Counselling Services
Windermere’s highly skilled and qualified counsellors provide one-on-one counselling, family therapy, and group work for children and families. We also provide cognitive and developmental assessments, as well as training and workshops for professionals.
Family Counselling
The primary focus of our counselling team is to help children and young people build resilience and resolve issues relating to bullying, cultural differences, anxiety, family violence, and abuse, to name just a few. We aim to give the child and family a voice and provide support and recommendations to ensure that all get back on track. Our counselling programs are wide and varied and include:
- General Counselling
- Family Therapy
- DHS Protective Counselling
- Developmental Assessments
- Specialised Youth Focussed Counselling
Click here to view information about Child Sexual Assault
Click here to view information about Family Violence
Click here to view information about Dry Nights program - Family Violence
Groupwork
We also offer an extensive range of groups covering parenting issues, family conflict, anger management, positive parenting and adolescent issues. Groups are based on school terms and are run both during school hours and after work. Please check the individual group flyers for the minimal cost involved in attending that group. To book for a group or for more information, please contact the Counselling Intake Worker on 9705 3200 or info@windermere.org.au.
See list of upcoming groups below:
click here for Parenting after Separation - A 3 week program to help parents to better understand the effects of separation on their children and learn useful strategies for helping children to adjust.
click here for Rollercoasters - A two session program for children aged 5-8 years who have experienced the rollercoaster of change due to parental separation and divorce.
click here for 1-2-3 Magic & Emotion Coaching (Pakenham - March 2013) - A 3 week program to assist parents to manage difficult behaviour in their children.
click here for 1-2-3 Magic & Emotion Coaching (Springvale - March 2013) - A 3 week program to assist parents to manage difficult behaviour in their children.
click here for 1-2-3 Magic & Emotional Coaching (Hampton Park - May 2013)
click here for Women Managing Anger - (April to June 2013) - A 7 week program for women who want practical strategies and support to take control of their anger.
1-2-3 Magic & Emotion Coaching - a program to assist parents to manage difficult behaviour in their children by incorporating the use of 1-2-3 Magic & Emotional Coaching techniques
'Shades' - an 8 week program for adults based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy principles to help people with anxiety and/or depression to develop self-management skills to deal with symptoms and prevent relapse.
'Happy Mothers, Happy Babies' flyer - a 5 week educational support program for mothers with children of 0 to 2 years of age.
Cost
Depending on the service requested and funding arrangements with our partners, some services are free and some are charged. Please check the individual group flyers for the minimal cost involved in attending that group. The services that we charge for are based on a sliding scale in accordance with income levels. The cost of preparing formal reports and undertaking assessments is negotiated according to requirements.
Counselling locations
Our counselling services are offered at the following locations:
- Narre Warren
For more information please contact us.
Our partnerships
We work closely with schools in developing behaviour management plans and advocating on behalf of children at risk of suspension. We also offer workshops to teachers who are dealing with stressful situations in the classroom.
We also work closely with Maternal and Child Health, local government, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and other service providers to offer a coordinated approach to improving outcomes for children and families.
Professional Training
We have a team of psychologists, family therapists, social workers and psychotherapists who can develop and deliver training workshops to human service professionals and welfare workers in basic counselling skills, behaviour management and family violence. We can create training packages for specific organisations, which can be delivered on or off-site, depending on needs. Topics for training workshops include:
- Dealing with trauma - welfare practitioners, health providers, emergency services, personal and business
- Dealing with difficult behaviour
- Child and adult anxiety and depression
- Grief and loss
- ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) behavioural and case management
- Adolescent issues such as relationships, sexuality, self image and offending behaviour
- School issues such as bullying, school refusal, social skills, transition to secondary school and assessments
For more information please contact us.
Or email us at: counselling@windermere.org.au
Click here to view PDF Brochure
Transcending labels: the story of Sarah*
Sarah first came to Windermere after she lashed out at some of her classmates with her fists during lunchtime at school. The school – immediately labelling her a bully after the incident – sent her to us for counselling for anger management. Instead of accepting the label, her caring Windermere counsellor began the hard work required to establish the underlying reason that Sarah behaved the way she did.
After a while, Sarah started to feel comfortable in her session; relaxing enough to draw her worries on paper. She then started to open up, but Sarah had a secret that she was initially too frightened to disclose. Eventually her counsellor discovered that Sarah spent her days at school sitting in abject fear, wondering whether her mother would hit her when she returned home from school.
It turns out that Sarah’s mother suffers from mental health issues and does not always take her medication - so her moods are out of control.
Sarah’s counsellor discovers that Sarah was suffering from enormous stress, which led her to explode during lunchtimes, hitting out at her fellow classmates.
Much of Sarah’s stress related to the fact that she felt that telling someone about her problems would mean having to return to foster care.
But thanks to the trust established by her counsellor, Sarah found the courage to break her own code of silence, starting to cry silently, but understanding that the counsellor would help – because Sarah knew being hit was not okay.
The counsellor then began working with Sarah and her mother, both separately and together. Journals were written. Feelings were expressed. Boundaries and safety concerns were discussed. Medication was reviewed with the doctor, and some ‘time out’ for both the mother and daughter was suggested.
After six weeks of sessions, the fighting stopped at school and at home, and Sarah stopped being afraid. The future now holds great hope for Sarah and her mother.
* Not her real name