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Domestic Violence Counselling
Counselling

Domestic Violence Counselling

We all have the right to feel safe. Taking the first steps to speak to someone about domestic and family violence can be conflicting and overwhelming. At Relationships Australia NSW, we provide compassionate, understanding, and confidential domestic violence support for victims.

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Overview

Who It's For

We support adults, young people, and children who have lived with domestic and family violence, whether their experience is ongoing, happened recently or occurred several years ago.

How We Help

Our counsellors will give you the space to talk through your experiences as and when you are ready, with the aim to regain your confidence as you move forward.

What to Expect

Our appointments are available face-to-face or online, and last between 60 and 90 minutes. Your counsellor will work with you to determine how many sessions you need.

Those going through domestic and family violence often experience:

We recognise that everyone’s experiences are different. Our experienced counsellors will work with you to determine a customised approach for your unique situation.

Physical or sexual violence
Coercive control and manipulation
Emotional and verbal abuse
Humiliation or social isolation
Financial control
Harassment, stalking and monitoring
Gaslighting

What you’ll take away:

01
Develop an exit plan, if required, to help you leave the relationship safely
02
If you’re a parent, learn ways to support your children through difficult times
03
Begin to work through past trauma
04
Learn coping tools to help manage stress
05
Regain your confidence and self-esteem
06
Learn ways to respond to negative behaviour in the future
Domestic Violence Counselling client testimonial

“I felt heard, understood and that I wasn’t going crazy... I wish everyone in a family violence situation could access and benefit from this course and the support services around it.”

- Domestic Violence Counselling client

Domestic Violence Counselling client testimonial

“The best thing about Relationships Australia NSW is that there are multiple services (individual counselling, separated parent relationship programs, family dispute resolution) which are interlinked and it is great to find everything in one place. Without Relationships Australia and its staff, I wouldn’t be where I am. Having escaped domestic violence with the support of my counsellor, maybe I wouldn’t have been here anymore to answer this.”

- Domestic Violence Counselling client

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FAQs

Sometimes we all need some extra support and guidance to help find ways to move forward. Counselling can offer you practical tools and strategies to help you overcome challenges and look at things from a different perspective. Our counselling services are welcoming, non-judgemental and suitable for individuals, couples, and families. If you are in crisis, experiencing domestic or family violence, or have made the decision to separate, we have additional services that we can offer to give you the best support.
Our counsellors have a diverse range of skills, qualifications, and relevant industry training. While professional backgrounds often range from psychology to social or casework, all our counsellors need to have a Bachelors degree or higher, with additional counselling-specific training.
During the Client Intake process, our team will ask you specific questions to help connect you with programs or services that we believe will be best for your situation. Our counsellors have experience and ongoing training in a variety of counselling models and methods, and will work with you to determine the best approach for your particular needs.
Yes, we will do our best to accommodate your request to meet with the counsellor of your choice. However, we can’t always guarantee you will see your preferred counsellor, as they may already be booked out and unable to accept new bookings.
Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to speak with your counsellor prior to the sessions, due to their schedules. However, our client services team can help you with your enquiries, and make notes for your counsellor to refer to during your first appointment.
Yes – after your first session with a particular counsellor, you’ll continue to see the same counsellor for your follow-up sessions as well.
To respect the privacy of all of our clients, we are unable to call your partner directly to request that they attend counselling. If they’re looking for further information, more clarity, or want to discuss their concerns about coming to counselling, they are more than welcome to call us directly. We’ll be happy to speak to them confidentially and answer any questions they have.
Children under the age of 18 can attend Family Counselling or Adolescent Family Therapy sessions with their parents or carers. We can’t provide individual counselling sessions for children under the age of 18 years.
No – while we welcome referrals from healthcare professionals and GPs for many of our services, a referral for counselling isn’t required.
We don’t provide mental health assessments or diagnoses for any mental illnesses. However, this is something that most GPs can provide, so we encourage you to speak to your doctor or healthcare provider. They may then refer you to one of our services for further support. Find out more about mental health assessments here.
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