Children and Young People’s Counselling Support

Unfortunately, many children and young people experience different forms of rape, sexual abuse and sexual assault during their lives. Here at WMRSASC we offer counselling and group support to those aged 5-18 who currently live in the Herefordshire or Worcestershire area. We have a range of specialist support options on offer, these include:

1:1 Counselling support.

There are up to 12 sessions of counselling available to each young person. Through talking or creative play our specialist counsellors will create a safe environment to enable the young person to voice their experiences and explore the impact it has had on them and their lives. This is done in an age-appropriate way best suited to the young person, as we understand that talking things through may be difficult for them. The young person will never be expected to talk about things they don’t want to. Our counsellors are not here to tell them what to do or judge, they are here to listen and let their voices be heard.

Groups – Psychoeducation and Peer Support

We also have group work available for young people, which aims to provide a supportive space for survivors to build coping skills, foster resilience, and regain a sense of safety. At present, we offer:

• Peer support groups – 6 weekly sessions for survivors to meet and support each other, facilitated by our team.
• Psychoeducation groups – 12 weekly sessions in a group where people feel comfortable as they share and work towards increasing knowledge around managing trauma. The sessions cover a range of topics, and discussions offering information and strategies to manage the impact of sexual violence, whilst facilitated by our team.

If you feel that counselling or group work may be helpful to a young person, referrals can be made via the referral form buttons below. If the young person is under the age of 14, we will need consent from either their parents or guardians. If they are 14 or older, a self-referral can be accepted, or a guardian or professional can make the referral on their behalf with their consent.

Please be aware that we do have a waiting list for our services. If you have previously accessed our counselling service, please ensure there is a period of 12 months between ending counselling and referring for further counselling support.