Children’s Counselling

Helping young children with their big feelings

We provide personalised support to help children face and better cope with the emotional challenges caused by childhood cancer.

Contact our support team to find out how we can help your child.

Redkite children's counselling for childhood cancer

What is it?

How does it work?

Benefits

Who will they talk to?

FAQs

What is children’s counselling?

Childhood cancer can be hard for children to understand, causing them to feel confused, scared, and anxious about what’s happening and how much their life is changing.

We are here to help them with any challenges they face throughout the cancer experience. This could include:

Facing big change
Separation anxiety or feelings of abandonment
Fear, worry or confusion around cancer
Behavioural changes or acting out
Jealousy or anger

Counselling can be beneficial for children even when they don’t show visible signs of distress.

How does counselling work?

Children’s counselling is flexible and free. Your child can meet with our social workers as much or as little as they need.

Who’s it for?

Children who have been diagnosed with cancer, their siblings, relatives, friends or classmates. For ages 6-12 (for ages 13-18, please click here).

How and where is it run?

One-on-one, either online through Microsoft Teams or in person at one of Redkite’s offices (if available).

How often are the sessions?

Our social workers will discuss your child’s needs with you and will recommend a schedule that suits you.

What will they do?

Our social workers personalise sessions to meet the needs of each child. They create a fun and safe environment that encourages children to talk about their emotions.

Throughout the sessions we create an environment where kids discover that their feelings are normal and they’re not alone in their experiences. This realization is incredibly meaningful. We engage in conversations, share stories, participate in fun activities, and learn valuable coping strategies. But above all, we prioritise creating a happy and safe atmosphere where children can connect.

Katja

Redkite Social Worker

Benefits of Redkite's children's counselling for childhood cancer

What are the benefits of children’s counselling?

Learn about their emotions and how to express themselves
Help them identify their strengths
Build self-esteem
Learn tools to help their emotional wellbeing
Help them re-connect with joy
Develop their ability to better cope with change
Build resilience and self-confidence
Help them towards a brighter future, despite cancer

Frequently Asked Questions

A childhood cancer diagnosis can impact children and adults in different ways. Children may struggle to understand the cancer experience as it relates to them, a sibling, relative or friend. They might feel confused, scared, and anxious, while also trying to understand what cancer means and how it can affect them.

Some of the big feelings we have helped children with include:

Anxious feelings around separation from a parent when they need to travel far to attend hospital with their other child who has cancer.
Feelings of worry for that sibling, relative or friend who has cancer.
Jealously or anger, as sometimes they may feel all the attention is on the child with cancer.
Worry that they may get cancer too!

Redkite provides free counselling from the time of diagnosis, throughout treatment, post treatment and beyond. Dealing with cancer can be filled with uncertainties and unexpected challenges, so we suggest starting child counselling as early as possible. This helps a child build a connection with the social worker and get comfortable with the counselling process, so that when those tough times arise during the various phases of the cancer journey, the child will have already established that supportive relationship with a social worker.

We understand that this is not always possible, so you are welcome to reach out to Redkite about receiving counselling whenever it’s needed throughout the cancer experience. Often, parents reach out when they notice changes in their child’s behaviour like sadness, worry or anger.

Redkite’s children’s counselling sessions are personalised to each child and their unique situation and challenges. Activities are chosen based on a child’s age, personal interests, personality, likes and dislikes. Some examples of activities your child may try are:

Online and face to face activities to help children work through anxiousness and big overwhelming feelings.
Illustrative emotion cards which act as a bridge to help children find words how they are feeling.
Practicing deep breathing with the help of visuals, music, and sound.
Reading stories together that teach children about worry and how to handle it.
Games, puzzles, drawings, storytelling using dolls or puppets, and FUN!

If you get in touch with us requesting children’s counselling, one of our social workers will reach out to you by phone and have a discussion with you about the current family situation and if you have any concerns about what you have observed in your child or children. They will then organise counselling sessions at a time and frequency that works for you and your child.

