Parent & Adolescent Mediation
Things have got hard at home. Maybe there's shouting. Maybe there's silence — which somehow feels worse. Maybe you've had the same argument so many times you both know your lines off by heart.
Parent & adolescent mediation is a calm, structured conversation between a parent or carer and a young person, guided by an AMDRAS accredited mediator who isn't on anybody's side. It's fully online, available across Australia, and yes — you can book it for after school, in the evening, or on a weekend.
Most people have never heard of it. That's the main reason we've written this page.
When you've tried everything and nothing's landing
A parent who is frightened. Not angry — frightened. Who lies awake running through everything they might have got wrong. Who has tried being firm, tried backing off, tried bribery, tried a heart-to-heart at 11pm, and watched every single one of them not work. Who feels a specific kind of shame about it, because everyone else's family looks fine on the internet.
And a young person who is exhausted by the same conversation. Who feels checked up on, doubted, talked about rather than talked to. Who has things they'd genuinely like to say, but every attempt turns into a fight in about four seconds, so they've stopped bothering.
Both of those are real. Neither of those people is the problem.
If you're the parent reading this: needing help with this doesn't mean you've failed. Conflict between a parent and a teenager isn't a sign of bad parenting or a bad kid — it's usually a sign that two people who matter to each other have run out of ways to be heard. Getting a third person in the room isn't giving up. It's a fairly sensible response to being stuck.
What parent and adolescent mediation actually is
A mediator is a neutral, trained third person whose job is to make a difficult conversation possible. In parent and adolescent mediation — sometimes called parent teen mediation or family conflict mediation — that means:
Both people get to speak, uninterrupted. Properly. With someone making sure of it.
Both people get to hear what the other one actually means — often for the first time in months.
You work towards agreements you both had a hand in making, because agreements nobody agreed to don't survive the week.
The mediator doesn't decide anything. This isn't arbitration and it isn't a courtroom. We don't rule on who's right, and we don't impose outcomes. What you agree to is yours.
It's voluntary. For both of you. More on that below, because it matters.
What it's not
We're mediators, counsellors and psychotherapists — not lawyers, psychologists, psychiatrists or child protection officers. We don't give legal advice and we don't diagnose anything.
If you're the young person reading this
Someone has probably sent you this link. Have a read anyway — it's short.
What this is: a conversation between you and your parent (or carer), with one neutral adult in the middle whose job is to make sure you both get heard. That's it.
You will not be ganged up on. The mediator is not your parent's ally, and they're not being paid to make you agree with anything. Their job is to be fair to both of you. If that stops being true, you can say so.
You get your own private session first. Before any joint conversation happens, you'll have a session on your own with the mediator — no parent in the room. That's your time to say what's actually going on, what you want to be different, and what you'd rather not have raised. You're allowed to have things you don't want discussed.
Nobody can make you do this. Mediation is voluntary. If you don't want to be there, we won't run it — not as a punishment, just because it genuinely doesn't work when someone's been dragged in. You can also say yes and then change your mind.
You don't have to agree to anything. Nothing gets decided about you. If you don't agree, there's no agreement.
One honest thing: we're not there to get you "back in line", and if anyone books this hoping we'll do that, they'll be disappointed. Most young people we work with have a fairly clear sense of what's not working. Often the useful part is just having somewhere it can be said out loud without it turning into a fight.
Serious, ongoing conflict between a parent or carer and a teenager or young person
Communication that's broken down — shouting, silence, or an exhausting mix of both
Boundaries, curfews, phones and screens, schoolwork, friends, money, chores, independence
Conflict after a family change — a separation, a new step-parent, a move, a bereavement
Conflict about a young person's identity, sexuality or gender
A young person pulling away from school, or from the family
Talk of leaving home — from either direction — where the relationship is genuinely at risk
Rebuilding after a serious rupture or a specific incident
Step-parent and step-child friction, and blended family tension
A young adult still living at home, and the negotiation that comes with that
Grandparents and kinship carers in conflict with a young person in their care
What people bring to parent and adolescent mediation
We're queer-founded, over half of our team have lived experience as members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and we work with LGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse young people including those questioning or transitioning. If that's part of what's happening at home, this is a place where a young person's identity is not the thing up for negotiation. What can be worked on is how a family talks to each other about it.
We also work with neurodivergent young people, and we'll pace and structure sessions accordingly.
On identity, sexuality and gender
This is not Family Dispute Resolution — and that difference matters
Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is for separating or divorcing parents sorting out parenting arrangements between the adults.
Parent & adolescent mediation is between a parent or carer and their own child or young person.
Different process, different purpose. If you're not sure which one fits, ask us — we'd rather spend five minutes on the phone than put you through the wrong process.
