Sexuality Counselling and Education for Disability
When it comes to relationships, sexual health, and sexuality, people tend to shy away from having important conversations. However, research shows that providing education around sexuality and relationships can support decision-making and significantly reduce the chances of abuse for people with a disability.
We provide one-on-one sexuality counselling for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. These sessions are provided in an inclusive setting to increase understanding about relationships, consent and sexual wellbeing.
You can download a PFD of our Discovery Flyer to share among your networks.
We teach individuals with a disability about healthy relationships and sexuality
It is so important to ensure that individuals with a disability, whether intellectual or developmental, have access to age-appropriate, medically accurate and inclusive sexuality education in a safe learning space.
Provided in a one-on-one setting, Discovery Sexuality Counselling and Education explores topics such as:
Understanding who you are as a person – interests, likes/dislikes, communication style
How to be in different kinds of relationships (friendships, employer/employee, intimate)
How to start a relationship, how to stay in one and how to decide what is ok in relationships
How to communicate with others
Sexuality and sexual health
Sexual parts
What can go wrong in a sexual and romantic relationship? And how to make things go right (consent, safe expression, legal issues)
In addition to talking, we will do role-plays, play games, and activities to engage participants and reinforce learning about sexual health and relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about our NDIS sexuality counselling for people with a disability.
-
Each session runs for 1-hour and is charged at $193.99 per hour.
Ark is a registered NDIS service provider and can claim for this service under Assessment, Recommendation, Therapy or Training - Social Work. This will come out of your Capacity Building Improved Daily Living budget.
There are also times when your counsellor may need to do some work outside of your session. For example, liaising with your support team and providing progress reports to sustain your access to sexuality counselling support in future NDIS plans. This will be discussed and agreed upon during the intake and service agreement process.
Clients who do not have NDIS plans can self-fund, contact us directly to discuss payment options. Please note that this service is not eligible for Medicare rebates.
-
Our counselling team are currently providing sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 9am to 5pm. We will work with you to organise days and times for sessions and will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Counselling sessions will be held at Ark Support Coordination’s office in Victoria Park, WA. We do offer Discovery sessions online, or there may be flexibility for us to see you in the community.
-
Qualified social workers work with individuals to tailor the topics to their areas of interest and provide psychoeducation and counselling in an affirming, person-centered and safe environment. All counsellors have undergone training specifically in sexuality education for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This ensures a safe and supportive environment for learning about consent, relationships and sexual wellbeing.
-
Suitability for this program is individuals aged 18 and over.
However, we do tailor the program to the unique needs of each individual. If you are interested on behalf of someone under the age of 18, please contact us at intake@arksc.org or call (08) 6373 7500 to discuss options.
-
These sessions are designed for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities who want to learn more about relationships, consent, sexual health, and sexuality. NDIS participants may be able to use their funding to access these sessions as part of their plan.
-
Because of the sometimes complex nature of the content covered in the Discovery program, we recommend fortnightly sessions across a 12-month period. However, the length of each counselling program is tailored to the needs of each participant.The frequency of sessions and duration of the program will be discussed during the referral and intake process, to establish a suitable schedule to meet the participant’s needs and align with the funding in their NDIS plan.
-
Participants can choose to bring anyone they like to each session. The role of the support person is to provide support to the participant during the session in a way that is aligned with the values and approach of the program, empowering the individual participant and building their self-determination. Some participants may like to have a support person in every session, whereas other people may prefer to have a support person wait in our reception area so they are available to join if extra support is needed.
-
To engage with the Discovery counselling program, you’ll need to speak with our intake team via phone call or email.
Please get in contact with us at intake@arksc.org or call 08 6373 7500 to make an enquiry, refer yourself/a participant, or ask us any questions.
Once you have been in touch, our intake team will discuss your/the participant’s needs and budget to determine the frequency of appointments and agree upon how many sessions you’d like to attend across your NDIS plan period. Once you are happy to go ahead, we will review our Service Agreement, Client Handbook and Terms and Conditions with you and make a booking for your first session with your counsellor.
During the initial session, your counsellor will ask you some questions to help us gauge what you/the participant knows about each topic. We will also discuss which topics you want to cover and structure the program and upcoming sessions accordingly.
If you’d like to have a support person/partner join you, please let us know. They will need to attend the first appointment where we will discuss their role in the sessions.
Have more questions?
To find out more about any of our NDIS services, get in touch to speak with a team member by calling us on (08) 6373 7500 or fill out the form.