START provides services to all age groups but has a specialist service for those who are Under 18 and need some support to deal with their unwanted experiences of sexual abuse and the trauma that follows these experiences.
We have specialist counsellors, who you can find here (currently Ally & Wajda), who have had experience and training in working with young people. The Team offers up to 8 sessions and this can be arranged either online or in person.
Young people who have been sexually abused can experience many emotions and feelings which can be difficult to recognise and cope with on their own. Feelings can be anger, shame, guilt, confusion, sadness and many more. None of these are wrong, but they can affect your life and your relationships with the people around you and make you feel lonely and afraid. Counselling will help you understand your feelings and help you develop strategies to make positive changes in life. Whatever you say is confidential and private to you and the counsellor.
We offer counselling sessions in person or online. The in-person sessions take place at our Winchester or Basingstoke hubs. If you choose to have sessions online, you will need to be in a place where you feel safe and cannot be overheard, so you can speak freely.
START counsellors will not judge you or make you talk about anything you don’t want to. Our counsellors are trained in talking with and listening to you. They have loads of experience. They have worked with young people in schools and colleges and understand what you want.
You can stop at any time you like, including during a session. The only thing we ask is that you let us know if in-between sessions you’ve decided to stop counselling. We can then offer the sessions to someone else.
The counselling is about 50 minutes long each week and will last up to 8 weeks.
The counselling is one-to-one with a counsellor, but at the beginning your friend or parent or person you trust can meet the counsellor before the first session.
Unfortunately, our counsellors are not contactable outside counselling hours. In an emergency you should speak to someone you can trust.
You can call or contact us at any time for advice and information. If you suspect or know someone is being abused, you should talk to someone you trust.
For 11 to 17 year-olds, please use one of the following two links.
Refer yourself to our service – I am aged between 11 and 17
Refer someone to our service – They are aged between 11 and 17
For Under 11s, please use one of the following two links. (Note: children will need their parent’s / legal guardian’s help to fill out the correct form.)
Refer your child to our service – They are aged 10 or below
Refer a child to our service – They are aged 10 or below (Professionals / Family Friends)
Call our Advice & Support Line on 01962 868 688
Available 24 hours
(any messages left are checked Mondays-Fridays between 9am-4pm)
Testimonials
"I am now in control of my thoughts and my life. I have gained self-confidence in so many ways and I am no longer haunted by the past."
"I have been given the tools to cope with everyday life. Without counselling I would have continued to deny my situation and feelings which was having extreme detrimental effect on myself, family and friends… START has saved me from self destruction without the support I would have crumbled – a true life saver."
"My START counselling has completely changed my life… I am a better mother, a more involved member of the community and I am able to keep myself safe."
"I had a wonderful counsellor who helped me through a very difficult and unpleasant time in my life. It has been a process of healing by revisiting past places which at one time felt unimaginable. The journey has been raw and unnerving but slowly I came to see how I was repairing my damaged self. I finally accepted ownership of what had happened to me and was able to let go of my guilt and shame. My counsellor understood my outlook on life and created a connection with me that was very special. I eventually looked forward to my session as a weekly debrief rather than a purge. I am as happy and confident as I have ever been and I tell people about what I have learnt to help turn their negativity into positivity. Fear can be a very powerful emotion and prevent us from moving on in our lives but once it is confronted the clouds separate and you can focus on that hint of sunshine."
"Thank-you for the support, for the first time since talking about the sexual abuse to someone it is really helping me."
"Thank you so much for all your time and support while I was working through all of the stuff that happened - I really couldn't have done it without your help and input."
"The support, understanding and guidance that I've received from START has been life-changing. The whole process has been crucial for me to understand some of the trauma I'd experienced during my childhood. Who I've become as a consequence, who I am today, and how I process some of my thoughts, feelings and emotions."
"I cannot thank Sarah at START enough for the counselling I received. I was a bit sceptical of the EMDR therapy I was offered at first but it really has helped me a great deal and I'm grateful for having the opportunity to go through it."
"I'd like to thank everyone involved at START. You're doing a phenomenal job. I can't stress how important this journey has been for me. It's been a life altering experience."
