Pregnancy options counselling
There are different types of pregnancy counselling
Counselling by your medical professionals might be brief and focussed on practical details. When a doctor provides counselling they will give you information about procedures and the options open to you. They will support you to make your choices. The GPs listed on this site as providing counselling provide this service.
There is also 'therapeutic' counselling, where you can sit and talk to a counsellor for longer and explore in greater detail what you think and feel about a situation. Women's Health Tasmania offers the only free, therapeutic pregnancy options counselling in Tasmania.
Non-directive pregnancy options counselling
Non-directive means that the counselling will not try to influence you in any particular direction.
This counselling might be the practical discussions with your health care providers, or you might want to talk to a therapeutic counsellor.
Why you might want to talk to someone
People tell us that making a decision about a pregnancy or going through the process of terminating a pregnancy can be very isolating. You don't have to go through this alone.
A therapeutic pregnancy options counsellor will not ‘advise’ you on which option you should choose or try to push one option over another. Nobody can know better than you what the best decision is.
This counselling may be helpful if you are having thoughts like:
- I feel really alone. I wish I had someone to talk to outside my family and friends.
- I am pregnant and am not sure what I want to do – I don’t know if I want to continue with the pregnancy.
- I am feeling pressure from my partner, my family, or my friends on what they think I should do. How can I figure out what I want?
- I have had an abortion in the past and want someone safe I can talk to about it.
- My partner is abusive, and I feel scared about what to do now that I’m pregnant.
Our pregnancy options counselling
Women’s Health Tasmania provides a confidential, genuine all-options service. We are pro-choice. This means we fully support you to make choices about continuing or ending your pregnancy.
Women’s Health Tasmania pregnancy options counsellors have all completed the Australian Psychological Society’s Non-Directive Pregnancy Counselling training and will provide a safe place to discuss the many complicated issues and emotions that can arise when you learn you are pregnant. This service is offered statewide over the phone, video call, or face to face at our North Hobart Centre and we will try to ensure your appointment is offered as soon as possible.
Women’s Health Tasmania can also offer you referrals to other support or medical services, including referrals for abortion, and give you information about abortion procedures, adoption, kinship and alternative care, or parenting resources.
Preparation for pregnancy, birth and parenting counselling
Pregnancy, childbirth and parenting are life-changing and can bring up many emotions including joy, anxiety, excitement, fear, contentment, exhaustion and confusion.
Pregnancy, birth and parenting counselling could be useful if you are having thoughts like:
- Giving birth to my baby was scary, complicated and I felt I had no control. I need to talk to someone safe about it.
- I am pregnant and feel worried because I had a previous miscarriage.
- Everyone thinks I should just be happy and grateful I have a beautiful baby. So why don’t I feel happy?
- I feel overwhelmed about being a parent and don’t know what to do to make things better.
- I’ve decided to have this baby, but I’m scared about how I’m going to cope.
- How can my partner and I use psychological tools to prepare for the upcoming birth?
Counselling around birth and parenting
The psychologist or social worker at Women’s Health Tasmania can offer up to three free sessions of counselling to help you navigate these life transitions.
People often access this counselling to discuss
- Infertility
- anxiety or fears during pregnancy
- miscarriage or pregnancy loss
- birth trauma
- worries about their role as a parent
- preparing psychologically for an upcoming birth
As with all counselling services at Women’s Health Tasmania, if you need longer term therapy, our counsellors will help you find appropriate services.
General counselling
You may already have a counsellor or therapist that you would prefer to talk to about your pregnancy options.
Our general counselling service
Women’s Health Tasmania's counselling services aim to support you at times of difficulty or stress.
We offer short-term counselling (up to three sessions) free of charge.
You can talk to our counsellors about anything. They keep information about you and your problems confidential. They have a lot of experience in providing non-judgmental and kind support.
Our counselling services are available to anyone who identifies as a woman and who lives in Tasmania – over the phone, on a video call, or face to face at our North Hobart centre.
You do not need a referral from your doctor to access this counselling, just call or email to book an appointment.
If you would like longer-term counselling, we can assist you to find a service that meets your needs.
Call: 6231 3212
Email: @email
Monday – Thursday, 9:15am – 4pm
Other services you can talk to
These services also provide information or counselling about all your pregnancy options:
Family Planning Tasmania (all ages)
- Glenorchy: phone 6273 9117
- Launceston: phone 6343 4566
- Burnie: phone 6431 7692
The Link Youth Health Service (25 years and under): phone 6231 2927
Pulse Youth Health Service (under 25 years): phone 6166 1421