Counselling Options

Wexford Rape Crisis Counselling Options for Clients:

WEXRC provides one to one therapeutic support for anyone (aged 12 years* and upwards) who has specifically been impacted by Domestic, Sexual or Gender-based violence (DSGBV). As our service provides support specifically for these issues, the focus of the therapeutic support will be on how DSGBV is impacting on your life and will look at working on alleviating these symptoms. WEXRC’s duty of care is to support those with DSGBV and so if issues of another nature arise during the counselling process, a referral to another more appropriate service may be made on your behalf.

Counselling can be a challenging journey especially in relation to the trauma of DSGBV. Bearing this in mind it is important for everyone attending our service that you feel that you are in the right space in your own mind to be able to open up to and manage these challenging emotions.

Below you will find more details on the types of counselling offered by the centre. It is important that you take the time to read through these and consider which is the best ‘fit’ for you for your own needs at this time.

If at any time you would prefer to talk through these options, please call the centre 1800330033 and ask to speak to our Clinical Support Worker.

We wish you the best in your ‘journey’.

Eligibility for Counselling with WEXRC

The eligibility criteria for counselling with WEXRC is as follows:

1. Directly or Indirectly Impacted by Domestic, Sexual or Gender-Based Violence (The cannot work outside of this remit)

2. Aged 12 years or over (Services for 12 to 17-year-olds is only available in Wexford town and Gorey)

3. High Risk: It is important that on engaging with WEXRC that you are not currently a high risk to self or others. If high risk exists another service may be more appropriate to your needs at this time.

4. Substance Misuse: That is not impacting on your ability to engage in counselling

5. Readiness for counselling – it is important that the client is at the stage where they are ready to deal with processing their DSGBV

6. Mental Health: You have the ability to engage in the counselling process without it adversely affecting your mental health*

*(The service will support clients with assessing if this is the best time to engage in counselling with Wexford Rape Crisis. Counselling may cease if the service feels it is in the best interest of the client’s mental health and/or believes a different mental health service would be more appropriate to support the client at the time).

Types of Therapy Offered

All types of therapy work in a similar way, fundamentally your therapist aims to develop a safe therapeutic relationship built on trust and respect. It is through this relationship that you can begin working through your challenges, and issues. Therapy creates an opportunity for you to try out new ways of being in a relationship, and in the world. It gives you space to experience and explore new ways of thinking, and feeling.

One of the most common questions about therapy is about how long the therapeutic process lasts. The simple answer to this question is that there are different approaches both short-term and long-term and it is up to you and your therapist to decide which approach is most suitable for your needs at the moment.

Short-term therapy

If you’re looking for support for a specific issue or event but prefer not to delve deep into the past, then short-term therapy might be good for you. Short-term therapy might help you to develop new ways of viewing your situation, work through it, process it, and find ways of dealing with the challenge. Sometimes short-term therapy is also referred to as brief therapy, or counselling. It can last between 6 and 18 sessions and it is often focused on the specific goal that you agree on with your therapist.

These are the short-term options that we currently provide:

Checklist for Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT):

I struggle with guilt and shame over a past trauma
I am very hard on myself and struggle to be kind to myself
I struggle with emotional regulation. My emotions feel too big and out of control.
I feel that am angry with myself for allowing the trauma to happen

If yes to 2 or more then CFT might be the most appropriate therapy for your current needs

Compassion Focused Therapy (18 Sessions)

Reduces self-criticism and shame, increases self-compassion and it helps develop a positive, inner dialogue.
Helps people who struggle with feelings of shame, self-criticism and guilt;
Through CFT, you learn to be more understanding of yourself and your emotions so you are more loving towards yourself. It helps you to have compassionate relationships with others and with emotional regulation.

Resource	Download
CFT Exercise 1 Mindful Attention (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 2 Soothing Rhythm Breathing (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 3 Soothing Rhythm Breathing with additional components (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 4 Compassionate Colour (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 5 Self Compassionate Break (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 6 Calm Place Imagery (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 7 Creating a Compassionate Ideal (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 8 Receiving compassione from your Compassionate Ideal (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 10 Compassionate Body Scan (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 11 The Compassionate Self (audio)	Download
CFT Exercise 12 Loving Kindness for a friend (audio)	Download

Checklist for Solution Focused Therapy:

