If you want to see a counsellor or make a referral
If you want to see a counsellor or looking for other support, please phone WWILD on 07- 32629877 during working hours to talk to us.
If you are helping someone else make a referral please phone WWILD preferably with the person or at least with their consent.
You can also ring to make an enquiry or to find out more about WWILD services or other services as well.
Referrals can be made by anyone – the client, a family member, support worker or supporter. Any WWILD staff member can take a referral. Referrals are talked about at the weekly team meeting. The intake worker will contact the person to talk about what happens next.
WWILD does not accept referrals by email as we often need more detailed information for a proper referral. If you do send an email after hours, we will try to contact you however please followup with a phone call if you haven’t heard back from us.
Please remember WWILD is not a crisis service, if this is an emergency please contact 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 or Places
WWILD-SVP Association has two counsellors who work in our Wooloowin office on some days, with one counsellor working at the Beenleigh Neighbourhood Centre on Mondays, and the other counsellor works at HomeLife Service in Caboolture on Thursdays.
Our Disability Royal Commission counsellor also works in Brisbane, and sometimes Caboolture or Beenleigh.
About our counsellors
Jill Olver has worked as a counsellor and trainer at WWILD in the Sexual Violence Prevention Service since 2008. The focus of her work is building the existing strengths of people with intellectual disability to decrease their vulnerability and/or deal with the effects of trauma and sexual assault in their lives. Jill takes an eclectic approach that covers psychology, Narrative Therapy, Sand-tray, Art and other Expressive Therapies. Prior to working at WWILD, Jill worked counselling across rural and regional Queensland, in the Sexual Assault Service in Canberra, Indigenous communities and in refugee camps in Zimbabwe. Jill has university qualifications in Psychology and Counselling.
Victoria Tucker has worked as a social worker in the disability sector for a number of years before moving into the counsellor role at WWILD. The focus of her work is supporting people to work through their traumatic experiences, building their own strengths, capacity and supportive relationships, and working to decrease vulnerability. Victoria utilises an eclectic approach, similar to Jill, based on the wishes and needs of the person, therefore seeing that person as the expert on their life. Victoria has worked on and off for WWILD since 2010, as one the Victim of crime workers and Acting Manager at WWILD. Previously Victoria has also worked as a social work/community worker and various other roles with people with intellectual and learning disabilities at the Community Living Association.
About our counselling
• We see the person – not their disability.
• We do not define the person by their sexual abuse/trauma.
• We believe the client is the expert in their own life (not the counsellor).
• We understand we need to take time – to build rapport, assess, identify and work together on goals.
• We adjust our communication style – is our job to be easy to understand, not the client’s job to understand us.
• We are careful about suggestibility and masking, the need to avoid jargon and asking closed questions.
• We can work with the effects of trauma, without referring to the event itself.
• We normalise effects and acknowledge coping strategies.
• We utilise trauma informed practice and seek to empower the client by identifying choices and options.
• We aim to improve the client’s self-image and self-protection strategies.
• We use a range of theoretical approaches and creative strategies in working with our clients.
How to prepare someone for counselling
Read ‘What is Counselling?’ page with the person for more information.
Explain to the person that:
It’s their choice to come to see us or not, and listen to their answer.
They do not have to tell the story of what happened.
Counselling is about helping to understand and deal with feelings, and learn ways to feel better and more in control.
They 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.