Your teen doesn’t need a referral, a GP visit or a Mental Health Treatment Plan to see us, and you can book online today.
If your teenager is trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, or still working out their gender, we’d love to help you find them a counsellor who simply gets it. We see young people from 13, in our rooms in North Lakes on Brisbane’s northside and by telehealth anywhere in Australia, and parents and carers are part of the work in a way that suits your teen’s age.
Being affirming here isn’t just a word on our website. It shapes every part of how we work with your teen. Your teen won’t have to explain or defend who they are, and they won’t be asked to prove anything. Their counsellor’s job is to be genuinely useful to them: to listen closely, to get to know them at their own pace, and to help with whatever feels hard right now, whether that’s school, friendships, family, big feelings, or a world that can feel like a lot. If they need support exploring their gender, or navigating how their gender identity intersects with other parts of their life like their mental health or their school experience, we have specialised experience supporting young people in this area.
If you’d like to ask us a question before you book, that’s absolutely fine too. You’re so welcome to call us on (07) 3472 4000 or send us a message, and we’ll help you work out whether we’re the right fit for your family.
Who this counselling is for
Maybe you’ve been searching late at night for a trans teen counsellor in Brisbane, gender affirming therapy for your teenager, or someone who’ll understand your nonbinary teen without needing everything explained first. Here’s a little more about the young people and families we see.
Trans, nonbinary and gender diverse teenagers
We see trans and gender diverse teenagers from 13: trans girls and trans boys, nonbinary and non-binary young people, genderqueer and genderfluid teens, and young people who are questioning or still exploring their gender. Some teens want to talk about gender a lot, and some would much rather talk about school, friends, family, sleep or worry, with their gender simply understood in the background. Either way is completely fine. We follow your teen’s lead, and of course we always use the name and pronouns they share with us.
Families who want to support their teen well
Lots of parents and carers come to us wanting to understand their teen better and to support them well, sometimes while also working through their own worries, questions or grief. You don’t need to have everything figured out, and you don’t need to have the right words yet. We’re here for your teen first, and we’ll make room for you too.
If your teen is trans and neurodivergent
Lots of trans and gender diverse teens are also autistic, ADHD or AuDHD, and many families find that the two are woven together in ways that can be hard for services to hold at the same time. Here, your teen doesn’t have to choose which part of themselves gets understood. Working with young people who are both queer and neurodivergent is at the heart of what Reravel does, and counselling is shaped around how your teen’s brain actually works, never around helping them mask more convincingly.
Neurodivergence is a wide umbrella
Autism and ADHD are only part of the picture. Your teen is just as welcome here if they’re dyslexic, dyspraxic, dyscalculic or dysgraphic, if they have Tourette’s or tics, if they process sensory information differently, if they live with an acquired brain injury, or if their mind works differently because of experiences like OCD, bipolar, psychosis, borderline personality or complex trauma. Many young people sit under more than one part of the umbrella.
Your teen doesn’t need a formal diagnosis to belong here. Whether they’ve been identified by a clinician, have come to understand themselves on their own, or are still working it out, we’ll take them at their word.
How we work with your teen
Being affirming isn’t a sticker on the door. It shapes how a session actually feels for your teen. In practice, it means:
- No gatekeeping: your teen doesn’t have to prove their gender, a diagnosis, or that they need to be here.
- No assessing who they are: we won’t question or test your teen’s gender, sexuality or neurotype. We take them at their word.
- Their pace: your teen decides what we talk about and when, and it’s okay for them to have things they’d rather not talk about yet.
- Sensory comfort: our North Lakes rooms are set up with sensory comfort in mind. Your teen is welcome to stim, fidget, move or take a break, and if something in the room isn’t working for them (the light, the seating, the noise), they can tell us and we’ll change what we can.
- Alongside school and other supports: when your teen is comfortable with it, we can work alongside their school and the other people who support them, so everyone is pulling in the same direction.
How parents and carers are involved
We don’t see a young person for an hour and then send them back to the rest of their life on their own. Friends, family, school and the things your teen loves all matter so much, so parents and carers are part of the work in a way that suits your teen’s age. For younger teens, that might look like joint sessions, separate sessions just for you, or regular family check-ins. For older teens, we’ll sit down together right at the start and agree how you’ll stay in the loop.
We’ll also talk with you and your teen early on about privacy: what stays between your teen and their counsellor, what we’d share with you, and when. It looks a little different in every family, so it’s something we work out together.
Alongside your GP, the public gender service and other supports
Lots of families come to us while their teen is also connected with other services, or while they’re waiting to be seen. Counselling with us can be support while you wait, a steady place in between appointments, or something that sits alongside the rest of your teen’s care. It’s never a replacement for medical care, and we don’t provide medical treatment ourselves.