I do not wish to look deep into a trauma, I am very hard on myself and struggle to be kind to myself
I would like to look to the future rather than on the past.
I have a specific issue that I would like to work on
I would like to learn how to develop better coping tools

If yes to 2 or more then Solution Focused Therapy might be the most appropriate therapy for your current needs

Solution Focused Counselling (up to 18 sessions)

Solution-focused therapy is a goal-oriented form of therapy. The goal is to get you started on dealing with your problem in your own way, and with the help of those around you.
Solution-focused therapy focuses on the possible solutions to your problem. With this form of therapy, you get straight to the point by asking the question: what would be the solution for you?
Your therapist will go over coping strategies with you and together you can come up with ideas for things you can currently do on your own.
You focus on what works and on the future.

Checklist for Stabilisation Therapy:

I have had a recent trauma
I am having flashbacks and intrusive thoughts
A past trauma has been triggered by a recent event
I find it difficult to sleep / eat and to live my normal every-day life

If yes to 2 or more then Stabilisation Therapy might be the most appropriate therapy for your current needs

Stabilisation Therapy (up to 6 sessions)

Any strong emotional state including anxiety, panic, anger, depression
To prevent a specific and unwanted behaviour such as deliberate self-harm, suicide, angry outbursts, compulsive behaviours
To manage specific symptoms such as flashbacks, rumination, excessive worries

Checklist for Long Term Therapy:

I wish to look deep into a trauma. I would like to look to the past as well as the future.
A past trauma has been triggered by a recent event
I have a number of issues that I would like to work on at the same time
I would like to learn how my past has impacted on my life and on the choices that I have made

If yes to 2 or more then Long-Term Therapy might be the most appropriate therapy for your current needs

Long-term therapy

If you’d like to go deeper into any issue, and these are issues that are impacting your daily life then open-ended therapy might be more suitable to you.
The process of expanding your self-awareness, healing deep emotional wounds, and uncovering unconscious patterns and scripts that are shaping your life can take some time.
Long-term, (up to 50 sessions) allows for this type of work by giving you longer time and space to do the work that you need to do. Sometimes long-term therapy might be referred to as psychotherapy.

What is EMDR Therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a trauma-focused therapy designed to help people recover from distressing or overwhelming experiences. It does this by helping the brain “reprocess” traumatic memories, so they feel less intense, less intrusive, and easier to live with. It is a well-researched, evidence-based therapy that was developed in the late 1980s by psychologist Dr. Francine Shapiro

Instead of talking in detail about the trauma, EMDR uses a structured approach where the therapist guides you to briefly focus on parts of the memory while you follow a set of side-to-side movements (such as tracking the therapist’s hand or a light). This process supports the brain’s natural healing ability, helping the memory become less “stuck.” EMDR can be used in conjunction with other forms of therapy.

Why might EMDR help survivors of sexual violence, domestic violence, or gender-based violence?
Experiences of sexual or gender-based violence can leave people with symptoms such as:

Flashbacks or intrusive memories
Anxiety or panic
Feeling “on edge” or unsafe
Low self-worth
Nightmares
Avoiding reminders of the trauma
Emotional numbness or overwhelming feelings

EMDR can help by:

Reducing the emotional intensity of traumatic memories
Easing physical reactions, such as fear or tension, that come with triggers
Building a sense of safety and control
Strengthening positive beliefs about yourself, such as “I am safe now” or “It wasn’t my fault”
Supporting healing without requiring detailed retelling of the trauma, which many survivors find relieving

What to expect in EMDR sessions

You will work with a trained therapist at your own pace.
Sessions begin with grounding and stabilisation to ensure you feel safe.
When you are ready, the therapist guides you through the EMDR process in a controlled, supportive way.
You stay in charge of the process, and you can pause at any time.
Your therapist will help you close each session feeling as settled as possible.

It’s effective, but not a quick fix

Many people find EMDR very helpful, but it’s important to know that it isn’t an instant solution. EMDR works by helping your brain process memories that may feel “stuck,” and this takes time, preparation, and steady progress.
Some clients may begin to notice changes early on, while for others it may take longer depending on their history, supports, and what they’re working through. Your therapist will go at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you.

Is EMDR right for you?

EMDR is one option among other forms of trauma therapy offered at Wexford Rape Crisis. Many survivors find it effective, but the most important thing is finding what feels right, safe, and supportive for you. A counsellor can help you explore whether EMDR might be a good fit based on your needs and comfort level.