Dates for the next group meeting are to be confirmed.  The time will be set to suit the needs of the people participating and may include weekends and evenings.   Please more sure to specify which times would suit you when you contact me and discuss.  

Each session will cost $50 per participant and/or the participant's sponsor.  Once you join the group you will be charged this amount regardless of whether or not you attend the group. 

Rebates may be available through Medicare of up to $30.10 per session with GP referral.  

Rebates will only be given if you actually attend the session.

For those who cannot afford this cost, there are some scholarships available to assist women in attending this course.  

When you consider that one counselling session with me is usually $289 (and it is unlikely that you would find any qualified counsellor willing to see you for under $150 per session), I think you can agree this group is a great deal for you!    It is also worth considering that this group is likely to be able to help you access over 20 counselling sessions for free (valued at $6000) and $10,000 or more in compensation, then you can see that attending this group is a great investment in your mental health and finances at once!)

A discount of 1 free session can also be offered to people who pay for all sessions upfront. 

Each group will meet for 90 minutes and there will be between 9 and 10 groups in the year. 

Most groups will run once a week for 1 school term in the year, with one or two other catch-up dates booked. 

Medicare permits between 4 and 10 people in a group.  I will be operating groups between 6 - 10 people as a precaution because, if some people do not attend a session, the others can not claim the Medicare rebate if the group falls below 4 people.  If fewer than 4 people arrive at a meeting, that meeting will be cancelled.

These groups are set up in such a way that you will not be asked to tell your sexual assault story.  This is to protect you and also the others in the group who may be distressed by hearing your story.   All that other participants will know is that you were sexually assaulted as a child. 

If you want somewhere to tell your story, especially in detail, I would recommend telling the details of your story to your individual counsellor (the group can help you find one if you do not have one for yourself).  

There may be times when you are asked to reflect on the impact of elements of your story (for example, how old you were at the time) to identify what treatments you are most likely to need.  The appropriate treatments that you can do on your own will be discussed in the group during that session, and additional support options if you are still distressed will also be offered. 

The group will learn about:

• the effects of sexual assault on the mind, body and relationships.

• the factors that impact on which effects will happen to whom and how strongly they will happen.

• How to reduce the effects of sexual assault on the mind, body and relationships, including:

  • focused psychological strategies, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapies to help manage the effects on the mind.

  • focused psychological strategies, including Social Skills Training to help manage the effects on the relationships.

  • focused psychological strategies, including relaxation strategies to help manage the effects on the body.

  • information about how to get further support financially, with counselling and socially, for what you have been through.

Yes,   groups have been set up so that people can join under a different name.   The software being used also allows for facial features to be changed if you are worried about being identified. If you are concerned about this please contact me prior to the groups starting so I can talk you through how to protect your privacy/anonymity. 

Yes,   this is a great idea!  If you come with a friend or family member, you are able to benefit from each other's support as well.  We only encourage you to bring family and friends who have experienced childhood sexual assault as well.  If you have adult (16+ years of age) female friends/family who you would like in the group with you, please encourage them to register as a member of the group.   If you wish, you can contact me beforehand and ask me to hold a spot for them for a short time.

Rebates may be available through Medicare of up to $30.10 per session with GP referral.  (For more information on how to get a GP referral, please see below).

If your GP has diagnosed you with a mental health condition such as Anxiety, Depression, Borderline Personality Disorder or PTSD in the past, they may be very happy to refer you to this group. 

Your GP may wish to complete a mental health treatment plan in order to make this referral, and they may ask for a long appointment with you to complete this referral. 

If you have been diagnosed with a mental health condition, you are eligible for up to 10 group sessions a year and 10 individual counselling sessions.   Joining this group will not affect any individual counselling that you may get under Medicare and better still, the group is designed to help you find individual counselling options (if you want them) that may be more appropriate for you than what is available through Medicare. 

You can provide this letter to your GP if you would like an easy way of explaining to them what you want/ need in order to claim your Medicare rebate for this group.

If you are a family member or friend of someone who you would like to support to attend this group, you can reach out to me seperately to organise how you can pay for their attendance.   Please note however, that should they also get a Mental Health Plan, the Medicare rebates will go back into their account.   You may wish to use this to encourage them to attend sessions (as the rebates will only go in if they attend).   You may also want to talk to them about paying you back this money to reduce your costs, but this agreement will need to be between you and them. I cannot take part in those discussions.

If you are an organisation wanting to organise counselling for a client (or staff member) who experienced childhood sexual assault, please reach out to me, and we can discuss if the group will meet your client or staff member's needs and any restrictions that there might be on the funding that is used. 

You (or someone that you love) may have been through childhood sexual assault, and you may wish to gift this program to someone else.   If you would like to do so, please reach out to me, and we can discuss the details of what you would want for a scholarship (i.e. how many times you would like it to run) and if you want a scholarship for a new student set up in your name (or the name of someone you love).

If you would like to learn more about applying for a scholarship for yourself, a friend/family member or client please contact me and discuss. 

Scholarships vary in their conditions.

Scholarships that are currently available include:

• The TJ scholarship:  TJ had a Doctorate in Social Work, but sadly, her experience of childhood sexual assault led to health issues and an early death (when she was still in her 30s). Her family are pleased to have her remembered with this scholarship in her name.