If your family is thinking about gender-affirming medical care, your GP is a good place to start that conversation. If you are needing support to find a supportive GP, contact us and we can put you in touch with some great doctors. The medical side of things can involve your GP, the public gender service or a private gender clinic, and we’re very happy to talk with you about how counselling can fit around whichever path your teen is on.
Your teen might also already be connected with headspace or Open Doors Youth Service, and that’s wonderful. Both are free services for young people, and Open Doors runs social groups especially for LGBTQIASB+ young people. We’re always glad to sit alongside the people and places your teen already trusts, and you’ll find links to them, and a few other lovely community spaces, at the bottom of this page.
Counselling for teens by telehealth, anywhere in Australia
If North Lakes isn’t close to you, or getting to an appointment takes more energy than your teen has to spare, we can see your teen by video from anywhere in Australia. Sessions run on Queensland time (AEST), and Queensland doesn’t use daylight saving, so if you’re in another state it’s worth checking the time difference when you book.
All your teen needs is a private, comfortable space where they won’t be overheard, a phone, tablet or computer with a camera and microphone, and a reasonably steady internet connection. We’ll talk with you about how you’d like to be involved when sessions are by video, such as being close by at home or joining us at the start or end, in the same age-appropriate way as sessions in the room. Telehealth sessions can be funded in exactly the same ways as sessions in the room, too.
What the first session looks like
The first session is really about getting to know each other. Depending on your teen’s age and what feels comfortable for them, you might be part of some or all of it. We’ll talk about what’s brought your family to counselling, what your teen is hoping for, and a little about their world, and there’s no pressure to share everything at once. Your teen is very welcome to ask us questions, and so are you, so you can both get a feel for whether we’re a good fit.
Sessions are 50 minutes, in person at North Lakes or by video. If your teen would like to keep going, we’ll work out together how often to meet and what feels most useful. Payment is due on the day of the session, and if you need to change or cancel an appointment we just ask for notice. You’ll find the details on our policy page.
Funding, and how to book
Kelli sees teenagers in person at our North Lakes rooms and by telehealth across Australia. Sessions can be funded through the NDIS, whether your teen’s plan is self-managed, plan-managed or managed by the NDIA, or paid privately. Many private health funds offer a rebate for counselling with a PACFA-registered counsellor, though this varies quite a lot between funds and levels of cover, so it’s worth checking what your policy includes for counselling or mental health before you book. We also see young people through Victims Assist and similar schemes.
Medicare rebates depend on who you see. Sessions with our Accredited Mental Health Social Workers and psychologists attract a rebate with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from a GP, while sessions with our counsellors, including Kelli, don’t attract a Medicare rebate. That means counselling with Kelli is funded privately, through the NDIS, through your private health fund, or through one of the schemes above. You’ll find all the details on our fees page.
No referral, no GP appointment and no Mental Health Treatment Plan needed. You can book online for your teen today.
Questions parents often ask
Do you see trans and gender diverse teenagers?
Yes. We see trans, nonbinary and gender diverse teenagers from 13, along with young people who are questioning or exploring their gender, in our North Lakes rooms and by telehealth anywhere in Australia. Your teen doesn’t need to be out to everyone, or to have everything worked out, to come and see us.
Looking for a gender-affirming psychologist for your teen?
Lots of parents search for a gender affirming psychologist when what they’re really hoping for is a kind, skilled person who’ll understand their teen, and that’s exactly what counselling here offers. Our counsellors hold Masters qualifications and are registered with PACFA, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, and Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are social workers with specialist mental health training, accredited through the AASW. Your teen doesn’t need a referral or a Mental Health Treatment Plan to see one of our counsellors, so there’s no waiting for a GP appointment or a plan before they start. Psychologists do wonderful work too, and if your teen needs a formal assessment or diagnosis, a psychologist is the right person for that. If what you’re after is affirming, thoughtful talking therapy for your teen, a counsellor may be just what you’re looking for.
Does my teen need a referral or a Mental Health Treatment Plan?
No. You can book counselling for your teen directly, online, without a referral, a GP visit or a Mental Health Treatment Plan. A Mental Health Treatment Plan only matters if you’d like a Medicare rebate, and that applies to sessions with an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker or a psychologist, not to sessions with our counsellors.
Can we use our NDIS plan?
Yes. Reravel is a registered NDIS provider, so we can work with your teen whether their plan is self-managed, plan-managed or managed by the NDIA. Counselling is funded as a capacity-building support under Improved Daily Living, and it focuses on building your teen’s capacity in areas like emotional regulation, communication, participation and independence. It isn’t assessment, diagnosis or treatment of a mental health condition. Whether counselling fits your teen’s plan depends on their plan’s goals, and we’re happy to talk that through with you or your teen’s support coordinator.
