Stockland Merrylands partners with Gidget Foundation for parental counselling
Expectant and new parents who are experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) are now able to access GP-referred, free psychological counselling sessions at a new Gidget House, which has opened at Stockland Merrylands.
Gidget House at Stockland Merrylands is the fifth Gidget House and the first for Western Sydney. It offers free counselling services and employs local psychologists, including specialists proficient in Arabic and Farsi, helping meet the needs of the local area, which people from more than 120 nationalities call home.
Stockland representatives joined Gidget Foundation Australia CEO, Arabella Gibson, and Ambassador and former PNDA sufferer, Antoinette Lattouf, to officially open Gidget House with NSW Minister for Health and Medical Research, the Hon. Brad Hazzard MP.
Antoinette, a journalist who grew up in Merrylands, said: “It is a really valuable and important service for local families, especially those who would otherwise struggle to pay for specialist psychological counselling.
“Speaking about mental health issues remains taboo among many different cultural groups and hopefully Gidget House can help to break the stigma with the support of psychologists who have language and cultural understanding,” Antoinette said.
Pregnancy brings joys along with challenges. PNDA affects almost 100,000 Australians each year, equating to 1 in 5 new mums and 1 in 10 new dads.
Amanda Hayes, General Manager, Retail Asset Management and Operations, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Gidget Foundation, providing dedicated space for an important support service for families in this growing area of Sydney.
“For almost 50 years, Stockland Merrylands has been at the heart of the local community, and with some 10 million customer visits to the centre each year, Gidget House can make a real difference in raising awareness and access to services for PNDA,” said Amanda.
Speaking to Channel Nine's Today Extra, Amanda added: “In retail today, we talk a lot about the importance of services. I could not think of any better service than this!”
A timely reminder that Stockland employees (whether you are full-time, part-time or a contractor) have access to our Wellbeing Employee Assistance Program, a free, confidential coaching service delivered by a third-party provider Benestar.
