Unique Levin counselling service quietly celebrates 30 years

Living Well celebrates 30 years of counselling services in Levin: receptionist Peter Corlett, Carol Parkinson, practice manager and Viv Webby, board member and co-founder.

Living Well Counselling Services have served Levin well for 30 years.

Started as a one-man band by Wade Webby, who worked as a chaplain, it has grown to a service with eight counsellors.

"He wanted a Christian-based service that was not attached to a particular church," remembers his wife Viv.

In 1995 a trust was established to support the work. Until about 10 years ago the service operated out of a building on Oxford St and has since been based in the Kent and Little Building on Queen St West, opposite Property Brokers.

The plan was to have a celebration in April, but apart from cost, the lockdown put and end to those plans. "But we would like to announce our three decades."

Living Well is unique as it only does counselling and is not part of a wider offering of social services. It has a good reputation, leading to them training interns and student counsellors, who need up to 100 hours of experience to qualify.

These interns and students used to come from all over the country, but in recenttimes have comes mainly from Weltech. They reckon they have helped at least 70 students that way.

Clients self-refer a lot or are put in touch through their GP, a social service or through friends.

"It is very confidential and a service anyone can afford," said Viv Webby.

Practice manager Carol Parkinson said the trust's income stream is well diversified, utilising charitable trusts, donations, friends of the trust, but also has had contracts with MSD

Living Well has 10 part-time staff members, eight of whom are counsellors.

In the past 30 years they have been able to help 7000 people.

At the moment they have three female Māori counsellors and one male counsellor. There is no time limit on how long someone can use the service.

"Most come for 12 or more sessions, but some stay in touch for years," said Parkinson.

"We try not to turn anyone away because of money. The community support has been great over the years."

Living Well deals with all manner of issues that might crop up in people's lives, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, affairs, separation, youth issues, grief, life changes such as job loss, moving house, addictions, violence prevention and anger.

The pandemic has meant Living Well staff and board have revisited their values and choose community over contract work.

"We'd rather meet community need than fulfil the obligations put on us by doing private contract work."

The workload has increased since the lockdown. While they saw an average of 50 clients a month, that is now 68.

"Isolation became a big issue for people but also problems resulting from families being forced to spent more time together.

"Many people feel unsettled, but we try to show that the light at the end of the tunnel is always on. The pandemic added to the fear and stresses people already had.

"Anyone can use our service and we do our best to help people move towards wellness."

Living Well would like to thank the community for its support.

"After 30 years we are still going strong, but we could use a bit more financial support."

Donations can be offered via the website: livingwellcounselling.co.nz.

For more information you can ring 06 368 2070. There is currently a waiting list for clients.