We are a passionate and dedicated team of counsellors who provide free, inclusive, and accessible counselling support for our young community and their families who live, work or study in Wyndham.
Please select the relevant box below to submit your interest.
Please be advised that we are not a crisis or emergency service, and it may take some time for us to respond to you.
If you would like to know about the crisis and emergency services available in Wyndham, please visit Support Services.
Frequently Asked Questions - Youth Counselling
Will the counsellor tell my parents about what I talk about?
Counselling is a private and confidential space. The only time a counsellor would talk to your parents is if you are at risk of harm to yourself or others. In this case, your counsellor would contact your listed emergency contact. We will do our best to keep you informed in this process. This person does not always have to be a parent, but they do need to be a trusted and responsible adult. The only other time a counsellor would speak to your parents is if you asked them to.
Do my parents have to know I’m getting counselling?
If you are over the age of 18 then no, your parents will not need to know. If you are under the age of 18 the counselling team, a GP or your school principal will need to assess you as a mature minor for you to be able to provide consent for yourself to seek counselling support. If you are not assessed as a mature minor under the age of 18, we will require parental consent. Feel free to contact us or you can access to more information via the following link: https://www.publicadvocate.vic.gov.au/medical-treatment/children-under-18-years
What is a mature minor?
Mature minors are young people under the age of 18 years who are deemed capable by a GP, psychologist, or principal of seeking and obtaining health care for their particular issue.
To give informed consent, a young person must be able to understand what treatment involves, what it is for, why it is needed and why it applies to them as an individual. The young person must also appreciate the risks associated with the treatment and be aware of the other options available, as well as the consequences of not pursuing treatment.
Where can I access counselling?
Counselling can be offered in local Wyndham schools, youth centres such as the Youth Services Hoppers Crossing and local community centres in Wyndham.
Counselling sessions are being delivered face to face. Counselling sessions are also delivered via telehealth upon request.
What if I don’t like it after one session?
That is perfectly fine. Our counselling team will understand. All you need to do is let them know that you do not wish to attend any future sessions. (This will prevent you from having to avoid their follow up calls in the weeks after.)
Can I ask to see a counsellor of a certain gender?
Yes, you can. We will do our best to find the most suitable counsellor for you, but this will depend on availability. Please note this in your referral if you are self-referring or ask the person referring you to make a note of your preference.
Can I change my mind about counselling?
Yes, absolutely. We encourage you to keep communication open and let us know when you are ready. Counselling in completely voluntary.
Can I ask for a different counsellor?
Yes. You can request a different counsellor. We understand that you won’t always click with everyone, and we want to make sure you are feeling comfortable in your sessions. Please communicate this as soon as possible and we will do our best to accommodate.
Do I need to have regular sessions, or can I have sessions as needed?
Sessions are scheduled either weekly or fortnightly. This is due to the number of young people accessing the counselling service and on the waitlist. For the counselling team to be able to support as many young people as possible in Wyndham they need to stick with scheduled sessions.
If I need more sessions what happens then?
If you are leading up to your final appointment and feeling like you require more support, you will need to discuss this with your counsellor. If it is agreed that more sessions will be beneficial, the counsellor will request approval from management to extend your sessions or they will support a referral for you to access longer term support.
Do I have to pay for counselling?
No. Counselling is free through Wyndham Youth Services.
Do I require a mental health plan?
No. All you need to do is completed a referral form.
What issues can I discuss with the counsellor?
You can discuss anything you like. The counsellors are there to support you with whatever issues are most pressing for you.
Some common examples of what young people may discuss with their counsellor are feeling anxious about school, social pressures or difficulties with friends, issues in the home such as family violence or family breakdown, difficulties managing strong emotions and so much more. Our Youth Counselling Service is a generalist counselling service and if symptoms are more acute, we will help you access to more appropriate services.
Is counselling available in languages other than English?
Upon request we can organise an interpreter to be present. Alternatively, the counselling team will support a referral to a service that can offer counselling in the specified language.
Can the counsellors provide support to guardians of young people?
Yes definitely. We encourage family inclusive practice where suitable and often find positive results when families are involved in the counselling process.
Child Safety and Complaint Procedure
Child Safety
At Wyndham City Council, we are committed to keeping your children safe while participating as valued members of our community. We understand how important child safety is in providing quality community services. Every child and young person attending our services, programs, events, and community spaces has the right to feel safe, be safe, and be heard.
Learn more about how we maintain a child-safe environment through our Child Safe Policy.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Counselling is a private and confidential service. We will ensure that your personal information, including any health information, is not shared with anyone outside of Council, unless it's required by law, or you explicitly permit it.
Information shared by a child or young person will be kept private and confidential unless they are at risk of harm to themselves or others. In such cases, we will contact the listed emergency contact or parent/carer to inform and provide recommendations, and we may contact legal services.
