Elder Abuse Counselling
One in six older Australians are experiencing emotional or psychological abuse, or they’re experiencing abuse from neglect or abandonment. Many also experience financial abuse. In addition, harm to elders can include verbal harassment, emotional harm, and/or material losses such as a home or belongings. Living with abuse can further lead to low self esteem, increased fear, self-blame, anxiety, psychological or emotional injury, or depression.
You’re not alone. In counselling, we’ll create a safe and supportive place for you in our therapeutic relationship where you can express your concerns and fears openly. You’ll feel acknowledged within a supportive, empathic, non-judgemental therapeutic environment. Together, we’ll follow your way of regaining a sense of your true self while also embarking on a path of relief and healing. Finding fresh hope allows you to regain your confidence and begin to improve your well-being and quality of life.

Steps in Counselling for Elder Abuse
Initial Assessment
Initially I’ll invite you to express your concerns, worries or fears so that I can understand what is going on for you and devise a plan. We will build an alliance that’s based on trust and confidentiality. This place of support is free of judgement or blame. Here, you will be able to share your experiences openly and safely.
Finding Inner Resources and Resilience
Our sessions will act as a guide towards developing self-awareness and exploring how you are with yourself and how you in relationship. As your companion, I’ll walk with you so that you can begin to rebuild your strength and resilience. This creates a foundation for healing emotional wounds, and a platform on which to understand what your next steps will be.
Processing Unresolved Emotions and Experiences
Based on approaches drawn from Emotion Focused Therapy and Focusing-Oriented Therapy in particular, I will facilitate your process of accessing and expressing your emotions that relate to the abuse you are experiencing. I will support you as you identify and process feelings of guilt, shame, anger or sadness associated with the abuse. Together we will explore the impact it has on your self-esteem. We will then begin to explore ways of rebuilding your self-worth and confidence in yourself personally and in relationship.
Promoting Empowerment and Well Being
We will identify your recurring patterns of response, such as stress or unresolved conflicts. We will work on establishing and maintaining. In short, this means learning how to advocate for yourself again or perhaps for the first time. In collaboration we’ll develop some steps for self-care, including rekindling old interests and/or social connections, developing new ones, and improving how you feel about yourself. Ultimately, this will lift the quality of your daily living on a personal level and socially out in the world.
Please note that the approach described above is general. I will tailor our sessions to meet your specific needs that arise in the context of your circumstances and within the dynamics of your family or caregiver system.
Please contact me to schedule a free initial consultation.
0404 529 704 | karen.thomas@HummingbirdTherapy.org
Online and In-Person Sessions Available

In case you need immediate help:
In case you need immediate help: