FAQs

• What is counselling?

  Counselling is a one-to-one relationship which provides the support and encouragement necessary to allow someone talk about the experiences and events which have affected their lives and their way of being in the world. It is the role of the counsellor to offer a safe and confidential space to enable a person to get in touch with and express whatever thoughts and feelings that are necessary for them to move on in their lives.

• How does counselling help?

  Counselling helps by providing a person the time and space, not always available in other parts of their lives, to explore their feelings in relation to their trauma. It is an enormous relief for someone to be able to talk, perhaps for the first time, about what happened and how it has affected their life. It is helpful over time, and without pressure or expectation to be able to open up to and express painful memories and feelings that may have been bottled up for a long time.

• Does Dublin Rape Crisis Centre see male clients?

  Yes, we work with clients of all genders.

• Does Dublin Rape Crisis Centre see children as clients?

  We do not see generally children under 18 years as clients. We do offer a limited counselling & therapy service for 16 and 17-year-olds with the consent of parents or guardians - to find out more, please call the National Helpline 1800 77 8888 during office hours, Mon-Fri.
  CARI (Children at Risk in Ireland) offers a service for children and provides information and support to any person or professional with concerns about or who is affected by child sexual abuse or sexualised behaviour. You can call the CARI Care Line at lo-call 0818 924567 Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.

• Is it possible to recover from such a traumatic event?

  Here in Dublin Rape Crisis Centre we are very clear that the answer to that question is yes – people can and do recover from traumatic events and experiences. We have worked with very many clients who have moved beyond the past to fuller and happier lives.

• How do people react to rape or sexual assault?

  When someone has been raped or sexually abused they can experience nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive memories and high levels of fear and distress. Counselling helps people become aware that these feelings are a normal reaction to the abnormal events they have experienced.

  Here in Dublin Rape Crisis Centre we look at what resources and support people have in their lives and help them manage their feelings and move beyond their past experiences.

  If you are worried about any of these feelings, please call us on the National 24-Hour Helpline or use our webchat support.

• How long does counselling take?

  The length of time counselling takes varies from person to person. Everyone is an individual and each person’s experience is unique, so the duration of their counselling cannot be predicted. It can vary from a few weeks up to a few months or longer. Most people feel some benefit even after a few sessions.

  It is always the choice of the individual whether or not they wish to continue with the counselling process. There will always be time to discuss this with their counsellor.

• How often does someone attend Dublin Rape Crisis Centre for counselling?

  We offer psychotherapy sessions of 50 minutes to 1 hour in duration, on a weekly basis. While weekly therapy is the optimum approach, we can facilitate fortnightly sessions also for those who are not in a position to attend weekly. We believe clients need time between sessions to integrate their experience of the session and we do not want to rush or overwhelm them. 

• Will I always see the same person?

  Clients of the DRCC will see the same therapist each week which helps to facilitate the developing of a trusting relationship. After a certain period of time, should a past client wish to return and re-engage in therapy, a different therapist will be assigned to them.

• Are the counsellors trained?

  All our therapists have a Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from a recognised training college. In addition, they have done further psychotherapy training, post qualification. The majority of our therapists are fully accredited with IACP (The Irish Association for Counselling and Therapy) and/or IAHIP (The Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy), while a small number are completing their hours towards full accreditation.

• Does DRCC charge for counselling?

  We offer a professional counselling and therapy service to men and women who have experienced sexual violence and abuse. While the counselling and therapy service is partly funded, client contributions are vital to sustaining the ongoing service.

  We offer the first session free of charge and, at this first meeting, a fee for future sessions is negotiated between client and therapist according to what the client can afford. This is based on DRCC’s fee structure which has a sliding scale. We fully recognise the individual circumstances of each person coming to the Centre and this will be taken into account in agreeing the fee.

No one will ever be excluded from counselling because of money difficulties.