Counseling and Support
Counselling and Support Services are offered in our Childline Community Based Centres (CCBCs) in the Inner City, Soweto, Sebokeng, Orange Farm, Katorus, Diepsloot and Tembisa – Our social workers provide approximately 10 000 counselling and support services per year to abused and traumatised children and their caregivers, and in so doing, strengthen the child, the family, and the child protection system.
At Childline, we believe that every child’s story deserves a happy ending. This is why we place so much emphasis on counselling, which helps children process what has happened to them, enabling healing, and thus allowing them to go on and live happy and fulfilled lives.
The clinical team offers a broad range of counselling services, including family counselling, play therapy, group and individual counselling, child development groups, as well as criminal justice system advocacy services. These services are offered to child survivors (and their families) of sexual abuse; adult survivors of sexual abuse; survivors of neglect, emotional and physical abuse; children who present with behaviour challenges; children who are affected or infected by HIV and AIDS often requiring bereavement counselling; those with school related difficulties and parents requiring support and guidance as well as parenting skills.
Referrals are received from the Help Line, the Community Awareness & Prevention Programme (CAPP), schools, health facilities, churches, community members, professionals, other NGOs, and self-referrals.