Joan Spencer & Associates opened their first Counselling Centre at Fairfield on 1st July 1993. This was soon followed by branch offices being opened in Morwell, and Warragul. As a result of responses to a radio advertising campaign in early 1995 a further office was opened in a house in Hallam, (182 Princes Highway) which was followed by the opening of an office next door at 2b Spring Square. The Hallam office has experienced phenomenal growth in that we are currently seeing as many clients at Hallam each week, as we saw in all the other offices combined back in 1995. May 1998 saw the relocation of  our original Fairfield Office to 1042 Heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe. This new venue offers opportunities for seminars and workshops on issues relating to our mission. Consolidation in 2003 and 2004 resulted in our closing our offices in Warragul and Morwell. In March 2003, having refurbished 182 Princes Highway, Hallam, we re-opened this venue for counselling and closed our office at 2b Spring Square. As a result of an increase in enquiries from Pakenham during the early part of 2005 an office was established at 6 Eleanor Court, Pakenham to service the phenomenal growth in this new corridor of growth. Our venture into Pakenham has been quite successful so in February 2006  we decided not renew our lease at Ivanhoe in May of that year, and to close our office there and to concentrate our services in the South Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne.

Joan Spencer has over thirty years of counselling experience. She has an Arts degree majoring in Psychology and Sociology. Following completion of this degree, Joan gained a post-graduate degree in Social Work at Melbourne University. She has since undertaken and finalised a specialist course in Couple Counselling in addition to other courses in related fields. Joan has a certificate in family mediation from the Family Mediation Centre in addition to mediation training as part of her Social Work degree. Joan is an accredited Mental Health Social Worker. She has a Medicare provider number. Joan is also a registered family dispute resolution provider and as such is an individual  who has met the required standards of training, experience and suitability for inclusion on the Family Dispute Resolution Register. (Commonwealth Government, Attorney's General Dept.) E-mail joanspencer@optushome.com.au

Bill Spencer followed his B.Theol. degree with an Arts degree at Melbourne University.  Bill has supervised candidates for ministry in field placements.  He has over thirty years in counselling experience and has  specialised in pre-marital counselling and grief counselling. Bill was awarded the degree of Doctor of Ministry, by the Board of Studies of the San Francisco Theological Seminary on the 6th October 1998.  E-mail billspencer@optushome.com.au

Sue Cook is a Psychology student at Monash University and  has been with Joan Spencer & Associates for ten years. She is currently studying towards a degree in Behavioural Science at Monash University majoring in Psychology and Sociology. She has completed a basic counselling skills course with Cairnmillar Institute and has experience in facilitating group work. E-mail billspencer@optushome.com.au

This page was last modified on the 31st December 2008