CatholicCare Social Services, Diocese of Parramatta providing support to families

Oscar Modesto (right) with John Gottman.

Catholic Outlook, May 2012

Dr Oscar Modesto, Manager of Counselling Services at CatholicCare Social Services (Diocese of Parramatta) was invited to present two papers at the International Family Therapy Association Congress in Vancouver Canada, in March 2012.

The presentations were about some of the work that CatholicCare Parramatta provides to support families.

The congress had as its theme: Couples Therapy: Advancing the Profession. The Congress focused on the latest treatment techniques in couple therapy as well as presenting approaches to a variety of problems and ways of coping with them.

The aim of the congress was to assist therapists and practitioners to help heal hurting couples and families in various cultures. The congress included the participation of a number of internationally recognised psychologists and family therapists, such as John Gottman and Sue Johnson.

The first paper Oscar presented was titled: ‘Couples communicating after divorce? An approach to reflective functioning after separation’. This presentation described the strategies used in the delivery of the program Keeping Kids in Mind, a service CatholicCare Parramatta provides in conjunction with other CatholicCare and Centacare agencies in Sydney, the Central Coast and Illawarra regions and other parts of NSW.

The second paper Oscar presented was titled: ‘Working with couples from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: An Australian perspective’; raises the issue of counsellors being sensitive to the cultural background of clients, and also how they make sense of the clients’ experiences and history through their cultural background.

Problem Gambling Counselling

CatholicCare Social Services has extended the Problem Gambling Counselling Service to the Parramatta area. This free and confidential service is available for anyone with a gambling problem or who is affected by a problem gambler.

Laurie Bowe, who has many years of experience in assisting problem gamblers to control or stop their gambling, is available at CatholicCare’s Parramatta branch at 2A Villiers Street, Parramatta, on Mondays from noon to 8pm.

Spouses, family members and friends affected by gambling are also invited to contact the counselling service.

Counselling for problem gambling is also available from CatholicCare’s Blacktown branch and at the Castle Hill office and centre at Emerton (Mt Druitt).

Phone (02) 9933 0222 for appointments or to speak to a counsellor at these centres.

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