Step one — two separate private intake sessions
One with the parent or carer. One with the young person, on their own. These are confidential preparation sessions: what's happening, what you each want to be different, what feels off-limits. It's also where we honestly assess whether mediation is the right and safe process at all.
Step two — the joint mediation session
Approximately three hours, with the mediator guiding the conversation. Structure, pace and breaks are set to suit the young person's age, stamina and concentration — a fourteen-year-old and a nineteen-year-old don't need the same session shape, and we won't pretend otherwise.
Step three — what you've agreed
Whatever you work out together, in plain language, documented, so it's clear to both of you afterwards. No guarantees attached — we can't promise a particular outcome, and we won't. What we can do is make the conversation genuinely possible.
If more people are involved
Both parents, a step-parent, a sibling — that changes the shape and the cost of the process. Tell us who's involved and we'll scope it with you honestly before you commit.
How it works
When mediation isn't the right process
Mediation is not appropriate where there is family violence or abuse, or where a young person wouldn't be safe or free to speak honestly.
A process built on both people being able to talk openly doesn't work — and can do harm — when one person isn't safe. If that's the situation, we'll tell you so at intake rather than take your money.
If anyone is in immediate danger, please contact police on 000. There are specialist emergency family violence and youth support services in Australia better placed to help than we are, and we'll do our best to point you towards appropriate support.
Mediation is not mental health care
If a young person is struggling with their mental health, self-harming, or in crisis, that needs clinical or counselling support — not a mediation session. Mediation is a conflict process, not treatment, and we won't present it as one.
For that, Children's & Youth Counselling may be the better fit — teenage counselling with practitioners experienced in working with young people. Honestly, for a fair number of families who land on this page, teen counselling or Family Therapy turns out to be the more useful starting point. We'll say so if we think it.
Our child safety obligations — said plainly
Our practitioners have legal obligations around child safety. If we become concerned that a young person is at risk of harm, we're required to act, and that may mean involving other people. We'd always aim to be open with you about it rather than go behind anyone's back. We're telling you now because you deserve to know how this works before you start, not because we're expecting trouble.
You can read our Child Safety & Wellbeing Policy here.
Who you'd be working with
AMDRAS accredited mediators
If you decide that therapy would be better than mediation at this time, we also have Counsellors and psychotherapists experienced with children, young people and creative/art-based therapy
Experience with neurodivergent young people, and with LGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse youth
LGBTQIA+ inclusive, gender-diverse affirming, queer-founded
Sessions online via our secure platform with Zoom — from wherever you are in Australia
Open 7 days a week, 6am to 10pm. Evenings and weekends included, so it fits around school and work.
No waitlists. When a family is at this point, six weeks is a long time.
We work alongside schools and community organisations, who are welcome to refer families to us. We act for the family, not on anyone else's authority.
Everything we do runs on our T.R.I.B.E. values: Together, Respect, Integrity, Beyond, Empowerment.
AMDRAS Practitioner
Couples Counselling Specialist
Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner
Evie is a compassionate and down-to-earth AMDRAS Mediator, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, and Couples Counsellor, with over a decade of experience supporting couples and families through life’s tougher seasons. With a calm, client-led approach, she creates a space where people feel truly heard, supported, and empowered to move forward with clarity and confidence.
Specialising in both mediation and family counselling, Evie knows that every family is unique. She tailors her approach to fit the individual rhythms and relationships she works with — always with care, respect, and a focus on what truly matters.
Evie
Counsellor & Psychotherapist ~ Child & Adolescent Counselling Specialist ~ Family Therapist
With over 30 years of heart-led experience supporting families. Holding a Master of Counselling, she specialises in working with children from ages 5 and up, providing a safe and welcoming space online for kids to navigate anxiety, grief, and life transitions. Joanna integrates play-based methods, creative & art-based therapy, and tailored talk therapy to help children build confidence, develop a positive body image, and learn healthy communication skills. As a former art teacher and a published children’s author, she brings a uniquely creative and warm approach to every session, ensuring that your child's healing journey is deeply personalised and engaging.
Joanna
Child & Adolescent Counsellor ~ Counsellor ~ Yoga Instructor ~ Health & Wellbeing Coach
With a uniquely holistic approach that blends her qualifications in counselling, lifestyle coaching, and yoga teaching, Emma specialises in supporting young people from ages 10 and up, as well as adults. As an experienced trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming therapist, she provides a highly personalised, non-judgmental online space to help young clients navigate anxiety, depression, grief, and life transitions using practical, evidence-based tools like CBT and ACT. Often described as a "ray of sunshine," Emma seamlessly connects mind and body, guiding her clients of all ages toward a calmer, more balanced, and empowered life.
