Phoenix House

24/12/2025

🌟 From all of us at Phoenix House, we wish you a Christmas filled with peace, comfort, and gentle moments of joy. May this season bring rest, kindness, and connection. 🌟

Phoenix House will be closed from 12pm Wednesday Dec 24 and reopen Monday Jan 5 2026

24/12/2025

It's holiday time, are sleepovers for the kids on the agenda? Take a look at this Bravehearts article for some great tips ...

Many parents and carers have positive feelings about sleepovers, but some are anxious about their child staying overnight with a friend's family.

This might be due to unfamiliarity with the family, or it could be informed by the parents/carers' own experiences of harm during childhood sleepovers.

For some insights from a former WA Detective Senior Constable and child specialist, read this post on things to consider and what exactly the risks are: https://kiddipedia.com.au/your-guide-to-sleepover-safety/

23/12/2025

💛💛

A simple check-in and a meaningful conversation can change a life 💛

21/12/2025

Healthy Relationships, because EVERYONE deserves to feel safe and respected in their relationships.
And that is the same for ALL relationships, be it romantic, work, family, colleagues.
Violence and abuse are never okay. They are forms of domestic, family or sexual violence.
Healthy relationships should bring more joy than stress. You should never feel scared or like you can’t talk.
In a healthy relationship, you can:
🌸 Speak openly and be listened to
🌸 Be treated as an equal person
🌸 Make your own choices about all aspects of your life
🌸 Spend time with friends and family when you want to
🌸 Practise your culture, religion or spirituality
🌸 Feel safe to say no
🌸 Handle disagreements with respect
🌸 Grow as a person and have your own interests.
Respect means:
🌸 Celebrating each other’s achievements
🌸 Apologising when you're wrong
🌸 Respecting each other's privacy
🌸 Not feeling pressured or controlled.
Repeated behaviour that makes you feel unsafe can be a sign of an abusive relationship.

If you think your relationship might be unhealthy, support is available. You can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit the website for online chat and video call services - available 24/7.

19/12/2025

Are you familiar with The National Redress Scheme?
It is for people who experienced child sexual abuse while in an institution.
The Scheme helps people access redress and can connect them to free confidential Redress Support Services like Phoenix House.
If you have lived experience, please reach out to them on 1800 737 377
or look online at https://www.nationalredress.gov.au/

18/12/2025

Phoenix House would like to send a heartfelt thank you the Bundaberg Bingo Centre. We were gracious recipients of a generous donation at their recent community sharing day.

Support like this plays an important role in strengthening our local community, and there were donations made to so many deserving community groups.

This contribution helps us continue to provide safe, supportive and trusted counselling services in the Bundaberg region to those who have a lived experience of sexual assault.

Thank You Bundaberg Bingo 🌸🌼

17/12/2025

When someone experiences sexual violence, the people they choose to talk to about it play a key role.
It can be hard to know how to respond and you may be worried about doing the wrong thing.

There are some simple things you can do to better support someone:
🌸 Listen - Some people want to talk about what happened to them, and some people do not. Listen without interrupting, and don’t judge when they are ready to talk.
🌸 Believe them - When someone tells you they have experienced sexual harassment, assault or violence, it is important to believe them. Be considerate of the questions you are asking them.
🌸 Never blame - A person who has experienced sexual violence is never to be blamed for what happened. It doesn’t matter what a person was wearing or if they were drunk or on drugs, sexual violence is never okay. Someone's age, cultural background or relationship to the person or people who hurt them is never an excuse for violence.
🌸 After experiencing sexual violence some people do not want to be touched - If you are supporting them, you may want to offer comfort by putting your arm around them or giving them a hug. Always ask first.
🌸 Touching without asking if it is okay may bring back bad memories from the assault.
If someone has decided to report what has happened to them, you may want to share support services that can provide information and guide them through legal processes.
This can include:
👉How to report a crime to police
👉Information on what to expect when undergoing forensic medical examinations.

It's important that someone who has experienced sexual violence has as much control as possible over what they do next. You can help by finding support services and knowing how to use them.

If you are supporting someone affected by domestic, family and sexual violence, you can call us on 4153 4299 or head to our website to make a referral. Or call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit their website for online chat and video call services – available 24/7.

16/12/2025

We Concur ... This is a statement shared from THE NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR PROTECTING
AUSTRALIA’S CHILDREN 2021 - 2031.
If you'd like to know more head tohttps://www.dss.gov.au/system/files/documents/2024-10/dess5016-national-framework-protecting-childrenaccessible.pdf

12/12/2025

Are you supporting a young person?
Take a look at Bravehearts , a Queensland based support service dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse. They have some great resources to help parents and carers.
https://bravehearts.org.au/about-child-sexual-abuse/resources/

11/12/2025

A beautiful gift from our friends at Tagteam Electrical
We have truly appreciated the support from Ryan and Amy throughout the year.
Thank you and Merry Christmas 🎄