Introducing the latest edition to our suite of strengths-based tools and resources—Strength Cards Unlimited! Everyone has strengths. But did you know that strengths are more than just personal qualities? They also include your relationships, culture, health, community, the natural world and access to supports. …Read more
Eating Disorders, and mental illnesses come in all shapes, sizes, colours, ages, race and social economic levels. Throughout my lived eating disorder experience I have had to deal with weight stigma and being told things like “you don’t look that sick or underweight”, “your …Read more
Feelings of shame can be heightened as children and young adults start to compare themselves to others. As children grow, they become more aware of what is considered normal—if their experiences and feelings don’t fit into this version of ‘normal’, this may result in …Read more
This month we launch our latest resource – Exploring Shame – a game changer for therapists, counsellors, carers and teachers. We talk with lead author Michael Derby on his motivation for producing the resource. 1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself …Read more
Maybe not in the wilds of nature. But in the wild world of our feelings many unexpected things can go together. Look inside on any typical day and you may notice a swirling mix of emotions and body signals. The limitations of language mean …Read more
The importance of self-care Even the most experienced and skilled professionals can feel overwhelmed and heartbroken when hearing people’s stories of trauma and loss. When you work in a role that involves supporting other people—like social work, teaching, healthcare, childcare or counselling—self-care is fundamentally …Read more
Given that both trauma and learning difficulties can have significant impacts on a child’s outcomes in later life, it is important to know how to recognise them in order to provide appropriate support. What we often don’t talk about is that trauma and learning …Read more
We have all experienced anxiety at some time or another. For many of us, it feels unpleasant, uneasy, uncomfortable and sometimes scary. It comes in many different forms and no two people will experience it in the same way. It can even look different at different …Read more
This month, we talk to Kit Kline, Nature Based therapist and founder of Nature Based Therapy, counsellor and educator, about some practical ways we can support clients to connect with the natural environment. Kit has almost 20 years’ experience working as a counsellor and …Read more
Pandemics have a shape. At the beginning, everything is unknown and we often feel fearful and overwhelmed by the thought of what might unfold. Then we start to become familiar with the features of the beast, how it works, who is at risk, and …Read more
Recently, Reverend Susan Pickering from the Uniting Church let us know about some YouTube clips she’d created of her reading a series of children’s books. The list of books she read included two Innovative Resources classics, Captain Grumpy (written by Russell Deal and illustrated …Read more
When you are already managing a mental health issue, the additional stress of social isolation can be particularly tricky to navigate. As we launch the new digital version of the Eating Disorders & Other Shadowy Companions, we thought it was worth spending some time …Read more
When a crisis hits, many people who have never accessed services before suddenly need support, placing additional strains on already stretched services. Organisations offering support around mental health, family violence, housing, food, financial counselling, AOD, amongst other things, are all under pressure at the …Read more
The importance of mental health is something we are continuously learning more about. Mental health impacts on so many areas of our lives, from relationships and work to our physical health and sense of worth. Any one of us can experience challenges to our …Read more
Digital communication tools are not new. For many years, people working in human services and education have been using digital tools to facilitate conversations. Given that lots of clients and students are ‘digital natives’, and they often feel more comfortable using tech-based tools and …Read more
In many workplaces across Australia, many of the conversations in the lunch room are about bushfires and related topics (like the impact of climate change and how we feel about government responses). While Australia manages this most recent manifestation of climate change, these issues …Read more
When children return to school after the holidays, the playground is often abuzz with stories about road trips to visit grandparents, movies with friends, hanging out at the pool, bike rides, camping with family, conquering of computer games, shopping trips, BBQs or just mooching …Read more
If someone were to ask each of us what Christmas meant to us, we would probably all have a different answer. We might talk about Christmas trees covered in wonky decorations made by our children, the ‘shushed’ wrapping of presents late at night or …Read more
When it comes to emotions, body signals or moods, it is easy to assume that we feel one thing at a time. But even a cursory look inside ourselves using our amazing super power of ‘interoception’ (that’s our ability to notice what’s happening …Read more
Diversity enriches our community by … Everyone’s body is different, therefore … A gender stereotype I have experienced is … These are just three of the forty cards from Rainbow Talk, a resource for opening up respectful conversations and storytelling about diversity—particularly in …Read more
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