Welcome to our new, free, not-for-profit counselling service for people in Northern Tasmania who have experienced complex early childhood trauma and sexual assault, as well as those people who care for and support them.
This service is for anyone in our community! You might be a survivor of sexual assault or childhood trauma yourself, or a worker, family member, friend or colleague of someone needing help and support.
We aim to provide information, support and assistance and to work with you in a flexible way. Please let us know what would be most helpful and we will do our best to come up with a plan with you that is positive and realistic.
Since we opened we have begun working with a wide range of people from young children to older adults from all walks of life. Workers from a range of services have met with us and shared resources, ideas and encouragement for our service. Because we are a small independent organisation, we can be really creative and flexible. This means that we are able to spend our time on what really matters-you!
If you have already contacted us or used our service; please feel free to pass our contact details on to others who might be interested. We are only a phone call, text or email away.
Together we can break down the isolation and help make our community a safer place to live and work.
Services Offered
Enterprising Aardvark focuses on helping clients re-establish their own sense of safety and empowerment – whatever that means for them.
We have more than 40 years of experience working in the sexual assault field. We use well established methods including, but not limited to: -Narrative Therapy -Acceptance and Commitment Therapy -Feminist and Trauma Informed assistance -Creating a safe environment and establishing therapeutic trust -Exploring together what’s useful and what’s not -Honouring the inherent strength of those who have survived -Placing the responsibility for harm where it belongs -Finding a way to make choices despite the harm
Remember, you are not what was done to you!
Fees and Payment
Counselling is provided free of charge.
Services Offered To: Adults Couples Teens Children
A community counseling agency is a group therapy practice that offers affordable mental health services. Most are independent non-profit agencies, state agencies, or publicly-funded agencies. A few may restrict who is eligible for services, so it is a good idea to check when you call.
Community counseling agencies are generally more affordable than other therapy providers, but how much more affordable they are will depend on whether you qualify for a discount or sliding scale fee (or if they accept your insurance). Many, but not all, have a policy that they won't turn away anyone due to inability to pay. You should ask about their fees when you first call.
Expect to talk to kind people who want to help you find the care you need. Most community agencies strive to connect you with a live person within 24 hours, if not immediately. If you're asked to hold or leave a message, don't give up; just leave a message and wait. You should hear back pretty quickly.
Most agencies try to set up an initial assessment appointment within a week (some do within 24 hours), though the waitlist to start therapy is usually longer—about a few weeks on average. If you're not eligible or if the agency is not right for you, it's usually still worth it to call or drop in, because staff are knowledgeable about local options and can often refer you to one.