Is there a Medicare rebate?
It depends on who your teen sees. Sessions with Accredited Mental Health Social Workers and psychologists can attract a Medicare rebate with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from a GP. Sessions with our counsellors, including Kelli, don’t attract a Medicare rebate. Our team pages show who currently offers Medicare-rebated sessions and whether they’re taking new clients, and our fees page has all the details.
Will I be involved, and will I know what’s discussed?
Yes, you’ll be involved, in a way that suits your teen’s age. For younger teens, that might look like joint sessions, separate sessions just for you, or regular family check-ins. For older teens, we’ll agree together at the start how you’ll stay in the loop. Your teen also needs a space where they can talk freely, so we’ll talk with you both about what we’ll share and what stays private (there’s a little more about that just below).
What about privacy and consent for under-18s?
We’ll talk with you and your teen together, right at the start, about what stays private between your teen and their counsellor, what we’d share with you, and when. It looks a little different in every family, so it’s something we agree on together, with enough privacy for your teen to feel safe to talk and enough connection for you to keep supporting them. Whatever we agree, your teen’s safety always comes first.
What happens if my teen is on the public gender service waitlist?
Counselling with us can be a steady, supportive place for your teen while you wait. We can’t change a waitlist or stand in for medical care, but we can be there for your teen (and for you) in the meantime, and counselling can carry on alongside the rest of your teen’s care once they’re seen.
Can sessions be by video?
Yes. Your teen can see us by video from anywhere in Australia, and lots of teens find it easier to talk from their own space. All they need is a private spot where they won’t be overheard, a device with a camera and microphone, and a reasonably steady internet connection. You’re welcome to choose whichever suits your teen, in the room or by video, and to change your mind later on.
Where we are
Our rooms are at Suite 2A, 2–4 Flinders Parade, North Lakes. We’re a short, easy drive for families in North Lakes, Mango Hill, Griffin, Murrumba Downs, Kallangur, Petrie, Narangba, Deception Bay, Burpengary, Strathpine, Albany Creek and Bracken Ridge, and we see young people across Moreton Bay and north Brisbane, and by telehealth across Australia.
Meet your counsellors
Kelli Charles (she/her)
Senior Counsellor · PACFA clinical registrant
Kelli is a queer counsellor with more than 15 years’ experience in community and mental health settings. Her specialties are trans and gender diverse teenagers; neurodivergent teenagers and teens with disability; queer, trans and neurodivergent-affirming counselling with adults; and trauma, including with victim-survivors of sexual assault and people from migrant and refugee communities.
- Sees: young people from 13, and adults
- Sessions: in person at North Lakes, or by telehealth anywhere in Australia
- Funding: NDIS (self-, plan- or NDIA-managed), private, many private health funds (check your policy), EAP, WorkCover Queensland, Victims Assist and other schemes. Sessions with Kelli don’t attract a Medicare rebate.
- Availability: Kelli has appointments available now.
When you’re ready
You can book online for your teen whenever it suits you, with no referral needed. And if you’d like to ask a question first, you’re so welcome to call us on (07) 3472 4000 or get in touch.
Looking for something else? You can read about all of our counselling, including support for parents and carers in your own right. If you’d like support for yourself as an adult, we’ve also written a page about queer, trans and neurodivergent-affirming counselling. And we’re writing a page especially for autistic and ADHD teens and their families, which we’ll share here soon.
Places your teen (and you) might love
Alongside counselling, a sense of community can make such a difference for trans and gender diverse young people and their families. Here are a few places your teen (and you) might love. They’re independent of Reravel, and they’re simply places we think are worth knowing about.
- Open Doors Youth Service: free support and weekly social groups for LGBTQIASB+ young people aged 12 to 24 in Fortitude Valley and Logan, including Jellybeans for trans and gender diverse young people, plus an online group and a support group for parents and carers.
- headspace: free support for young people aged 12 to 25, with centres nearby in Redcliffe and Strathpine, and online peer group chats for young people and for the adults who support them.
- Transcend Australia: free peer support for parents and carers of trans, gender diverse and non-binary young people, with online and in-person family groups and a guide for parents and carers.
- Gay Skate: all-ages, substance-free and family-friendly roller skating nights in Brisbane for queer and trans people, their families and friends.
- Moreton Bay PrideFest: a free celebration of the LGBTIQA+ community right here in Moreton Bay.
- Brisbane Pride: the Brisbane Pride Festival, including the family-friendly Fair Day at New Farm Park and the Brisbane Pride Formal, a free, drug- and alcohol-free formal for queer students up to 21.
- Rainbow Families: Support for LGBTQIA+ families, including activities, events and meet-ups in Queensland