Counselling Services

Our qualified and professional staff and volunteers are here to offer no-judgement support whenever you need

Waratah offers counselling services throughout the South West Region in Bunbury, Busselton, Margaret River and Collie. We also offer telehealth appointments in these localities.

Waratah provides free, specialised and therapeutic counselling and support services for people who experience or have experienced sexual assault, sexual abuse, and family and domestic violence. We use trauma-informed principles and practices.

Our qualified and professional staff are counsellors, social workers, and psychologists. All our counsellors and administration staff work from a trauma informed perspective. We are here to offer safety and support from your first phone call, throughout your counselling sessions and when you are getting ready to leave counselling. We also provide after-care and you are welcome to return to Waratah if you need further support and counselling in the future.

To attend our services you can contact us directly. Or you can be referred to our service by a support organisation or a professional.

Waratah offers the following counselling services.

Our qualified staff and volunteers are here to support you

Children’s Services

All counselling staff at Waratah have psychology, social work or counselling tertiary qualifications and have received specialised training in providing services to children and young people. Staff in our Children’s Service use play therapy, sand tray therapy and creative art in therapy to assist children to use non-verbal ways to work through their experiences and find healing.

This service provides free, specialised counselling, support and therapeutic services for:

Children and young people and their families; who have experienced and/or been impacted by child sexual abuse, sexual assault and/or family and domestic violence;
Children and young people who engage or are likely to engage in unsafe behaviours towards other children. Waratah works with the child and their family to decrease the likelihood of further unsafe behaviours, thereby increasing safety for the family and others.
Support and counselling for parents of children impacted by sexual abuse and/or family and domestic violence.
Group education and learning for parents. This includes learning about the impacts of trauma on children’s behaviours and how to assist a child to express and manage their trauma experiences.
Waratah also offers educational programs such as Protective Behaviours which is offered in individual, couples or group sessions.

Families can access the service by phoning Waratah or by having another agency, such as the Department of Communities, referring to Waratah on their behalf.

Sexual Assault: Counselling and Support

Waratah’s Sexual Assault Service (SA) is offers services to help young people and adults heal from the harmful psychological, emotional and social effects of sexual assault and abuse.

Counselling staff are university qualified counsellors, social workers or psychologists with specialised training in providing services to those who have been affected by sexual assault and abuse. Staff work with a person’s trauma, using approaches such as talking and/or somatic therapies. Our counsellors are also trained in specialist approaches such as EMDR and breath work, walking alongside people as they heal their minds and bodies following traumatic experiences.

The service provides free, specialised counselling, support and therapeutic approaches for;

Women, men and young people aged thirteen years and over from Bunbury and the South West Region who have been sexually assaulted.

The service offers individual counselling, telephone or telehealth counselling and group education and therapy sessions.

Waratah offers a 24 hour crisis service for people who need immediate support and counselling due to sexual assault. You can phone the 1800 RESPECT number and staff will refer you directly to our Waratah staff. You can also be referred by other services with your consent.

Family and Domestic Violence: Counselling and Support

Waratah’s counselling staff are university qualified and have undertaken training about family and domestic violence, including a thorough understanding of the impacts of trauma and the ways to therapeutically support women who are experiencing or have experienced family and domestic violence.

Waratah provides

Individual counselling for women who have experienced or are currently experiencing physical, emotional, psychological and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner.
Group therapy using creative art or somatic approaches to trauma
Educational groups about the use of power and control in relationships
Therapeutic family counselling for women and their children

Counselling staff use approaches such as somatic therapies, narrative or talk-based approaches, guided meditation, creative or art-based therapies and breath work as well as specialist therapies such as EMDR.