Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs for parents/carers
A. Children and young people’s voices need to be listened to and respected. It may be more beneficial for you to come to counselling to help you support as much as possible. This may also help your child engage later on if you tell them about your experience at Rosebank.
A. It is important that your child has a space for them to speak or create freely. Often children try to protect their loved ones from things that may upset them. Counselling offers a safe space of their own.
A. Children feel the benefits of counselling in many aspects of their daily lives. Children and young people tell us: Counselling has…
- Provided a place where they can be truly themselves
- Helped them feel less isolated by strengthening family connections and friendships
- Built on their confidence and resilience
- Allowed them to feel safer at home and at school
- Helped them sleep better, increase concentration and understand their bodies more
A. Problematic harmful sexualised behaviours are concerning sexual behaviours that are outside the age appropriate body exploration and that are problematic to the child’s own development. Sexual behaviour in children is their way of meeting an emotional need.
A. Children display behaviours to communicate emotional distress. It is important to take sexualised behaviours seriously to protect the child with the behaviours and the children surrounding them. In NSW, children 10 years and over can be found responsible for their behaviours by law and can be charged. By seeking support before the age of 10, children can express the core of their emotional distress and families can respond appropriately by listening, setting boundaries and strengthening relationships.
A. Sexualised behaviours can be confronting. But with the right communication, support and collaboration between families, school etc children can have safe friendships. It is important to be open and honest about your worries, set boundaries for safety without isolating the child with the behaviours. Talk with your child about safe play, their body and listen to their worries.
FAQs for children and young people
A. Counselling is different for everyone but the children and young people we work with tell us: Counselling has…
- Been the only place they feel comfortable to be themselves and learn about who they are
- Helped them talk to their family and make friends at school
- Built on their confidence and helped them learn how to deal with tricky things
- Allowed them to feel safer at home and want to go to school
- Helped them sleep better, be healthier and remember and learn more
- Encouraged them to explore who they want to be and what they want their future to look like
A. You get to choose what you would like to do during your time at Rosebank. Some like to talk about what is happening for them and others like to express themselves through creating something. Your counsellor will help you find ways to express yourself and learn more about who you want to be.
A. This is individual and up to you? Some engage for a few sessions to learn more about themselves and the impact of trauma, some attend counselling around difficult times at school or at home, and others want long term support to work through what they have experienced, learn more about themselves and who they want to be.
FAQs for service professionals
A. It is very helpful for our counsellors to get the right information from the start to ensure we are the right service for your referral. A referral can be made over the phone or send an email to make an appointment to discuss the referral.