Our focus: school attendance difficulties.

We support parents and empower children to overcome school attendance difficulties.

Welcome
to the School Refusal Clinic

"We understand that experiencing your child's resistance to school can be challenging. We're here to help. Our clinic is committed to school refusal, and we offer compassionate support and targeted strategies to help your family."

We can support you with:

School Refusal Counselling

(at the St Kilda Clinic)

Exercise Based Therapy

(Personal & Group)

Professional Development

(Speaking & Training)

Outdoor Counselling

(Walk & Talk)

TeleHealth
(Counselling via Video Call)

Social Skills Groups

(For Neurodiverse children)

Home & School Visits

(Outreach)

Parent Support
(Child-focused)

Holiday Programs

('Fit for School')

Practical evidence-based therapy.

The phenomenon of School Refusal in Australia

Thousands of Aussie families grapple with School Refusal in silence every day. We aim to shed light on this issue and the support available

The Project 10Play February 20, 2023

ABC 7.30 February 2, 2023

7 News Jan 31, 2023

3AW 'Mornings with Niel Mitchel', Jan 30, 2023

New Services Spotlight:

Shining a spotlight on some of our newest services

Social Skills Groups
for neurodivergent kids.

Our social skills groups offer a safe and welcoming space for neurodiverse children to improve their socialisation and self-esteem. Led by experienced facilitators, our program focuses on developing practical skills and strategies to navigate social situations and foster meaningful connections with peers.

Child focused parent support.

Guiding parents to understand, support, and address their child's school refusal through tailored strategies.

Graduated Exposure Therapy.

Supportive, structured method for gently confronting and managing school-related anxieties.

Exercise based therapy.

Structured, physical exercise approach to enhance mood, reduce fear, and facilitate school readiness

Advocacy
& School Liaison.

Discover how our Advocacy & School Liaison service can align your child's therapeutic needs with school policies, a strategic approach to tackle school refusal

Meet our therapy dog Max!

A Tail-Wagging Source of Comfort and Confidence for Children

John Chellew, Director of the School Refusal Clinic and Max the therapy dog

"Max has been a game changer for our therapy sessions. He helps children feel more at ease and receptive to therapy, which assists us to make real progress"

John Chellew, Director of the School Refusal Clinic on the benefits of introducing Pet-Assisted Therapy to the clinic.

Call (03) 9122 5241

School refusal is a behavioral disorder in which a child or adolescent experiences significant anxiety about attending school and may refuse to go to school or stay in school.

School refusal can be caused by a variety of factors, including anxiety, depression, separation anxiety, and bullying. It can have a significant impact on a child's academic, social, and emotional development.

If you are concerned that your child may be experiencing school refusal, we are here to help. We can provide you with support to help your child get back to school.

Send us a message via our webform