HFACT Counselling Service
HFACT offers both formal and informal counselling support to members, their families, and anyone affected by bleeding disorders across the ACT and surrounding region.
Our counsellor, Laura Bardell, is a registered counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association and is available for confidential support and can be contacted directly by phone on 0409 830 472 or via email at [email protected]. This service is free for people with a bleeding disorder and their families.
Services offered include:
- Individual therapy and general mental health counselling, drawing from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach. This may include support for stress, anxiety, low mood, coping skills, emotional wellbeing, life transitions, relationship challenges and grief and loss.
- Counselling for adjustment to diagnosis, chronic illness management, and coping with uncertainty or medical trauma.
- Facilitation of regular group sessions, including a bleeding disorder playgroup held once per term, peer connection opportunities, and psychoeducational programs.
- Counselling for parents and carers, with a focus on self-care, carer fatigue, family wellbeing, communication, and caring for a child with a bleeding disorder.
- Advocacy when navigating the healthcare system, including coordination with medical teams, and preparation for, support during and follow-up after appointments.
- Basic social work assistance, including referrals to services such as My Aged Care, NDIS (where appropriate), and community programs.
- Practical assistance with IPTAS (Interstate Patient Travel Assistance Scheme) and access to local health and wellbeing services.
- Emotional care during hospitalisation, treatment, or recovery, including bedside visits.
- Education and guidance for carers and teachers across daycare, preschool, and school settings.
- Workplace and community engagement, including staff education, adjustment planning, and communication strategies.
Referrals can be made confidentially by contacting the counsellor directly using the details above. Alternatively, staff at the Canberra Hospital Haemophilia Treatment Centre can arrange for the counsellor to get in touch.
- Counselling appointments are flexible and can be arranged at a range of locations, including:
- The Counselling room at Canberra Hospital, Building 19 Canberra Region Cancer Centre, Level 2, every second Monday
- The Canberra Hospital
- Other suitable locations such as home, a local café, work or school
- Telehealth sessions are also available
You can contact our counsellor in the following ways:
Counsellor
T 0409 830 472
E counsellor@hfact.org.au
Haemophilia Treatment Centre
Preferably contact our councellor directly using the details above. If you are unable to contact them, please contact the HTC.
T 0481 013 323
E haemophilia@act.gov.au