What is Secure Start?
Secure Start® is an independent psychology practice that provides psychological services to children of all ages and their parents and caregivers. Secure Start is dedicated to enhancing the welfare and wellbeing of children and families.
Principal Clinical Psychologist, Colby Pearce, started the practice in 2002 after eleven years working in the public sector in child and adolescent mental health research (1991 – 1995) and child protection (1995 – 2002). Services offered through Secure Start include:
- Psychological intervention for children, teens and families;
- Consultancy services in child protection, out-of-home care, and mental health service provision;
- Teaching, training, and supervision; and
- Program development, implementation and evaluation.
Across the past thirty-two years Colby has contributed to professional and community knowledge and practice in the areas of:
- Teen mental health and suicide prevention;
- Childhood attachment and resilience;
- Psychological intervention with children who have experienced abuse, neglect and family/relationship trauma;
- Therapeutic care and management of children and teens who are recovering from early adversity, abuse, and neglect;
- Trauma-responsive practice in schools and community organisations.
Whether you are a parent, foster parent, kinship carer, teacher, youth worker, early childhood educator, or other professional or organisation supporting those who are recovering from a tough start to life, Colby can help you develop answers and strategies to address these three key questions:
Important Information:
Secure Start is a psychology service that consults from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. All contact with our service outside of these times will be responded to as soon as we are able to during normal business hours. If you need urgent help outside of these hours, we suggest that you consider contacting the following services:
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Mental Health Triage Service (SA) – 13 14 65 (Adults)