Emma
Counsellor & Psychotherapist ~ Couples Therapist
Charlie specialises in supporting adolescents and young adults from 16 years old and up, with a dedicated focus on empowering Queer Youth. As a trauma-informed psychotherapist, they provide a genuinely safe, person-centred space for young people to explore identity, gender, sexuality, and the complex transitions of growing up. Charlie gently helps clients navigate anxiety, depression, grief, and self-esteem challenges without judgment, always moving at a pace that feels right for them.
Charlie
Counsellor & Psychotherapist
Maks specialises in supporting adolescents and young adults from 16 years old and up, with a dedicated focus on empowering Queer Youth. As a trauma-informed integrative psychotherapist, he creates a genuinely safe, empathetic, and non-judgmental space. Maks gently helps young people navigate neurodiversity, anxiety, depression, and complex life transitions, using a diverse range of modalities including mindfulness and person-centred techniques to help them rebuild confidence and self-trust.
Maks
AMDRAS accredited mediator: $250 per hour, per party.
A standard process is two separate private intake sessions (one with the parent or carer, one with the young person) plus one joint mediation session of approximately three hours.
If more than two people are involved, the cost scales — we'll scope it with you before you commit.
Payment in full before your session, by Stripe or bank transfer
Cancellations less than 24 hours before: 50% fee. No-shows: full fee.
Flexible payment plans available for genuine financial hardship. Ask us — we'd rather have the conversation than have you not book.
What It Costs
Individual intake
1 hour
$250
Mediation
3 hour
$750 per party
*Packaging pricing available if costs paid up front
Frequently asked questions
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No. Mediation is voluntary for both people, and that includes the young person. We won't run a session with someone who doesn't want to be there — not to be difficult, but because it doesn't work. If your young person is refusing, talk to us anyway; sometimes what's needed is teenage counselling first.
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Absolutely! Either the parent(s) / guardian (s) or the teenager can start the process.
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No — and if we did, the process would be worthless. The mediator is neutral, regardless of who's paying. We don't decide who's right, we don't impose outcomes, and this isn't arbitration.
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Parent and Adolescent Mediation is a great option and works well for a lot of families, however, not all. In the initial intake consultations, the Mediator will make an assessment about whether or not Parent and Adolescent Mediation is appropriate in your situation. The Mediator will be able to make referrals to other services if it is not.
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Your private intake session is confidential, and we won't carry things from one person's intake into the joint session without their agreement. The exception is child safety: our practitioners have legal obligations, and if we're concerned a young person is at risk of harm, we're required to act.
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All children who access services at Halo Journey have a right to feel and be safe. The welfare of the children in our care will always be our first priority and we have a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse and harm. We aim to create a child safe and child-friendly online environment where children feel safe. Find out more about our commitment to child safety and wellbeing here.
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There's no fixed cut-off — it depends on the young person, not the birthday. We work with teenagers and young adults, including young adults still living at home. We'll discuss suitability at intake and tell you honestly if a different service fits better.
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Yes, and it's often better. Separate devices in separate rooms means each person has their own space to speak from, which can take a surprising amount of heat out of the conversation.
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No. FDR is for separating or divorcing parents sorting out parenting arrangements. Parent and adolescent mediation is between a parent or carer and their own child.
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No. We don't provide court reports, family reports, parenting assessments or expert evidence, and nothing from mediation is designed for use in legal proceedings. For legal matters, please speak to a solicitor.
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You don't have to know what you want to say yet. You don't have to have your teenager's agreement yet either — that's often part of what the first conversation is about. Get in touch and we'll talk you through whether this is the right fit, and tell you straight if it isn't.
The Halo Experience
We’re really proud of the feedback we’ve received from our clients. Every person so far has said they’d be very likely to recommend Halo Journey, and our practitioners are consistently rated between 9–10/10 by people who trust us with those closest to them.
It’s a real reminder of why we do what we do — to make a positive difference, one journey at a time.
If you’d like to see more of what people have shared about their experience with us, read more here.
“I’ve used Halo Journey Australia’s online counselling service before and had a very positive experience. The team was professional, empathetic, and easy to connect with. The online format made it convenient to access support, and I felt genuinely listened to throughout the process.
I would highly recommend Halo Journey Australia to anyone seeking accessible and caring counselling services”
— Counselling & Psychotherapy Client (South Australia)
"Thanks for your support. I felt respected and provided information to help me make an informed decision. This service was highly supported and non judgmental , whilst maintaining neutrality and procedural fairness. Thanks for providing genuine support to those in need."
— Family Dispute Resolution Client (South Australia)
“So easy to talk to, quick response and was able to get me in and fulfil my needs straight away. Very lovely.”
— Counselling & Psychotherapy Client (Western Australia)
Send a Halo
Whether you’re ready to book or just want to learn more, we’re only a message away
Email: info@halojourney.com.au
Phone or Text: +61 485 042 221
Monday to Sunday 7 days a week 8:00am - 10:00pm (AEDT)
Supporting Australia-wide, wherever you are