To See a Counsellor or Make a Referral

Please phone WWILD on (07) 32629877

• If you would like some counselling
• To help someone else
• Or if you want more information about our service or other services.

Referrals:

• Are taken over the phone by any WWILD staff member
• May be made by anyone – a person with intellectual or learning disability, a family member, support worker or supporter
• Are discussed at the weekly team meeting
• Are followed up by the intake worker, who will contact you or the person to talk about what happens next.
• Are not accepted by email. We require more detailed information for a proper referral. Please phone or if you send an email after-hours, please follow-up with a phone call if you haven’t heard back from us. If you are not able to use a phone, please let us know in the email.

Please remember WWILD is not a crisis service, if this is an emergency please

• Phone 000 or the Queensland Police on 131444
• Or click on this link for other crisis and after-hours services https://wwild.org.au/links

Counselling Locations

WWILD’s counsellors work at:

• WWILD’s Wooloowin office Monday – Friday
• the Beenleigh Neighbourhood Centre on Mondays and Thursdays,
• the HomeLife Service in Caboolture on Thursdays.

Preparing someone for counselling

Read ‘What is Counselling?’ page with the person for more information.

Remember that:

• It’s the person’s choice to come to see us or not.
• They don’t have to tell the story of what happened.
• Counselling is about understanding and managing feelings.
• Counselling helps to learn ways to feel better and more in control.
• The person can bring someone into the counselling room with them if they want to, it is up to them.
• If they are not sure, they can visit WWILD first, to meet us before they make up their mind.

Call to make an appointment or referral. Counselling at WWILD is free.

WWILD’s counselling approach:

• We see the person – not their disability
• We do not define the person by their sexual abuse and trauma
• We believe the person is the expert in their own life (not the counsellor)
• We take time to build rapport, assess, identify and work together on goals
• We change how we speak with and listen to the person according to their needs
• We are careful about suggestibility and masking. We try to avoid jargon and asking closed questions
• We can work with the effects of trauma, without talking about what happened to the person
• We normalise effects, acknowledge coping strategies and practice new strategies
• We utilise trauma informed practice and aim to empower the person by identifying choices and options
• We aim to improve the person’s self-esteem and self-protection strategies
• We like to work in lots of different ways according to the person’s needs, by using a range of theoretical approaches and creative strategies.