More than 1000 refugee children are on waiting lists for counselling, the Victorian Foundation For Survivors of Torture says.
Centre director Paris Aristotle says changes to Australia's refugee intake mean more child victims of torture and trauma are being referred to long-term counselling.
This year, about 70 per cent of the Federal Government's humanitarian refugee intake will be African, and more than half that will be under age 25.
Mr Aristotle says refugee children are waiting months for help.
"In some agencies such as my own, the waiting period at present is about six months," he said.
"At another agency, it might be substantially more, and some would be perhaps three months. But generally speaking, between three and 12 months would be the sort of average waiting time across different services."