Why Juno’s Circle?
Reliable, Transparent,
Discreet
Introducing Laurenza Buglisi
Founder & Managing Director
Juno’s Circle was founded by Laurenza Buglisi, a social worker and family therapist who has devoted her career to working with children and families in a clinical forensic capacity. Most of Laurenza’s work has been in the specialist field of sexual assault and she has worked with victim/survivors across the lifespan, young people who have engaged in sexually harmful behaviour, and adult offenders serving parole and community based orders. She has held leadership positions on social work and women’s health boards and lectured in counselling at university.
Achieving excellence and innovation through
integrity, consistency, and collaboration
Juno’s Circle was established in recognition that the most effective way to address sexual violence is to embrace a broader systemic approach and acknowledge the importance of relationships and the wider culture. Our families and communities can be both a source of trauma and a place of healing. Juno’s Circle seeks to deliver a high quality service distinguished by a commitment to collaboration, transparency, integrity, excellence and innovation. You can rely on us to provide a professional, consistent, and trustworthy approach across all our programs.
It is our hope that Juno’s Circle will facilitate conversations about the prevalence, aetiology, and impacts of child sexual abuse and better equip families and communities to both prevent and respond to sexual violence in the future. We believe that sharing stories of child sexual abuse can be a powerful tool to highlight the common strategies sex offenders utilise to groom children, families and communities. Through bearing witness to a victim/survivors journey we can appreciate that in amongst the darkness of disenfranchised grief and suffocating shame, there also lives remnants of resilience, hope, and even joy. The complexity of intrafamilial or institutional child sexual assault in particular is confounded by the many myths that exist around ideas about childhood, family loyalty, and sexual deviance. Meaning is made through the stories we share and the connections we form with others.
Code of Conduct
What you can expect from Juno’s Circle
PROFESSIONALISM AND DILIGENCE
We pride ourselves on delivering a high quality service that draws on evidence based research. You can expect to be treated with dignity and respect at all times. All communication with Juno’s Circle will be clear, efficient, and timely.
PRIVACY IS PROTECTED
We understand it takes a tremendous amount of courage to participate in counselling and that it is often confronting to experience such vulnerability. Child sexual assault counselling and sexually harmful behaviours assessment and treatment both involve sharing sensitive, personal information and as such, we take the upmost care to protect your privacy. Our business name and logo were designed with discretion in mind. We would never share information about someone’s attendance and participation in counselling without their written consent (although there are limits to confidentiality which will be explained prior to sessions commencing). We maintain strict record keeping protocols which involve clarity around what sensitive information is actually recorded in case notes and how files are stored securely. This is particularly important when working with members of the same family, keeping in mind a client’s right to view their own file material.
PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS ARE INCLUDED
We endeavour to include parents and caregivers in the process of children’s counselling as much as possible. You will be invited to meet your child’s counsellor and participate in the first few sessions without them present, allowing you to share your concerns and expectations of counselling. While we value a child’s right to privacy during individual sessions, we believe it is important to provide parents and caregivers with regular feedback as to the general themes that might arise from child sessions. We strive for transparency and clarity in our work with children in order to instil confidence in parents or caregivers to know what we are doing and why. This is particularly crucial when working with children or young people who have targeted other children with sexually concerning behaviours. We work closely with the authorities to ensure a clear safety plan is implemented and parental involvement is imperative for this to be effective.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT INFORMS OUR APPROACH
We believe that language is important and we use descriptions that reflect our understanding of child development. For instance, we never refer to anyone under the age of 18 as a Sex Offender, regardless of the seriousness of any sexually violent behaviour they have engaged in. We prefer to identify the behaviour itself as Problem Sexual Behaviour, Sexually Harmful Behaviour, or Sexually Concerning Behaviour. It is important to separate a child or young person from their behaviour. This not only acknowledges their age and stage of development when they engaged in the sexually violent behaviour but also recognises that they are a person separate from their behaviour, complete with strengths and skills.
RELATIONSHIPS ARE OUR FOCUS
We are not a clinical mental health service and as such, do not offer clinical psychometric assessment or clinical treatment. We cannot diagnose or prescribe psychiatric medication. While many victim/survivors do live with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, we focus on how this impacts their relationship with others, their sense of identity and connection with their family and community, and their parenting of their own children.
