A spokesperson for Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia – an evidence based counselling service which also offers training – said that using unqualified educators could end up reinforcing victim blaming myths and vicariously traumatising former survivors of assault.
Those still at high risk were again offered group based counselling.
Participants at high risk were further offered group based counselling with six sessions over a four to six month period.
Among those who attended after one and three years, 335 and 295 participated in group based counselling.
The choice of group based counselling depended on the risk factors and the preference and motivation of the participant.
Participants were recruited at 24 sites, including 15 school based counselling services, seven youth clinics, and two general practices from May 2009 to July 2010.
The intervention starts one month after a baseline measurement and takes place once per month for an hour during six home based counselling sessions.
All settings were included and all comparators considered including routine primary care, waiting list, individual CBT, group based counselling, medication, group behaviour therapy and group IPT.
42 In addition, pedometer based counselling programmes increased the total physical activity of cardiac patients by almost 1.5 hours a week.
At youth clinics and school based counselling services, treatment as usual was anticipated to be face to face therapy provided by trained counsellors or psychologists.
With regard to the counselling treatment group, the subsequent five manual based counselling sessions were scheduled for the following 5 weeks and carried out by the three newly trained counsellors in the counselling centre in Mazar-e-Sharif.