Parents requesting access to information shared by children/youth in sessions can do so through the Freedom of Information process on our website.
Complaints
Wyndham City recognises the importance of effective complaints management as part of providing quality customer service. While we are proud of our service, if we ever fall short of your expectations, we encourage you to follow our complaint process.
Learn more about our complaint process by visiting the following link.
Frequently Asked Questions - Children Counselling
What is the intake process like?
After a referral is finished, we'll contact your preferred contacts to schedule an assessment to see if your child is eligible for our service. We'll send you a consent form that needs to be filled out and returned before we can start the assessment.
If you meet all the eligibility requirements, your child will be put on the counselling waitlist and assigned to a suitable counsellor.
How long until I get a response and who will I hear from?
Wait times can vary due to multiple factors such as staffing, level of demand etc. However, we aim to make contact within 3 business days from the initial referral date.
You can expect a member of the counselling team to be in contact to arrange an assessment.
Will the counsellor tell the parent/carer what is talked about in the session?
Counselling is a private and confidential space. The only time a counsellor would share sensitive information from sessions is if the child is at risk of harm to themselves or others. In this case, the counsellor would contact the listed emergency contact. This person doesn't always have to be a parent, but they need to be a trusted and responsible adult approved by the parent or legal guardian.
The only other time a counsellor would talk to parents/guardians is if the child asked them to or parents requested information, but this will be decided case by case.
Where can I access counselling for the child?
Counselling can be offered in local Wyndham schools, youth centres such as the Youth Services Hoppers Crossing and local community centres in Wyndham.
Counselling sessions are being delivered face to face. Counselling sessions are also delivered via telehealth upon request.
What issues can the child discuss with the counsellor?
Children can discuss anything they like. The counsellors are there to support them with whatever issues are most pressing for them.
Some common examples of what children may discuss with their counsellor are feeling anxious about school, social pressures or difficulties with friends, issues in the home such as family breakdown, difficulties managing strong emotions and so much more. Our Children Counselling Service is a generalist counselling service and if symptoms are more acute, we will support you and your child to access to the most appropriate service.
Can I be in the room with the child during counselling?
We can offer sessions that involve parents/guardians in the room as a lot of children may be uncomfortable in a one-on-one setting initially.
What if the child doesn’t like it after one session?
That is perfectly fine. Our counselling team will understand. All you need to do is let them know that the child does not wish to attend any future sessions. (This will prevent you from having to avoid their follow up calls in the weeks after.)
Can the child ask to see a counsellor of a certain gender?
Yes, please note this in your referral, however this may not always be an available option due to staffing.
Can the child ask for a different counsellor?
Yes. You can request a different counsellor. We understand that not everyone will always click, and we want to make sure they are feeling comfortable in their sessions. Please communicate this as soon as possible and we will do our best to accommodate.
Does the child need to have regular sessions, or can they have sessions as needed?
Sessions are scheduled either weekly or fortnightly. This is due to the number of children and families accessing the counselling service and on the waitlist. For the counselling team to be able to support as many children and families as possible in Wyndham they need to stick with scheduled sessions.
If the child needs more sessions what happens then?
If they are leading up to their final appointment and feeling like they require more support, you or the child will need to discuss this with the allocated counsellor. If it is agreed that more sessions will be beneficial, the counsellor will request approval from management to extend their sessions or they will support a referral in order to access longer term support.
Do I have to pay for counselling?
No. Counselling is free through Wyndham Youth Services.
Does the child require a mental health plan?
No. All you need to do is complete a referral form.
Is counselling available in languages other than English?
Upon request we can organise an interpreter to be present. Alternatively, the counselling team will support a referral to a service that can offer counselling in the specified language.
Can the counsellors provide support to parents/carer/legal guardian of children?
We encourage family inclusive practice where suitable and often find positive results when families are involved in the counselling process. This means that parents/carer can take part in child’s counselling program, get support from the counsellor to access other services, or resources. However, we do not offer separate counselling for parent/carer/legal guardian.
Who can I contact for more information?
For more information, please contact Youth Services via email at middleyearscounselling@wyndham.vic.gov.au or call the Youth Services on 8734 1355.
If you wish to talk to someone about our counselling support services, you are welcome to call Youth Services Reception on 87341355 or send an email to YouthCounselling@wyndham.vic.gov.au or visit us at any of the locations listed below to get more information about our services:
- Youth Services @ Hoppers Crossing - 86 Derrimut Road, Hoppers Crossing
- Youth Services @ Point Cook - 1-21 Cheetham Street, Point Cook
- Youth Services @ Tarneit - 150 Sunset Views Boulevard, Tarneit
- Youth Services @ Manor Lakes - 86 Manor Lakes Boulevard, Manor Lakes