Common challenges faced by people living in detention are past traumas, grief and loss, difficulties sleeping, maintaining hope for the future, and coping with the daily impacts of living in detention.
We are calling for experienced counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and social workers to volunteer some time on a weekly basis to provide brief therapy sessions to refugees and asylum seekers by (most typically) WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook Messenger apps. Providing just one hour a week can make a big difference.
Therapeutic conversations provided by volunteers focus on fostering people’s resilience and reducing their level of trauma.
Participating practitioners need to have experience in working with trauma, be in regular supervision, and have professional indemnity insurance. Providing therapy for children detained on Nauru requires a current Working with Children Check or Blue Card.
❖ Counsellors and psychotherapists need to have intern, provisional, or clinical membership with a professional association (PACFA, PACFA Member Association, or ACA)
❖ Psychologists need to be registered with AHPRA
❖ Social workers need to be a member of the AASW
If you are a therapist who would like to volunteer please download the application form below, complete it and email Ione Lewis. ione.lewis59@gmail.com
We provide online orientation and monthly case discussions, as well as crisis consultation.
Click on the links to download:
Application Form: Application to provide therapy to refugees and asylum seekers detained in Manus and Nauru_v2
Information for volunteer therapists: Information flyer
If you are a person at Manus or Nauru, or you have a friend at Manus or Nauru, who would like to access trauma counselling, please contact Ione Lewis on Facebook, by email or phone.
Ione on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ione.lewis
email:
ione.lewis59@gmail.com or brooke.v.shelton@gmail.com
Ione’s phone number:
+61407224567
Crisis Therapist
T4R now has a crisis therapist to facilitate a faster response to urgent referrals. Brooke Shelton is in the role of crisis therapist and she will respond to notification of a crisis affecting a referral/new referrals between 8 am and 7 pm (Eastern Australian Standard Time) x 7 days pw. Her email address is brooke.v.shelton@gmail.com