Martin Gillespie will run a new counselling service out of Pakenham.
By Sarah Schwager
PAKENHAM residents will have a new outlet for sharing their problems following the arrival of a qualified counsellor at Cardinia’s emergency food bank.
Martin Gillespie will work out of the 4Cs (Cardinia Combined Churches Caring Inc) to help people with relationship, family and personal problems.
Mr Gillespie started at the 4Cs as a parttime assistant manager a month ago after working as a church minister for 18 years.
He moved to Pakenham with his family four years ago to take over as a pastor at one of the local churches.
But Mr Gillespie, who has degrees in psychology as well as theology, decided it was time to take his expertise elsewhere.
“(Counselling) resources are very stretched in Pakenham. Particularly for people who have problems with transport, this is a great option,” he said.
Mr Gillespie will share his time between the Living Spring Counselling Centre in Berwick and the 4Cs, where he will be the centre’s first counsellor.
Mr Gillespie does all forms of counselling.
He said in his experience, and in the couple of sessions he had run in Pakenham so far, most people were struggling with issues to do with their family and relationships in general.
“People can be struggling with themselves and I do a bit of grief counselling. But most people work in the context of their family: children, parents and so on,” he said.
Mr Gillespie said while much of the work at the 4Cs involved getting money to fund the voluntary organisation, his role as assistant manager focused on the volunteers.
“I work in the people area, encouraging and recruiting volunteers,” he said.
Mr Gillespie lives in Pakenham with his wife, Libby, and children Flynn, 12, and Kyra, 9, and an 18monthold foster baby.
“We’ve been fostering for about six years,” he said.
“My wife and I have always had a compassion for people in need.
“Fostering is one way we as a family could be there for hurting families.”
The 4Cs on Main Street is open between 10.30am and 2.30pm daily.
Food donations are always welcome and the centre is always looking for volunteers from the church.
People can make a confidential counselling appointment through the 4Cs on 5941 2268.
“We offer counselling for anybody,” Mr Gillespie said.
“You don’t have to have a religious background and there is no agenda.
“This is just another way of the church caring for the community.”
