Teens wait three months for counselling

TEENAGERS in the Tuam area are faced with a three-month wait for an appointment with a youth counselling service because of funding constraints.

Demand for the free service operated by Youth Work Ireland has increased over the past year with 70 adolescents using the service in Tuam since September alone. However, many more teenagers are seeking support but there isn't the money to offer more hours.
Karyn Gavin of Youth Work Ireland in Tuam says there's been an increase in demand for the counselling service county-wide with close to 160 young people using it in recent months, but particularly in Tuam where there's a 12-week waiting time for an appointment.
“It's vital that we continue to provide this counselling service in Tuam. The range of service varies from issues relating to parental separation, day to day stress, exam pressure, grief and loss as well as anxiety,” said Karyn.
Between 2015 and 2017 more than 600 people have used the service which operates in Tuam, Ballinasloe, Loughrea and Galway city.