The TAC is an Aboriginal community organisation developed in the early 1970s and funded by the federal government since 1973.
It was incorporated as the Aboriginal Information Service in November 1973 and changed its name to Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) in August 1977, and officially to Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation in 2016, but still trading as the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.
The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre provides a number of health, wellness and other services to Aboriginal people throughout the state.
Services Offered
Counselling is one of the many services provided by Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.
As well as being qualified in counselling, your counsellor has a good understanding of the Aboriginal community, and knows what is appropriate for its members. He or she will understand the problem, whatever it is, and help you look at it in a new way.
Sometimes just having someone to talk to is all you need. You wouldn’t be the first person who figured out how to deal with a problem just by hearing yourself talk about it to someone else!
Other times, it goes deeper than that. You may need to know what your options are and to talk to some-one about how these will affect your life. Our counsellors can provide this.
If they think you need some other kind of help, they can guide you to it. It might be another program or activity run by the Aboriginal Health Service, or it might be a specialised service that is outside what we offer. Whatever options a counsellor may suggest, they will make sure it is something that suits you.
Families, relationships, kids, parents, drugs, drink, gambling, depression – any of them can cause problems that seem too hard to deal with. Problems such as anger, family violence, sexual abuse, grief, bullying at school or work...these are all more common than you would think.
Our counsellors will sit down with you – in the office, at home or on neutral ground – and work out some ways to cope. If there is someone you can’t talk to, the counsellor can mediate between you. If there is something you can’t talk about, the counsellor will help you to do it.
We don’t just work with individuals. We can also give counselling in groups, to couples, kids, parents and carers; we do prison visits, home visits and can meet you in the park. And we can also arrange for you to see a counsellor that doesn’t work at the TAC if you want.
Our counselling service is free and confidential. If you have never talked to a counsellor before, give it a go — it might just change your life!
Fees and Payment
Counselling is free of charge
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens Children
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.
