Frequently Asked Questions

Our only eligibility criteria is that you identify as LGBT+ or questioning, and are 12 - 25 years old. If you meet that criteria, you are eligible for our service.

If you would like to discuss your specific circumstances, you can contact us by emailing info@rainbowch.org or calling 6370 4210

Yes! As long as you identify as LGBT+ or questioning, you can access our service. You do not have to be out to anyone and we will not pressure you to be “out”.

If necessary, we can use different names and pronouns with certain people in your life.

We see clients up until they are 26, but our service may not be the best option for new clients who are already 25.

Used fortnightly, our 24 session model is about a year of counselling. Factoring in the length of our waitlists, it is unlikely that you would be able to use the full 24 sessions before aging out of the service.

You can still submit a referral to us and we will discuss support options with you. We may be able to offer you a smaller amount of sessions before you turn 26, or we can point you in the direction of other counselling options.

Yes. We offer in person and online sessions.

Your clinician may have a preference for in person sessions depending on the therapy modality.

There are many models of therapy, and some models may not be a good fit for you. Alternatively, the model might suit you but the practitioner doesn’t. It’s not one size fits all!

Some models of therapy can be particularly unhelpful for neurodivergent people, people with trauma, and people who experience marginalisation and oppression. We are very familiar with working with these experiences.

We encourage you to discuss your past experiences of therapy with your counsellor.

The majority of the clients we work with are disabled and neurodivergent. In addition, our clinicians have lived experience of neurodivergence. We take a critical approach to disability and do our best to have our service be accommodating.

If you have specific needs and requests, we are more than happy to accomodate this. This might include communication preferences, sensory requirements, and physical requirements.

We are a family and friend inclusive service in that we seek to support (where appropriate) the connections and relationships that are important to young people. We often work with young people individually as well as with family members or other people that are important in their lives whom they feel safe with and supported by.

Whether we work with families or not depends largely on a young person’s situation and how this might fit with their wishes and what is important to them. ‘Family’ means different things to different people; for some this means biological family and for others this means ‘family of choice’ which might include friends or other trusted and safe people.

Triage in our new client process typically involves a phone call where we confirm the information in the referral, and get some more information about your situation and what you would like from our service. It’s also an opportunity for us to answer any questions you may have about the service!

If you are not comfortable or able to do triage over the phone, we can do it via telehealth or in person.

If you have used your 24 sessions and have had a 3 month break with us and would like to return for more counselling, you can reach out to us to be added back to the waitlist. The easiest way is to email info@rainbowch.org.

Please note, your 3 month break is prior to being added back to the waitlist. In addition to the 3 month break, you may have a wait time while on the waitlist.