Counselling Conversations - Julie Thomas

focus_contributor.

LEADERS

with CASSANDRA WILSON

FROM BECOMING U PROJECT

Hi Mikal, tell us a little about yourself…

I came to Australia when I was 6 years old with my family, including my older brother and 2 younger sisters. We moved to Coffs Harbour and I started school at Coffs Harbour Public School, before I was lucky enough to gain a scholarship to join Bishop Druitt College. My parents placed such a high value on education and learning and have passed on this love and appreciation to my myself and my siblings. I am an extremely proud Australian who is filled with gratitude, has a strong history and culture, and wants to make a difference in this world by getting people talking about hard things and coming together to make a change.

What do you love about school?

I have some amazing friends that I love spending time with. The teachers too, because I really value having mature and thought-provoking discussions with them, the opportunities that learning opens for us and that it allows me to start exploring my passions and potential career paths.

One of those passions is the Youth Action Collective that you are part of. What is this about?

This is a group of young people across Coffs Harbour and the North Coast who come together to combat discrimination amongst our cohort, mainly through the creation of arts and music. Although supported by Blue Sky Community Services and STARTTS, we are really empowered as young people to drive this message. We have young people from all different backgrounds and ages. I have taken on a role of helping promote this message through the media, interviews and schools to help it become a larger conversation that racism is not ok, and we all share the responsibility to stop it.

I have heard you also

We have a group have an incredible goal at my school to present to Canberra that comes together with your human each week on Fridays. rights group at school. The purpose of this Yes, that’s right. group is to look for We have a group at opportunities to my school that comes bring attention to together each week on human rights. Fridays. The purpose of this group is to look for opportunities to bring attention to human rights. This could be through harmony celebrations to writing articles to help educate our school community. I am working on increasing the impact of this group to a wider audience across our community. Because of this strong passion of mine, I have had an opportunity to work alongside a role model in human rights issues, Kim Randle, specifically around creating innovative and best practices for businesses to ensure they comply with NSW and Commonwealth modern slavery acts which I am so grateful for.

You are the year 12 Academic Captain at BDC this year, what do you hope to achieve with this leadership role?

Firstly, I feel so honoured to be in this position and serve my school. I hope to inspire our primary and secondary students to increase their creative thinking. I love when I meet younger students who are curious and ask so many why questions, as it reminds me of me when I was their age. If I can foster this curiosity by engaging them at school, encouraging them to look at things differently about the world, who they are, and what they can achieve and then talk about it, it would be a great legacy I leave behind.

Mikal, you are an inspirational and very humble human who I have loved meeting and hearing some of your story, let’s end on what advice you would give to other young people.

It’s ok to not have it all sorted yet. I’m not sure what my path will be next year, but I know that I want to meet more and more interesting people. Always be honest and tell the truth at the highest level, as it is one of the greatest values you can live by.

Be true to yourself, pursue your passions and enjoy your life.

And dream big, by being the best version of yourself, and being the change you want to see.

Thanks Mikal.

What is ergofix

Located on West High Street in Coffs Harbour, Ergofix is an awarded rehabilitation provider, with professional Physiotherapists specialising in the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal and neurological conditions, as well as expertise in ergonomics and the prevention of injuries.

Our practice is different, our motto is to diagnose, treat and fix. We aim to fix you in the least possible appointments… we build our business by fixing you… and then you tell lots of others about us!

Physiotherapists David and Adam have extensive experience, this means that Ergofix offers you the highest quality assessment and treatment from industry professionals. Please check us out, ask us questions, understand your body and expect more from your treating physio.

Our mission is to get you back into life… quickly! We invest time in you, we listen, we care!

Let’s talk inclusiveness

While we have a relatively small workforce, this doesn’t mean we shy from staff inclusiveness. We have 4 staff in total and are an equal opportunity employer – this was demonstrated when we were happily approached by Key Employment, a Disability Employment Service over 12 months ago. We have now employed 2 amazing and talented staff into our administration team.

Inclusion is a sense of belonging, connection, and community at work. Inclusive organisations like ours help people feel welcomed, known, valued, and encouraged to being their whole, unique selves at work. When an employee feels that their voice and unique self are appreciated, there’s a greater sense of value and satisfaction and this will be reflected on our patrons.

How has Key Employment helped?

Key Employment has been essential to our success through the supports they deliver and the ongoing assistance they have provided.

Key Employment’s consultant Cheryl has been assisting us through regular fortnightly contact and helping us get over any little speed humps that get in the way. Cheryl took care of all the paperwork required for financial incentives to our business and made the process for claiming these very simple, and as a small business, these incentives are vital to the ongoing growth of our team and have allowed us to reduce our business overheads.

Would you recommend Key Employment to other local businesses?

