do not need a Mental Health Care Plan.

Inclusive Pathways (Psychology) service: Yes, you need an active Mental Health Care Plan completed by a GP which is less than 12 months old.

You can talk to us about everything that’s going on for you, including anything that is impacting your wellbeing. Our mental health professionals are committed to providing a safe, non-judgmental and inclusive therapeutic environment. Many of our staff are peers and all our mental health professionals are experienced working in therapeutic settings with LGBTQ+ communities.

We are sex positive and affirming of:

• gender
• sexuality
• kink
• monogamy, non-monogamy and polyamory
• neurodivergence
• intersectional identities.

There may be circumstances where specific mental health needs require support beyond what we can offer. In this case, we will try to help you access more appropriate services.

Currently, we do not provide:

• couples counselling (although we can provide individual support on relationship challenges)
• diagnostic assessments
• diagnosis of gender dysphoria in adolescence (under 18 years) for the purpose of commencing puberty suppression or gender-affirming hormone treatment (HRT)
• dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).

We are not a suitable resource for emergency support. Please contact a crisis service or other support.

We understand that, for a lot of people, taking the first step of attending a counselling or psychology appointment can be stressful or intimidating. Your first appointment with a counsellor or psychologist is called a care planning session. In this session we will:

• get to know each other and ensure you feel safe and supported
• talk about the service, including confidentiality and safety
• begin a conversation about what has brought you to the service and how we can help support you
• learn about your unique circumstances and lived experience
• discuss your goals to guide the planning of your segment of care.

In circumstances where you have other support needs, our Clinical Care Coordinator may reach out to discuss how we can best support you.

At your first appointment, we will ask you to read and complete a client intake form. This will give you information about how Meridian Wellbeing Services operates, including confidentiality and privacy. We will ask for your consent to proceed with our service.

For those accessing Inclusive Pathways, we will also ask for your consent to share basic and limited de-identified data with the ACT Government, which funds the program.

The form will ask you for contact details and various other information that will help us support you, including your pronouns, gender, sexuality, cultural background, any current concerns about your wellbeing and an emergency contact. You can choose whether or not to provide this information.

We take your privacy very seriously. The information that you are one of our clients, anything you share with your clinician, records of appointments and client notes are kept confidential and secure.

However, in some circumstances we may need to share information that would usually be confidential:

• if there is immediate risk to your safety or the safety of other people
• if there is an indication of possible harm to a child or person under 18 years old
• if records or notes are subpoenaed by a court
• with your written or verbal consent, such as to facilitate referral to a new service.

For those accessing Inclusive Pathways, we will also ask for your consent to share basic and limited de-identified data with the ACT Government, which funds the program.

If you have any questions or concerns relating to confidentiality, you are welcome to contact us or discuss this in more detail with your clinician.

We understand that it may not always be possible to attend your appointments. We ask that you providing as much advance notice as possible that you cannot attend so the appointment slot can be offered to someone else.

If you can't attend your appointment, please notify us at least 24 hours in advance by:

• calling 02 6257 0372
• SMSing 0412 882 855
• emailing: [email protected]

Please be advised that:

• Cancellation and immediate re-scheduling will incur no penalty up to 24 hours before the appointment time.
• Cancellations within 24 hours of your appointment time or no-shows will be counted as one of the sessions from your segment of care.
• We allow maximum of 2 late cancellations/reschedules or no-shows.

If you miss your appointment, we will try to contact you by your preferred contact method to reschedule.

Due to the long wait times for our services, we kindly ask that you book a new appointment within 5 business days of cancellation. The new appointment itself can be for a later date that is suitable for you. If we do not hear from you within 5 business days, your segment of care will be closed.

Please review our My Rights and Responsibilities publication. This information is also displayed in the waiting area of our service.

Please review our Carers' rights and responsibilities publication. This information is also displayed in the waiting area of our services.

Sometimes you may not connect with a clinician or the kind of therapy provided. We understand that this can happen.

We welcome your thoughts on the style or type of therapy that might be better for you and can work with you to try alternatives and find something that suits for your needs. You may wish to discuss this with your clinician or contact Meridian Wellbeing Services to discuss possible options.

While we do not provide medical certificates, we can complete a Certificate of Attendance for you on request.

Meridian is centrally located in Turner, ACT.

Address: Havelock House, 85 Northbourne Ave, Turner ACT 2612.

There is a tram stop nearby and limited visitor parking. See our map for more detailed directions.

Our wellbeing services are accessed through a private entrance to our therapeutic space on the corner of Gould and Moore Streets. When you arrive, as you face Havelock House from the Gould Street side, the Meridian Wellbeing Services entrance is on the right of the main Meridian entrance. If you end up at the main Meridian entrance, that is perfectly fine: a staff member will provide directions.

If you get stuck or are unsure in any way, please feel free to ring us on (02) 6257 0372 for help with directions.