ACC counselling for sexual abuse
ACC offer fully funded counselling and psychotherapy for anyone who has experienced sexual abuse in New Zealand. It’s very hassle free and there’s no requirement to ‘prove’ anything. You may be eligible even if your current mental health concerns don’t seem to be linked to the trauma you’ve experienced. Even if the abuse happened decades ago, or if you can’t remember the details, you’re still eligible for cover from ACC.
If you’re unsure if you meet criteria, you can book in to see me and ACC will cover 2 sessions initially, allowing us together to figure out the next steps. Even if after those sessions we conclude that you’re not eligible, you still don’t have to pay anything.
FAQs
Do I have to talk about the abuse?
No. You don’t need to discuss the abuse if you don’t want to. In fact, it’s often the case that it’s more pressing to talk about issues happening in your life at the moment, like depression, anxiety, nightmares, relationship issues etc.
I’m always very careful to let clients who have experienced trauma know about the importance of taking things slow so as to not cause more stress or anxiety.
What do I have to do?
Just get in touch with me to book a session. All you need to then is to show up for your appointment, and I’ll do the paperwork that needs doing. If you’d rather work with a female therapist, go to www.abusecounselling.co.nz and they’ll connect you with a therapist.
How do I know if I qualify for ACC funded counselling for sexual abuse?
The easiest way is just to get in touch with me and book in for a session. ACC cover 2 inital sessions dedictaed to just that, deciding whether you’re elgible or not, and regardless of the outcome, you don’t have to pay anything.
The general criteria for being eligble is if you’ve experienced any sort of sexual trauma, abuse or sexual violence in New Zealand. If you’re a NZ resident and you’ve experienced sexual abuse or trauma overseas, you may also be eligible. Sexual abuse can be defined as any unwanted sexual contact you’ve experienced.
How many sessions can I get?
I can explained more about this when you come for an appointment, or over the phone, but generally, if you meet the criteria in the previous question (if you’ve experinced any sexual abuse or trauma in NZ, or overseas as an NZ resident), you may be eligible for therapy as long as you need it and want it, up to 48 sessions a year.
How much detail do I have to give in order to be eligible?
None. Ideally you give the year the abuse happened, but there’s no requirement to disclose any details, and if you don’t want to give the year we can put down an arbitrary one. However, for many people talking about the trauma with a professional can be very freeing and help alleviate symptoms they’re struggling with.