Services

Our Fees

Counselling

$10.00 Voluntary Contribution

Massage/Reiki

$30.00 Health Care Card Holder
$50.00 Non Health Care Card Holder

Financial Counselling

Free

Complementary Therapist Naturopath

$10.00 – supplements additional

Making Appointments

You can phone us or drop by to make an appointment for all our services and activities. However, are able to provide information and discuss referral options without an appointment.

Please note that we are not always able to answer the phone, so please leave us a mesage, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Counselling

Shoalhaven Women’s Health Centre offers several types of counselling.

General or any issues for assessment and referral counselling is a one hour session with the counsellor for you to talk about your concerns. After hearing your situation, the counsellor will then discuss with you the most appropriate services available in the community for your needs. You may also benefit from being referred to another service at Shoalhaven Women’s Health Centre such as massage, reiki, Alternative Therapist, or to one of the groups. Assessment counselling is available to all women.

Counselling for drugs or alcohol use is provided to women on low incomes with an addiction to alcohol or other substances. The counselling is also available for women who are affected by the substance use of someone significant to them (such as their partner or close family).

Pregnancy Counselling
Our pregnancy counselling is:

  • Pro-choice
  • Woman-centred
  • Supportive and non-judgemental
  • Confidential and private
  • Provided by our women’s health nurse, professional counsellors
We are also able to arrange interpreting services. Let us know your needs when booking your appointment.

We support women’s rights to have access to affordable contraception, sex education, paid maternity leave, IVF, and to decide whether to proceed with pregnancy and choose adoption, become a parent, or terminate a pregnancy.

Most of all, we believe in the right women have to accurate information about their reproductive health, non-judgement from health workers, and in their ability to make their own decisions.

We respect women and the myriad of circumstances in women’s lives.

For counselling, a voluntary donation of $10 at the time of the visit is appreciated, and helps cover the centre’s running costs.

Want to book an appointment?

Telephone Counselling

A telephone counselling service is available for those who are unable to attend the centre. Our telephone counsellor works Mondays and Thursdays. Ask us for more information, or to make a referral.

Contact directly on 1800 82 55 44. This service is provided with the support of Illawarra Women’s Health Centre Warrawong.

Art in Therapy

Different mediums are available for use during a counselling session.

Financial Counselling

Please see our brochure for more information on this service.

Visiting Services

Liz Parnell (Principal, South Coast Law & Mediation) hosts two half-day legal clinics per month at our centre. Liz practices Family, Estate, Conveyancing, Commercial, and Elder law.

If you would like to make an appointment, please contact us.

Therapeutic and Remedial Massage

Therapeutic and remedial massage is available two days per week

Massage helps to relieve body aches and pains, and may improve mobility and musculoskeletal function.

$30.00 – Health Care Card Holder
$50.00 – Non Health Care Card Holder

Reiki

Reiki is available on request on a Tuesday

Reiki (universal live energy) is a non-intrusive method of hands-on healing, which may assist the body and mind to achieve a greater sense of wellbeing.

$30.00 – Health Care Card Holder
$50.00 – Non Health Care Card Holder

Women’s Health Nurse

Shoalhaven Women’s Health Centre hosts a women’s wellness clinic. Women can access a range of services including:

  • Cervical screening
  • Breast checks
  • Diaphragm fitting
  • Education/information on a variety of issues including contraception, PMS, menopause, sexually transmitted infections, and hormone replacement therapy
  • Ask us about our contraceptive clinic

Complementary Therapist Naturopath

Come and see our Practitioner for diet, nutrition, and herbal supplement advice and dispensing.

One-on-one appointments are available on a Thursday with our qualified Naturopath.

Information & Referral

There is information available about housing, counselling, children’s services, and carer services. if you are looking for a place to volunteer, we may be able to provide somewhere to start looking.

We have information about interest and activity groups such as yoga, craft, or dance. If you are new to the area, the Shoalhaven Women’s Health Centre is a good place to start to find out about the Shoalhaven.

You are welcome to drop in and browse the notice boards.

Pay it Forward

Many women ask if they can donate to our Centre. For many and varying reasons, some women cannot afford to contribute to workshops/groups and services provided, so therefore are hesitant to put their name down to attend.

We will be introducing a “Pay it Forward” scheme, where you can donate the cost of a workshop/group/service for another woman. For a few dollars, you will be supporting another woman to make valuable changes to her life.

For more information, please enquire at reception. All donations over $2.00 are tax deductable.

