Family counseling: what it is, how it works, when can I go there.
Lately, due to political discussions on the subject of the right to abortion and the role of counselors, the consultancy is mostly associated with IVG (i.e. voluntary interruption of pregnancy). It is true that consultors play an important role in the IVG process: in fact, through the gynecology service they can issue certificates for IVG, they are places where you can find information, receive advice and psychological support and facilitate contact with the hospital that will perform the IVG. In addition to this, however, the consultors offer many other services to support you and can be a very valid place to do your preventive checks, diagnostic tests, to get advice and specific support on your sexual and reproductive health with a holistic approach that focuses on the person in their physical and psychological complexities.
So yes, the office is a place for anyone, even you.
Family counselors, commonly referred to only as' counselors', are a basic integrated social health service. They are widespread in the territories, so there is at least one near you, and they have multidisciplinary skills to provide accessibility to services, advice and education in the field of sexual and reproductive health. Within a consultancy there are different professional figures dedicated to care, reception, listening and communication. The principle is to give people and the community accessibility and empowerment regarding their sexual and reproductive choices and health, through medical, psychological, consultative and educational support.
A fundamental characteristic of the consultancy is the interdisciplinary approach: unlike a single clinic, a multidisciplinary team works within the office that welcomes you according to your needs. It is basically composed of professionals such as midwives and obstetricians, gynecologists and gynecologists, psychologists and social workers. In addition to them, there may be figures specialized in nursing, nutrition, endocrinology, but also in pediatrics and child neuropsychiatry to support the daughters and sons of the people who access the office. This team is also joined by legal experts, sociologists and sociologists, educators and educators.
You can go there when you need any support for your individual sexual and reproductive health, but also assistance with maternity and paternity and the management of family and couple relationships. For example, on an individual level, you can: get advice and prescriptions on contraceptive methods, do screening and prevention visits, do gynecological examinations for specific problems, request a psychological and sexological support service, or access the IVG path. At the couple or family level, you may request advice on the subject of fertility, psychological support for the couple or family, for adolescent daughters and sons, pregnancy support. Below we give you a basic overview of what are some of the services that you can access in a consultancy.
Family counselors can be accredited public or private. Public consultancies are managed by the Regions through local healthcare companies, they assist all women, Italian and foreign families (even without a residence permit) and their underage daughters and sons free of charge. There may be some specialized services that require the payment of a ticket; this depends on the service received and on the local health authority of reference.
Accredited private consultants assist in the same way free of charge, but they may request, in order to make their activities financially sustainable, the payment of a membership fee and in some cases a contribution for the specialized services received. It is important to know that private consultors may be lay or of religious inspiration, in Catholic Italy; this can have an impact on the approach to the person, as well as on the consultancy and processes for accessing an IVG certificate due to a personal conscientious objector. It is good to know this before going to a consultancy to find out if your expectations align with the services and type of advice you will receive, especially on topics such as motherhood, sexually transmitted diseases and more. On Geen you will only find services offered by private lay consultants, such as the CED (Demographic Education Center) in Milan.
The consultors were strongly desired and are an achievement of the feminist movements that, in the 70s, in Italy, in a historical and social context of profound cultural and social changes, led to their birth. Law 405 of 1975 establishes its establishment, responding to the need for more complete and personalized health care, in particular for women. The consultors represented a free space for education, access sexual health services and create empowerment.
Their function evolved further in the 90s. Since 1997 they have also included Youth Spaces, created to respond to the sexual and psychological problems of adolescents, and since 1998 also Spaces for Immigrant Women and their daughters and sons.
CED is one of Milan's private consultors. In particular, it is an APS (Social Promotion Association) and operates as a consultancy. It is a free and safe space, founded in 1976, just when women were beginning to make their voices heard and to demand more rights. At CED you can speak freely about everything related to your body and your life, be helped to take care of your health and seek advice for your free choices regarding contraception, childbirth, fertility, abortion and everything you need. There is an interdisciplinary team to welcome you; in particular on Geen you can book directly:
To access CED services, you will be asked for a fee of 16€ to subscribe to the membership card, which will have an annual value, so once you have paid and obtained the card, for one year you will no longer have to pay the fee and you can continue to access the services. For each service, however, you will be required to make a specific contribution; this is needed by CED to make its activities sustainable and continue to support all associates. If you need more information on this, you can contact the CED directly.
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