Welcome to Attitude Counselling*, located in central Launceston, Tasmania. For a full list of services, to make an inquiry or book an appointment, please use the menu.
*PLEASE NOTE: NEW CLIENTS NOT ACCEPTED FROM MARCH 30th. THIS SERVICE IS CLOSING IN JUNE 2023
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
We acknowledge and pay respect to the traditional and original owners of the land on which we walk today.
We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Australian Indigenous Peoples and their cultures, and to Elders of past, present and future generations.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Counselling is a purposeful conversation. My role is to learn about you, your attitudes, values, strengths, skills, experiences, perspectives and relationships. Together we will discuss the outcomes that you are hoping to achieve through counselling and explore any obstacles or barriers to attaining your goals.
Counselling can help to enhance your resilience, expand your existing coping strategies and reduce chronic stress and anxiety. My approach tends to be holistic: I am very interested in the relationships between your sleep patterns, diet, activity levels, social connectedness and your mental and emotional and sexual wellbeing.
YOUR COUNSELLOR:
My name is Viktoria Szemes. I am a qualified and experienced Social Worker, registered with the Australian Association of Social Workers, with over twenty years of practice in counselling and community support.
Background: Among other roles, I have worked for fifteen years as a counsellor and educator specialising in mental health and sexual wellbeing. I am able to work with people at all ages and stages of life & provide help to address stigma, self-acceptance, social issues, and physical health related issues wherever possible.
Skills: My counselling style has been developed over a number of years of practice and incorporates aspects of narrative, strengths, humanism, empowerment, feminist & systems theories. I use various intervention strategies and psychotherapeutic techniques including CBT, psycho-education, mindfulness integrated CBT, relaxation training, interpersonal style therapy, communication skills training, motivational interviewing, strategic self-care training, distress tolerance, emotion regulation strategies, emotional resilience building etc.
Sexual health is often an awkward issue for people to speak about with partners or friends, but so much easier to discuss within a non-judgemental, compassionate, confidential environment.
Through my work and my community involvement with LGBTIQA+ rights I have developed a deeper understanding of the many challenges experienced by LGBTIQA+ individuals and community (LGBTIQA)*.
I can offer specialist counselling for individuals who are members of gender and sexual minorities: lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans/gender diverse people, including people who are intersex, or those identifying as genderqueer, gender-fluid, nonbinary, agender, asexual or gender questioning. I understand that the issues LGBTIQA+ clients bring to counselling are not necessarily related to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
*Alternatively, SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity), is an inclusive term that encompasses all individuals regardless of where they identify on the sexual orientation or gender identity spectrums, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit, heterosexual, and cisgender.
Member of:
Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
National LGBTI Health Alliance (LGBTI)
Men’s Resources Tasmania (MRT)
Positive Lives Tasmania (PLT)
PFLAG Tasmania (PFLAG)
Past Member:
Society of Australian Sexologists (SAS)
Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA)
Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis And Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) – affiliate member
Attitude Counselling 