Child & Family Young people Adults

Our therapy services – for sexual abuse survivors of all ages

Sexual abuse can affect children, young people and adults in countless different ways. Our specialist therapists are experienced at working with all three age groups to help them to heal the trauma of sexual abuse. 

We believe that counselling and psychotherapy can be important supports as a survivor heals. We work with each client in an age-appropriate way to heal the trauma of sexual abuse and to help them develop the interpersonal skills and resources that can be damaged or disrupted by sexual violence.

Our therapists are trained in a variety of therapeutic approaches so that therapy can be tailored to each client’s individual needs. If you, or someone you love, is ready to seek help to recover from sexual abuse, please get in touch with us on 0800 623 1700. It’s never too late to get help. 

Therapy for children and families

HELP’s Child & Family Therapy service works with the whole family. Our specialist child therapists help children to recover from the experience of abuse, and work with families to develop an emotionally safe environment to aid your child’s recovery and prevent any further abuse. 

To learn more about our child & family therapy service, please read the FAQs below, call us on 0800 623 1700 or email us.

FAQs

Our therapy model involves working with the child and their parents or caregivers to restore their child’s sense of safety in the world. Therapy can help to minimise the effects of trauma on a child’s development by providing a chance to talk through their worries and make sense of their experiences. 

Children, especially very young ones, might not have the words to express how they feel, so we use play therapy with creative media, activities and role-play to help the therapy process.

We work closely with non-offending parents and caregivers to help them understand and manage their feelings and reactions. You can voice any concerns about your child’s behaviour, ask questions about how you can best deal with the situation and discuss ways to keep your child safe in the future.

When the person who abused your child is a family member, we can work alongside their treatment provider (usually SAFE Network or Korowai Tumanako) to assist the family to establish new, safe ways of being in relationships, in a way that is comfortable for the child who was abused.  

Not every child who experiences abuse will need long-term therapy. Sometimes it’s most appropriate that we only work with the child’s parents/caregivers to help them meet the needs of their children.

All of our counsellors are women and are expertly trained in the area of dealing with sexual abuse. We also work in partnership with other agencies, like Oranga Tamariki and specialised medical practitioners, if this is in your child and family’s best interest. 

Therapy for young people

HELP’s Youth Therapy service is tailored for young people and the people they have significant relationships with, such as friends, family members and caregivers. 

Some young people who have experienced sexual abuse feel overwhelmed at the thought of seeking help and support, especially talking about it is so personal. But you don’t have cope with your experiences and feelings on you own – HELP’s trained counsellors are here to support you.

​ Available in some secondary schools or in our offices, our confidential counselling provides a safe space to explore and understand your thoughts, feelings and experiences, with someone who listens and understands. It can help you begin to heal the harm and move forward with your life.

HELPful FAQs

The therapy experience is very different for everyone as each person has their own way of being in the world and understanding things. There is no ‘one way’ or ‘right way’. Every person’s needs are unique and the counsellor will spend time with each person to work out what they need.  ​

HELP’s counsellors have special training and skills to offer. Everything you say to them is confidential, unless someone is at risk of harm.

Sometimes people are nervous about starting counselling and worry that they’ll have to tell their counsellor all about the sexual assault or sexual abuse straight away. They don’t. 

It’s important that you feel safe and comfortable to talk about what happened in your own time and in your own way. You can choose how much you say or don’t say and a counsellor will support you in this – your voice is the most important!

That’s up to you. Some young people see a counsellor for a few sessions, as they just want to understand one aspect of their experience, or work on something like being able to sleep well again. They might come back again for a few sessions a few weeks, months or years later if something else is bothering them about their experience. 

Other young people might want to see the counsellor for longer, as they work through what happened to them, what it means to them, and ways they can get their life back. 

For some young people, it’s helpful if we also work with their parents or other loved ones to assist them in getting the understanding and support they need at home. Some young people prefer not to have their family involved, and we will support you in this as long as this is safe. We can talk more about this decision together, and you can change your decision over time

information for young people (resources)

Therapy for adults

HELP’s Adult Therapy service supports adult survivors of sexual abuse and rape, whether the abuse was recent or whether it occurred as a child, teen or adult. Our service particularly caters for those with complex needs.  

Some adult survivors feel overwhelmed at the prospect of finding someone and asking them for ongoing help and support, especially about such a personal topic. But you don’t have to cope with your experiences and feelings on your own. 

Counselling offers a safe space and support to explore and understand your experiences, thoughts, feelings and other reactions. It can help you begin to heal the harm and move forward with your life. 

Here are some other ways that therapy can help. 

HELPful FAQs

The therapy experience is different for everyone, as each person has their own way of being in the world and understanding things. There is no “one way” or “right way”. Each person’s needs are unique and the counsellor will spend time with each survivor to figure out together what works best.

HELP’s counsellors have special training and skills to offer. Everything you say to them is confidential, unless someone is at risk of harm.

Sometimes people are nervous about starting counselling and worry that they’ll have to tell their counsellor all about the sexual assault or sexual abuse straight away. They don’t. 

It’s important that you feel safe and comfortable to talk about what happened in your own time and in your own way. You can choose how much you say or don’t say and a counsellor will support you in this – your voice is the most important!

The early focus in counselling is usually helping clients to cope with what is happening in the here and now, so the assault might not even be directly discussed.

Some clients require relatively brief assistance and may have only one or a few sessions with us. Others require longer-term therapy that seeks to rebuild processes and feelings that have been disrupted by childhood sexual abuse and are necessary for stable functioning.

Sometimes people do this longer work all at once, while others do what they need at the time, and come back if they need more at a different stage in life, such as at the beginning of a relationship, or having a child. You and your therapist can talk together about what is most helpful for you and your situation.

HELPful Information & Resources

11 ways therapy can help you heal

Reclaiming your sexual self

The Ripple Effects of Sexual Abuse