Counselling sessions are different for each child and tailored to their unique needs. If your child is scheduled in for regular counselling sessions, then our social workers will:

Spend some time getting to know your child and letting your child get to know them so they can build trust and make sure your child feels safe. They will talk to your child about what confidentiality means, what our social workers will and won’t share with parents and carers and what they can do if they are ever feeling uncomfortable or overwhelmed.
Once your child starts to feel comfortable, our social workers will help them express their feelings and find words for their emotions through a variety of different types of play interactions, crafts, games, and other activities. These activities will be chosen according to your child’s needs.
As children progress through their sessions, they will learn important coping strategies, boost self-esteem, and learn how to acknowledge feelings and adjust through the cancer experience.

Face to Face Counselling

Our child counselling rooms provide a safe space for children where they can engage freely playing with toys, arts and crafts, games, or other activities. Sessions are flexible and child led. Building good rapport and trust within a safe space is very important within a child counselling session. During the session children can be self-expressive through playful interactions which can foster communication, build relationships, and increase self-esteem. These playful activities act as a bridge to help children find words they otherwise might struggle to voice.

Online Counselling

Online counselling is done through a safe and secure online platform. It is another way social workers can extend their support to help children navigate the landscape of their emotions. Instead of tangible toys and games, the online space offers a collection of worksheets, interactive games, and other activities. The online counselling space provides connection and a chance for social workers to assist children in navigating the many different emotions they may encounter during the cancer experience.

Most sessions usually last about an hour, but this also depends on how much the child wishes to share.

Sessions are generally every two weeks or once per month, but you can talk to your social worker to figure out what works best for your child and you.

The number of sessions required depends on how well the child is connecting with counselling and if it has been helpful. Please remember, child counselling is not a quick fix – it is more about building positive changes over time.

It depends on how comfortable your child feels engaging in online counselling. Sometimes, parents or carers have joined in the first session for a few minutes to help their child feel more comfortable if they are feeling nervous or not used to it.

Our suggestion is to allow your child to have their own space when talking with a social worker. We understand it can be tempting for parents to listen or chime in, but we believe it is important to respect your child’s privacy. We want your child to feel safe sharing their thoughts. The exception to confidentiality is if a social worker would be worried about the safety of the child or the safety of someone else. If that happens, we will talk to your child and decide together who would be the best person to help them stay safe.

During our first session, our social workers will explain to your child that these sessions may bring up big emotions and will let them know what to do if this happens. Your child can leave a session at any point if they do not feel comfortable. Our social workers will contact you after the session if this occurs.

Most of the time, any specific details of a child counselling session remain confidential as this promotes trust between the child and their social worker. We suggest allowing your child to decide whether they share anything about their session. If your child does talk about their session allow them to share with you by listening with interest or help reflect on their feelings or experiences. You can do this with affirming responses like, “it sounds like you enjoyed your session today with {insert social worker’s name}” or “I’m hearing how hard it was for you today.”

Redkite believes it is important to involve parents and carers and consider the importance of an integrated approach if needed (family, school, friends, professional, community, etc…). If our social workers feel this holistic approach is required, they will discuss this with you and your child before reaching out to your wider support network.

The online sessions using Microsoft Teams require internet access and a quiet space where a child can feel safe to share their thoughts, and their privacy can be maintained.

If you do not have access to the internet or a quiet space, please talk to one of our social workers. They will be able to help your child receive the support they need in a way that works best for you.

Call us on 1800 733 548, Monday-Friday from 9am-7pm (AEST), or email us anytime at support@redkite.org.au.

Request information And support

We’re ready to help. Please call us on 1800 REDKITE (Mon – Fri 9am – 7pm AEST), or fill out the form below.

Other services and resources for children’s mental health

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Case Studies

How children’s counselling provides a safe space for big feelings

A case study about how effective children’s counselling is in providing a safe place for children to express themselves

How children’s counselling provides a safe space for big feelings

A case study about how effective children’s counselling is in providing a safe place for children to express themselves

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Kite for Kids: Connecting children diagnosed with cancer

Group for children who have been diagnosed with cancer

Kite for Kids: Connecting children diagnosed with cancer

Group for children who have been diagnosed with cancer

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Begins Tue 7 May

Kite for Kids: Connecting siblings of children with cancer

Group for siblings of children with cancer

Kite for Kids: Connecting siblings of children with cancer

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Children’s Counselling

Helping young children with their big feelings

What is children’s counselling?

Counselling can be beneficial for children even when they don’t show visible signs of distress.