Specialist counselling
Family Violence
Counselling
Counselling for people affected by family violence — whether it's happening now, ended recently, or happened a long time ago. You decide what gets talked about, and when.
What this service is
A safe place to be heard, supported and empowered.
Family violence can affect every part of a person's life, often in ways that aren't immediately visible. Whether you're experiencing family violence now, recovering from past experiences, or supporting a child or family member, counselling provides a safe, confidential and trauma-informed space to explore your experiences without pressure or judgement.
You don't need to have made any decisions about your relationship before seeking support. Our role is to walk alongside you, helping you feel safer, strengthen your wellbeing, and make informed choices that are right for you.
This service may be right for you if...
- You're feeling unsafe, controlled or fearful within a relationship or family.
- You're recovering from the impacts of family violence or coercive control.
- You'd like support to better understand your experiences and their impact on your wellbeing.
- You're supporting a child or family member affected by family violence.
- You'd benefit from counselling alongside other family violence or community support services.
- You're looking for a safe, confidential space where you can talk without pressure or judgement.
Our approach
Creating a space where you feel safe, heard and respected.
Healing begins when people feel safe enough to be heard and supported without judgement. Our approach is trauma-informed, person-centred and guided by your choices, recognising that every person's experience and pathway to recovery is different.
Prioritising safety
Your emotional and physical safety are always considered throughout counselling. Where needed, we can support safety planning alongside therapeutic care.
Respecting your choices
You decide what you would like to talk about and when. Counselling moves at a pace that feels safe and appropriate for you, without pressure to disclose more than you're ready to share.
Supporting recovery
Recovery looks different for everyone. Together, we'll focus on strengthening wellbeing, rebuilding confidence, developing coping strategies, and supporting meaningful steps towards the future you want.
Getting started
What to expect
Your first appointment is an opportunity to understand your experiences, discuss your immediate concerns, and identify what support would be most helpful for you. Your counsellor will explain confidentiality, answer any questions you may have, and work with you to establish goals that reflect your needs and priorities.
Counselling is guided by your choices and progresses at a pace that feels safe for you. If appropriate, support may also include safety planning, emotional regulation strategies, or collaboration with other services involved in your care, with your consent.
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Getting in touch
Send a referral or contact us directly. Tell us if there's a safer time or way for us to get back to you, and we'll use it.
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Intake
We ask for the information we actually need, and no more. If a question isn't one you want to answer yet, say so.
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First session
Your counsellor explains what stays private and what doesn't, listens, and works out with you what matters most right now.
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Counselling and safety planning
Sessions might cover steadying yourself day to day, understanding trauma responses, boundaries, or practical safety.
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Review
We check what's helping and change what isn't. We only talk to other services about you if you've asked us to.
Before you tell us anything
Your privacy and confidentiality
Your privacy is important to us. Information shared during counselling is kept confidential, except in limited circumstances where we are legally required to act to protect your safety or the safety of another person.
Your counsellor will explain these limits clearly during your first appointment so you can make informed decisions about what you choose to share.
We won't contact anyone else about you without your say-so unless one of those limits applies.
Paying for it
Funding
Family violence counselling is a private service, and you don't need a referral letter to contact us.
A Medicare rebate may apply if you have a valid Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP and you're seeing a registered psychologist. Our admin team will confirm the fee with you before your first appointment, so there are no surprises.
If you're the one using violence and you want that to stop, the Men's Referral Service is the right place to start: 1300 766 491, 24 hours.
Our people
Your counsellors
Our counsellors have sat with a lot of people at very different stages of this. They won't rush you, and they won't tell you what you should have done differently.
Meet the counselling teamGet in touch
Ready to start?
Send a referral through, or contact us directly. Tell us if there's a safer time or way for us to reply.