Children in Melbourne’s west who’ve experienced family violence now have easier access to support with a new counselling hub opened in Maribyrnong.
Western suburbs family violence support service, GenWest, officially launched their new child and youth counselling hub on Thomas Holmes Street, Maribyrnong on Friday, May 2.
The new hub replaces GenWest’s previous child counselling facility on Barkley Street, Footscray and comes with more space and an increase in staff to deal with what the service describes as unprecedented demand.
GenWest has about 80 families on its waitlist for support, with wait times varying between four and six months.
So far in 2025, 45 individuals have been provided single session counselling, and 17 children have taken part group therapy sessions.
It’s hoped the new hub will allow the number of people receiving counselling to grow and the waiting list to shrink, with the facility having twice the number of rooms as its predecessor.
It has two large spaces and four smaller ones, each with windows allowing natural light and painted with bright, welcoming colours.
There is also a large kitchen and waiting area and artworks are hung throughout.
GenWest chief executive Dale Wakefield said the service had been running its child and youth counselling program for more than a decade, helping thousands of children and young people to recover from family violence.
“Our new hub will enable us to help more kids experiencing domestic and family violence,” Ms Wakefield said.
“The new hub is a truly special place where kids can feel safe and a place focused on their needs and their healing. The service can continue to support kids and families break the cycle of violence.”
GenWest’s children’s counselling team use child and youth-focused therapeutic approaches, such as creative arts therapy, music, play and sensory-based activities, to help children to heal and recover from their experience of violence.
It’s also focused on breaking inter-generational cycles of violence, with data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing that people who have experienced childhood abuse are more likely to go on to experience violence and abuse as an adult, compared to those who have not.
Construction of the new hub was funded by donations, with more needed to keep it running.
To donate: genwest.org.au/donate.
