A mother's struggle to get counselling for her traumatised daughters highlights a lack of primary mental health care.

Genevieve Simpson has had applications turned down by multiple agencies, since her children were caught up in an AOS standoff in Thames which left their uncle dead.

She says Police suggested she take the girls to local counsellors.

But New Zealand Association of Counsellors president Robyn McGill agrees with her concerns, that these people are not specialists trained to deal with children's trauma.

"For vulnerable families and children primary mental health services are woefully inadequate."

She said it's unfair that parents should have to fork out for specialist help, "rather than assuming that this will be part and parcel with our health service."

Robyn McGill said the now defunct Relationships Aotearoa was running suitable programmes for children.