OH! Magazine - Australian Version February 2014 (Australian Version) | Page 23

MensLine.
org.au

( Men’s Health )

MENSLINE AUSTRALIA:
SUPPORTING OUR MEN
It can be hard for blokes to find quality male-specific
support. MensLine Australia offers these services to
help Aussie males enhance their emotional health.
n relationships, families, workplaces
and communities across Australia,
many of our men are doing it tough. This
can sadly lead to family and relationship
breakdown, mental health issues, and
even suicide – the tenth leading cause of
death in Australian men. MensLine
Australia supports men to manage and
overcome life’s tough times by providing
24/7 professional, accessible counselling
services to men across the country.
In the past year, MensLine Australia
has supported over 40,000 men through
their telephone, online and video
counselling services – and this number
is on the rise.
Randal Newton-John, Director of
Operations at On the Line (providers of
MensLine Australia), explains that they
have recently expanded the service to
include online and video counselling,
giving men even more options for how
they access support.
‘Video counselling a llows men to
speak face-to-face with one of our
counsellors via Skype, giving them that
personal connection with a professional
counsellor, no matter where they are in
the country. It’s great for men in rural or
remote areas where there isn’t a local
service available – they can have a
counselling session for free, in the
privacy of their own home.’
‘With online counselling, men are
able to hop online any evening and chat
to a counsellor through our website. It
may be a particularly good option for
men who feel they aren’t quite ready to
talk on the phone or face-to-face about
what’s going on for them – it gives men
an added sense of anonymity that can
be really important,’ Randal says.
While relationship problems make up

I

almost half of the main topics discussed
on MensLine Australia, men also contact
the service about issues such as loss and
grief, loneliness, mental illness, and
parenting concerns.
‘We specialise in family and
relationship issues, but we’re here to
support men with anything in their life
they may be having a tough time with. If
there’s a problem in our lives, chances
are it will have some direct impact on
our relationships. You might get a man
who will get in touch about a problem
with finances or work, and when you
unpack it, we get to see the significant
effect it’s having on their relationships –
which can often be quite significant. We
support men to find practical strategies
to take charge of their problems, manage
their emotions, and improve their
relationships,’ explains Randal.
‘I just wanted to say thank you to
MensLine Australia for all the
support I’ve received from your
counsellors in the last month. I’d
been having a tough time in my
relationship, and found it hard to
cope with the arrival of my newborn
baby. Now my relationship is on the
mend and things have greatly
improved. My wife and I are happier
and are overcoming our issues.
MensLine Australia saved my
relationship. You guys provide an
amazing service for men.’
– ­ ensLine Australia caller
M
If you or someone you know is having
a tough time, let them know about
MensLine Australia. Their phone line
(1300 78 99 78) is available 24/7, or
they can access online and video
counselling through mensline.org.au
( OH! MAGAZINE ) ISSUE 6

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