Being a mother is the hardest job in the world, and it’s full of unexpected adventures.
Mental health challenges come with the journey for most mothers and families. We offer a range of individual support and group programs, supported by our qualified counsellors and therapists who specialise in perinatal care, therapy for children, art therapy and play therapy.
Perinatal Mental Health
The following support options, courses and groups are perinatal-focused: supporting new mothers from pregnancy to the child being three years old.
Individual Perinatal Sessions
Our perinatal counsellors can work 1:1 with you as a new mother (from pregnancy to 3 years old) to improve mental health and wellbeing, and work on attachment between mother and child. Working on mother-child attachment early on creates better outcomes later in life, for a mother’s mental health and a child’s quality of life. Our perinatal counsellors are trained in Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and can use this during your individual sessions.
Adjusting to Baby and Change (ABC)
A nine-week course to help you, as a new mother, uplift your mental wellbeing by increasing your confidence, adding mindfulness strategies into your lifestyle, and boosting your self-esteem. It’s also an opportunity to connect with other new mothers who are striving to improve their health and wellbeing.
Healing Wombs
A weekly art therapy group designed to help women process and make sense of their experiences of birth trauma. We explore the journey of becoming a mother, our identity, role, challenges and hopes. Art therapy is an opportunity to acknowledge, communicate and express feelings using art as a medium to do so. You don’t need any art experience to participate or reap the therapeutic benefits.
Play Now, Discover Always Supported Playgroup
A psychoeducational group where children attend alongside their mothers to build confidence in their parenting relationships through guided play activities.
Contact: pnda@luma.org.au
Parenting Support
We offer parenting programs for mothers, fathers and parents to create a healthy relationship with their child.
Circle of Security (COS) group
Our therapists are qualified facilitators in the early intervention parenting program, Circle of Security: an eight-week program to help mothers create a healthy relationship with their child.
At times all parents feel lost or without a clue about what our babies and children might need from us. This program supports you to make sense of what your child is really asking, allowing you to better understand your child’s behaviour. We offer two different COS groups:
- Perinatal COS group: from pregnancy to three years old
- Parenting COS group: mother and child of any age group
Kids In Focus (KIF)
A comprehensive program for children and families affected by alcohol and/or other drug misuse. Our therapists work with you, and your children to overcome challenges and trauma through:
- Psychoeducational workshops
- Child and Family counselling
- Art, play and sand tray therapies
- Group work
- Parenting Training and Support
Contact: kif@luma.org.au
Referrals
You are welcome to refer yourself. We also accept referrals from schools, GPs, hospitals mental health clinics, psychiatrists, AOD services, and other health professionals/community workers. Either way, you can fill in our referral form on Contact Us and we’ll get in touch.