Workshops and Groups

Boost your Energy

Vital tips to keep your liver healthy

The liver is the major organ that cleanses and filters your blood. If your liver is overloaded & exhausted, it will struggle to detoxify your body, resulting in ill health. To support and nourish our health and wellbeing, we need to look after our liver.

come and meet Valerie, who will discuss and explain these vital liver tips. Increase energy levels, weight issues, reduce allergies, improve hormonal health, enhance memory and recall.

If you would like more information, or to book a place, please contact us. The group will meet every second Monday of the month.

Women’s Wisdom Group

For women who have experienced a relationship that makes them feel bad

Would you like to learn skills to help you feel happier, choose healthier relationships, communicate better and manage depression, guilt, and anxiety?

Come and join us at the Centre for this 6-week Skill and Personal Development program.

Arthritis Workshop

This workshop has a special focus on the holistic management of arthritis. Topics covered include;

  • Strategies for natural pain management
  • Stretching Exercises
  • Understanding commonly used medications
  • Developing skills to manage your arthritis

Kombucha Kraut Workshop

Do you want to save money and increase the “good guys” in your gut?

Then this informative and relaxed workshop is for you. Come and learn how to make your own kombucha and sauerkraut. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it will improve your overall health.

Eco-Living Workshop

Avoiding chemicals – for a natural, healthy home environment

Small, positive changes made by us all can have a significant impact on our environment. This course will open the door to living a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle with an alternative approach – using natural products for home, garden, and personal care use.

Come along to discuss and have explained these economical handy hints.

Therapeutic Doll Making Workshop

Dolls have been used throughout history and across diverse cultures by both adults and children, and have been created and used for rituals, ceremonies, play, and as sacred family objects that are cared for and imbued with love, stories, and memories.

Throughout this workshop, participants will be supported to make a doll that has personal meaning for them that can also be used outside of the workshop for comfort and connection.

This workshop will be delivered in a safe and supportive environment, so each woman can complete the workshop with their own fabric doll to take home.

All materials will be supplied, and there will be support and guidance with sewing if needed.

Women’s African Drumming Class

Come along and learn some rhythms

Drumming has many benefits, such as reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. It is like a form of meditation that keeps you present, and with the added bonus of learning funky and fun rhythms.

No drumming or music experience is required.

Classes are led by Elena Bellinato. She is a music therapist, and has been playing African drums for over 10 years. In 2008, she went to Ghana in West Africa and studied for one month the local rhythms, traditions, and culture. She provides a welcoming environment that will have you grooving in no time.

Class fees must be paid in full to secure a place before commencement date. Expression of interest/waiting list applies.

Assertiveness Workshop

Good self-esteem and assertiveness is the basis of good communication and relationships

In this workshop, we look at the role of boundaries in our lives, how to say no, how to ask for what we want, and what makes this difficult.

Managing Stress Workshop

Stress management is a key learning area for all of us in this busy world

This one-day workshop looks at how stress affects our lives – physically, psychologically, emotionally, and socially.

By increasing our understanding, we can develop strategies to manage it in our daily lives. Doing the workshop itself is one of the strategies!

This workshop also has a self-care session, which may include relaxation, meditation, nutrition information, and gentle exercise.

Time to Take Control – Reboot Your Budget

One or two day workshops

Learn strategies – Budget development – “Are there discounts available?”

Our workshops cover;

  • What is budgeting
  • Managing emotions around finance
  • How to budget
  • What discounts in the community are available
  • Developing your own budget and how this can be sustainable
  • Setting up direct debits, etc
  • Budgeting for future expenses
  • Isolating funds in different accounts

Facilitated by SWHC’s Financial Counsellors

Foods for Moods

Can food affect your mood? What food is good for mental health?

Come along to this workshop and explore how diet may help to prevent and improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improve your overall mood.

Gut Health

Do you suffer with digestive problems like fas, wind, bloating, or constipation? Do you have chronic health problems like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or diabetes?

Then this fun and informative workshop is for you!

Come and learn how to improve your digestion and manage chronic health complaints.

Aromatherapy Workshop

Plant remedies known as essential oils have an important role in everyday living, and can be used in a variety of ways;

  • Skin care
  • Cleaning
  • Enhancing the air in a room
  • Therapeutic benefits
  • Supporting emotional & physical requirements

Discover how to incorporate essential oils into your everyday life.

Self Massage & Gentle Stretching

The self massage and gentle stretching workshop is designed to provide skills and techniques to help with body congestion and muscle tightness.

Linda has training in massage therapy and energy healing. Her abilities will provide you with valuable information for self care.

Addressing the mind and body’s needs on a daily basis can help prevent tension and muscle restriction. This program will run throuhg a series of gentle stretches for upper and lower body, and routines for self massage.