THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT
resources and skills to enhance their safety and
recovery.
VSS Counselling
At Victim Support Service we strive to make our
counselling services accessible to diverse groups
of people and ensure our counsellors are trained in
culturally and disability sensitive practices. Working
from a trauma informed perspective, counsellors utilise
different evidence informed therapeutic approaches,
including but not limited to cognitive behavioural
therapy, cognitive processing therapy, acceptance
and commitment therapy, narrative therapy, as well
as mindfulness and sensorimotor therapy. Initially
counselling is designed to support victims of crime to
cope with what they have experienced, and for some
victims of crime this can be sufficient to engender
recovery. For others, recovery can be compromised
by ongoing trauma reactions and further counselling
is offered. Each victim of crime’s journey through
counselling is unique and it is not time limited.
VSS offers a unique service through its provision of trauma
counselling. Crime affects people differently and we are able to
adapt our support to meet the specific needs of each victim of
crime.
At the first point of contact, we provide victims with supportive
counselling that includes psycho-education, normalising trauma
responses and coping strategies. Our counsellors also focus on
ensuring victims of crime are aware of their rights and how to
navigate the criminal justice system.
From this first response, victims of crime are offered an initial
appointment where a more comprehensive assessment is
completed to identify their specific needs, including connection
to one of our qualified trauma counsellors to work with them
over time to develop skills to cope more effectively with the
impact of crime, as well as to help them to develop personal
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VSS 2014/15 Annual Report