Family violence
Trauma from domestic and family violence has ongoing effects on children and young people. Through our work and advocacy, we recognise the significance of the impact of family violence on the relationships between children, young people, and their caregivers.
We understand that children cannot always recover from the effects of family violence on their own. They need support and understanding from important people in their lives, such as family members and other trusted adults.
Sometimes children also need counselling to help them make sense of what has happened. We provide counselling to children and young people impacted by family violence, involving their family where possible and offering support to other significant adults in their lives.
Our approach aims to build children and young people’s sense of safety and self-confidence.
To learn more about each program please contact us.
ACT & New South Wales
Supporting children to heal and feel safe after domestic and family violence
Heartfelt is a specialised therapeutic program supporting children aged 5 – 12 to heal from their experiences of domestic and family violence. Our team provides trauma counselling for children, separate therapeutic group programs for children and carers, and psychoeducation and case management for carers.
Heartfelt centres the child’s experience, working to strengthen their sense of safety and their secure relationship with their carer. A key focus is building a consistent network of support around each child, ensuring everyone involved understands their unique experiences and therapeutic needs.
Heartfelt Therapeutic Specialists work with each child and their carer for up to six months, available to ACT residents.
“In helping them heal, children first need to experience safety. They need the world to feel more consistent, their bodies to relax and feel calmer and to experience trust and security in their relationships”
Tasmania
Therapeutic counselling for children and young people affected by family violence
The Children’s Family Violence Counselling Program provides therapeutic counselling for children and young people who have been affected by family violence, helping them understand their experiences and begin to heal. Our Therapeutic Specialists involve families where possible and offer guidance to significant adults to better support the child’s recovery.
Our approach focuses on strengthening children’s safety, emotional wellbeing, and confidence. We work closely with parents and caregivers to help them understand the impacts of family violence and support their child’s therapeutic progress.
The program offers a six‑month counselling model for children and young people under 17 who are not living in foster or kinship care. Support is provided with a safe adult involved throughout the intervention period. Sessions are delivered in person at our Hobart, Launceston, and Ulverstone offices, as well as through outreach and flexible service options.
Children and young people can access this service if they are; 17 years of age or younger, have been affected by family violence at home, are not in foster care or kinship care, have a parent, carer or significant adult who can support them through counselling, are not currently involved in another similar counselling service.
Victoria
Therapeutic support for First Nations children and young people affected by family violence
We work with Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service to provide therapeutic support to First Nations children and young people who have been impacted by family violence, with a focus on healing, safety, and connection.
Our Senior Consultant provides supervision, reflective practice and case consultation to support Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service, to strengthen clinical practice and support workforce development.
Across this work, we prioritise supporting children and young people to grow strong in their identity and culture, ensuring that cultural connections, stories, and community relationships remain central to healing and wellbeing.
Therapeutic support for young people using violence in the home
The Adolescent Violence in the Home (AVITH) program provides therapeutic support for young people aged 12 – 17 who are using violence in the home, and for their families. Our team offers individual, dyadic, parent, family, and group work over a six‑month period, providing developmentally appropriate and trauma‑informed interventions.
Using a whole‑of‑family approach, the program aims to address the young person’s use of violence while supporting repair, reconnection, and strengthened relationships, where it is safe to do so. Interventions are tailored and flexible to meet the unique needs and circumstances of each young person and their family.
Therapeutic support for boys and young men who have experienced adversity
Changing the Story is an early intervention program for boys and young men aged 12 – 18 who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, including family and domestic violence. Our Therapeutic Specialists work alongside young people to support the safe development of identity within the context of their lived experiences.
The one‑on‑one therapeutic support offered through the program is culturally safe, trauma‑responsive, and tailored to the individual needs of each participant, helping them build resilience, emotional safety, and positive pathways forward.
Counselling for children, young people, and families impacted by family violence
In partnership with FVREE, we provide counselling support to children, young people, and their families who have experienced family violence.
The Free to Grow program takes an integrated approach, with therapeutic counselling delivered alongside FVREE case management support. This coordinated model ensures children, young people, and families receive trauma‑informed support that prioritises safety, healing, and wellbeing.
Therapeutic family violence support for children and young people
The HEART program is delivered in partnership with Brophy Family and Youth Services, Sexual Assault and Family Violence Services, Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation, and Southwest Centre Against Sexual Assault. Our Therapeutic Specialists support children and young people who have experienced family violence, offering case management, counselling, groupwork, and family‑based support.
The program includes dyadic, individual, and family therapeutic responses, along with group programs co‑facilitated with practitioners from partner agencies. This collaborative approach strengthens supports around children and young people and promotes healing, safety, and long‑term wellbeing.
Therapeutic support for children, young people, and adults impacted by family violence
The Pathways to Resilience program supports children, young people, and adults who have experienced family violence in the Outer East and Southern Melbourne regions. Support is provided to children and young people living in secure or insecure housing, living independently, or who may still be in contact with people using violence.
These programs are delivered in partnership with Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania) Limited as the lead agency, along with Refuge Victoria, EACH, and Family Access Network. Our Therapeutic Specialists provide outreach‑based assessment and counselling for children, young people, parents, and families over a six‑month period, focusing on safety, recovery, and strengthened relationships.
Supporting children and young people to recover from family violence
The RISE program provides individualised and flexible therapeutic counselling for children and young people affected by family violence in the Ovens Murray region. Support is available for children and young people living in secure or insecure housing, living independently, or who continue to live with or maintain contact with a person using violence.
Delivered in partnership with Junction Support Services, who provide support to adults, our Therapeutic Specialists provide support to children and young people aged 18 and under, as well as their parents. The program uses a six‑month outreach model, offering assessment, counselling, and tailored therapeutic support.
RISE practitioners also deliver groupwork programs, including Bringing Up Great Kids and Popping Bubbles programs, to further support children, young people, and families in building safety, connection, and recovery.
Western Australia
Integrated support for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence
Naala Djookan Healing Centre is a Family and Domestic Violence Hub comprising ten partner agencies led by the City of Stirling. The hub provides integrated therapeutic, cultural, legal, financial, community, and healing services, offering a safe and accessible entry point for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence.
Australian Childhood Foundation works collaboratively within the hub to provide therapeutic leadership, specialist parenting support, and child and family counselling, focusing on safety, strengthening strong and supportive connections, and promoting recovery.