It was shortly after separation and free counselling was available through the Family Court in those days. Up to six free sessions but this is at end of last century, so, what happens now – I’m not up to date with the latest on what’s available.

The counsellors were a couple, running their own independent business. I met him, a quiet fellow, marginally older, and he owned that professional aloofness that they hide behind, but with the acumen of a plate glass window. (Slightly thicker than than you’d expect but still easy enough to see through)

She had met the female counterpart.

This was followed by a joint session which on the day was held in a small badly lit room about 3 metres square. You’d swear you’d just stepped into a documentary-set, on Cold War Berlin, and they couldn’t afford colours. There was nothing in the room but four chairs and probably just as well. It might have been their ‘safe room’.

Now, I’m in a confined space not much short of a prison cell, with a guy I’ve met once, a hostile ex and another older lady I’ve never met before. It didn’t take long to work the dynamics out. She was top dog, maybe even a bunny-boiler herself but who am I to judge he may have been a happy man.

The conversation hadn’t gone long, when what seemed a like a pre-arranged, irrational statement came from the ex. I don’t recall my actual response but shock can do that. I looked at him but he was looking somewhere else, then I looked at her, and was told, “Can’t you just accept her point of view.”

How I answered that, I don’t recall either but at that point the ex launched from her chair flying across the room, with arms outstretched aiming for a strangle hold. I must have been leaning slightly to right probably giving the female counsellor a, ‘are you a little bit screw-loose look’ because instinct made me dodge left, and I managed to abandon my seat just before she came crashing into it … but by the time I got up off the floor and turned around that left the three of them between me and the door, so I had to stand there and watch the two of them wrestle her out the door.

But what was more interesting is that neither of these two counsellors can recall this happening. They were obliged to report to the Family Court and both signed and filed documents into our court case that this never occurred.

I could write a substantial continuation about the nature of this corruption, the total lack of professionalism, the failure to take responsibility for their business and the impact it had to the ongoing court case.

Encourage the bunny-boiler. Yeap, you can get away with anything you want to because we’re here to support you but this is an absolutely pathetic response to people that need help and children who need to be looked after.

When you consider the recent legislation change to include the act of attempted strangulation (and there have been some arrests for this already) I would not like to see a public perception that this is a male only act and aggressive women don’t exist.

And don’t think this was the worst of it but this is the nature of how this place operates. If you have the slightest expectation that their is a duty to truth, laugh yourself out of the room now.