Joan Spencer was thrilled when she received the phone call from London.By Sarah Schwager
A HALLAM marriage counsellor spoke on a London radio station last Tuesday after she was called up out of the blue by the show’s producer.
Hallam marriage counsellor Joan Spencer, who has offices in Hallam and Pakenham, has been practicing in the area for the last 12 years.
Mrs Spencer, 68, said she was called up from Colourful Radio in London and asked if she would talk for an hour on marriage breakdowns in Australia.
She said she had been surprised by the call, but later found out that the radio station had got her details from the Internet.
“I get calls from all over the world,” she said.
She said the radio station was also talking to people in America, Africa and India about the differences in each country about marriages across cultures when the extended families are against the marriage.
Mrs Spencer, who has been married for 47 years and has three children, said she had an extensive clientele across many cultures and backgrounds.
She said that because of the wide range of cultures in Australia, she had many couples come in who had difficulties convincing their parents about the marriage.
She said marriage into other ethnic groups was a difficult step for parents from overseas whose children were born in Australia.
“Ultimately, when children come along they are good at breaking those barriers,” she said. “But it can still be difficult.”
Mrs Spencer said the station’s producer, Sereena Assih, had also been interested in talking about a premarriage counselling course she ran.
“Apparently in England it is only church ministers that offer some sort of premarriage counselling,” she said.
Mrs Spencer said she had really enjoyed the experience talking on radio.
“It was lovely, absolutely lovely. It felt like I was sitting back in a room chatting. It was a very positive experience,” she said.
Mrs Spencer said the station had invited her back on the program to talk again either this week or next week, which she was looking forward to.
“Life is full of opportunities. It’s about taking them when you can,” she said.
Mrs Spencer went back to university when she was in her 40s and got degrees in psychology and social work.
“You’re only as young as you feel,” she said.