It is not necessary to retell the details of your sexual assault during counselling if you do not wish. Many people expect counselling to involve providing detailed descriptions of the sexual abuse but we find this can be destabilising and unhelpful. Our priority will always be on safety and stabilisation and there will not be an expectation of re-living the trauma.
SUPPORTING YOUR HEALING JOURNEY
It is extremely rewarding to bear witness to someone’s journey towards healing. Despite the horrendous nature of childhood sexual assault, it is impossible to not be amazed by the profound sense of hope that remains in the aftermath of trauma. It is a privilege to support our families as they navigate their way through the maze of painful emotions, changing family dynamics, and legal proceedings.
UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITY OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Despite its worldwide prevalence, sexual violence against children remains one of the most misunderstood crimes in our society. Juno’s Circle is uniquely placed to provide support as we understand the nuances often associated with child sexual abuse or sexually harmful behaviour, such as a conflicted relationship with the perpetrator, the tendency for the mother to be blamed for the abuse, the power of denial that leaves disclosures unacted upon, and the invisible force of family loyalty and shame that often prevent parents from seeking support for their adolescent engaging in sexually harmful behaviour.
Meaning is made through the stories we share and the connections we form with others.
LAURENZA BUGLISI
Founder & Managing Director
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding how we can work together
What can I expect during the counselling sessions?
The first Intake session is an opportunity to be introduced to your counsellor, hear about the services provided and the limits of confidentiality, ask any questions you might have, and to gauge whether you would like to continue. You are under no obligation to proceed with accessing our service and are encouraged to use this opportunity to decide if Juno’s Circle is the right fit for you. An online referral form must be completed to proceed to this stage. If you wish to continue, you will initially be offered up to 6 sessions of 1 hour duration over a 6-10 week period. If the counselling is for a child then the non-offending parents or caregivers will be invited to participate in the first 2-4 sessions of 90 minutes duration without the child present, followed by up to 4 individual sessions with the child. The first session with parents/caregivers or adults in the Assessment Phase will only be available via Telehealth or telephone, however all other future sessions are offered face-to-face if preferred.
This initial stage of contact allows both the counsellor and family to form a shared understanding of the presenting problem and how it came to dominate the person’s life. It also provides an opportunity to determine if Juno’s Circle is the most appropriate service at this point in time.
The second phase of counselling involves exploring ways to tackle the problem and how to lessen its grip on the person’s life. This involves scheduling regular 1 hour sessions every 1-3 weeks. Telehealth, telephone and face-to-face sessions are available to everyone during this phase, however face-to-face sessions are preferred when working with children.
There is no limit to how many sessions can be accessed however a review will take place after 15 sessions to ensure sessions remain useful and relevant.
What theoretical approaches influence the services provided?
As a masters-level qualified Social Worker, Laurenza is driven by the pursuit of social justice through the scientific study of a person within the context of their environment. This includes the broader context such as the historical, political, social, economic, cultural, and relational facets that make up the environment.
Laurenza is particularly influenced by her post graduate training in Clinical Family Therapy, which consolidated her systemic approach that allows her to often sit with multiple perspectives at any given time. She is curious about the influence of family structures and understanding patterns of behaviour within the context of the current stage of the family life cycle. She considers the impact of generational legacy on people’s narratives around what family means to them. Laurenza is interested in the stories people tell about their lives and how meaning is created.
Laurenza also draws upon her tertiary study in psychology to examine the role of neuroscience in trauma and the importance of working with the body. She is particularly interested in the application of attachment theory and trauma theory when working with childhood abuse. Laurenza also utilises her undergraduate training in criminology to recognise the role of gender, power and control in sexual violence crimes, apply findings from the latest social science research, and to understand a person’s experience within the broader criminal justice system.
Connect with Juno’s Circle
Together we can tackle the Shame and Stigma of Childhood Sexual Assault. Let’s start a conversation today.
Help contribute to the dialogue around the universal right to a safe childhood, free from sexual violence. Every child has the right to feel safe, loved, and valued by their family and community. Join our network on social media to help spread the message that sexual violence against children is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
