Adoption Research & Counselling Service Inc

arcs purpose is to provide specialist therapeutic counselling to all individual s affected by the impact of adoption, foster care or separation from family. We are a specialist service providing therapeutic counselling, support, education and information. arcs deliver services to those in the metropolitan area, rural communities. We offer telephone counselling for those living remotely or for those with accessibility issues. Extensive research has established the lifelong and intergenerational impact of adoption and separation from family for both the individual and their extended community. The people we have helped are typically dealing with loss and the impact of trauma. They often present as suffering from grief, shame, depressive symptoms, a sense of powerlessness and social isolation. The purpose of our service is to provide specialist therapeutic counselling for all people regardless of demographics or socioeconomic status. Our services have been directed at all age groups including children. Our service prioritises providing an affordable and accessible specialist counselling service. Our donations enable us to subsidise client fees and to provide free services. Many of our clients struggle financially. No one is excluded from accessing our services based on financial hardship. One of the strategies employed for accessibility is to facilitate group workshops. These workshops allow a greater number of clients to access our services as well as providing an opportunity for our clients to meet with each other. These workshops provide a safe space to access therapy and to meet with other clients. Each workshop has a different focus, tailored to different demographic groups. All our financial resources are directed back to our service delivery. Even though we charge for our services, our fee schedule is well below the market price for specialist counselling. Donations enable us to subsidise our fees and provide extra counselling hours. Our purpose is to provide a high quality, accessible service.