Absolutely we would, working with Cheryl and the Key Employment team has been easy, they have understood our business needs and worked with us to identify suitable candidates and guide us through all things great and small. We personally recommend Key Employment to any other local business looking to diversify their staff as we have and reap the benefits of an inclusive workplace.

So, give Cheryl from Key Employment a call on 02 6691 9999, and she will be happy to talk to you about the variety of services Key Employment offer.

LAURA

D A L E Y

ASPECT AUTISM SCHOOL

Laura Daley has two beautiful sons who have both been diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, and as she adjusted to meeting the additional needs of her boys she decided that she needed to improve the system and facilities available to us here in regional areas. She was an advocate for the Aspect Autism School which opened in Coffs Harbour in 2016.

Hi Laura. You have two children who have both been diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, what were the early days of diagnosis like for you and your family?

The early days were hard. My eldest son was two, and I also had a three month old baby, so I was sleep deprived, and trying to adjust to the news that Autism was now a big part of our life.

It was busy and overwhelming; trying to do the ‘normal’ parenting of feeding, washing, swimming lessons, plus being the ‘at home’ therapist for my son. I learned sign language (as my son was non-verbal back then), did occupational therapy, speech therapy and tried to soak up many skills and strategies to help my boys reach their potential.

Parents can also experience some grief when they have a child receive a diagnosis. It is an adjustment to realise that your life may be different to how you had planned it might be. I distinctly remember that on one really hard day, I was crying on the phone to my mum. I was very worried that as my two-yearold had autism, there was a high chance that my baby son might also be autistic. Having two autistic children was my greatest fear, as I wasn’t sure I could cope.

But I can honestly say that ten years on, my biggest fear has become my biggest blessing.

When you have a child with special needs, how important is community support and how did finding supports help you?

Support is essential for all parents. When you throw special needs into the mix, everyone needs a helping hand. I joined the Coffs Coast Autism Support Group, and found other mums whose lives were very similar to mine. The boys and I went to a special needs playgroup every week, and it was like a big warm hug.

My boys had funding (like NDIS) to help us navigate all of the therapy they needed, which meant support from organisations like Early Connections, and Northcott, and Aspect. Those specialists really understand your child, and family, and help you work through any challenges that may pop up.

You campaigned for the Aspect Autism School here in Coffs Harbour, can you tell us about the school?

I did allow myself to wallow in grief for a couple of weeks after my son’s diagnosis. Not because Autism is a negative thing, but there was definitely a period of readjustment. But after a while, you really do just have to get on with things.

I knew I would need help. I needed to build a support network. I needed an Aspect class in Coffs Harbour.

I set about arranging multiple Community meetings, brochures, letters. I met with every Principal in the Coffs Harbour area.

I did this while working part time, mothering and taking the boys to therapy twice a week.

I naively thought it would take 12 months – how wrong I was! Together with some other mums, we toiled for five years. We wanted a class, but ended up building a full school! In February 2016, the Aspect School opened its doors, and it changed all of our lives.

The school is the first of its kind in NSW outside of metro areas, what do you hope local families will get out of having an option like this locally?

I wanted families to have choice and control over where their child went to school, and select something that best suited their needs. Aspect offers a small campus, and small classes where each child gets the curriculum adapted to their interests and skills.

When the school started, I just felt like I could finally exhale. I no longer had to be the mum AND therapist. I went back to ‘just’ being Mum, and enjoying my boys.

What kind of support has the school received from the Coffs community?

Coffs Harbour Council was a driving force in helping establish the school; they worked with us to identify a building that could be upgraded to cater for the kids. While the school building premises was being upgraded, ‘Your Church’ allowed the school to temporarily set up in their premises, which was so generous.

The school has received funding support from ETC, the State Government, Bunnings and other donations to help get equipment and the outdoor space set up.

There are currently no high school options like Aspect Autism School in the area, which means that families are leaving Coffs to provide this type of education for their kids. Do you think a high school could be a possibility for our area?

There is definitely demand for an Aspect High School in the Coffs Harbour Area. As kids age out of primary school, their families either move, or try homeschooling. We have tried to start a high school, but without land, it remains a pipe dream.

Since the school was established, you’ve also done some other advocacy work. Tell us about that.

Our life is much simpler these days, which

And while my life is certainly different to how I thought it would be, it is so much richer for the path I’ve walked means I have the with my beautiful capacity to focus on boys. I wouldn’t other things. change a thing. My day job is as a public servant, I’m a solicitor and mediator, so in my spare time I’ve been working on some exciting projects. I’ve joined the NSW Disability Advocacy Advisory Board, which is looking at systemic issues of disadvantage for people with disabilities. With community groups and Specialisterne we are in talks about an autism employment project in Coffs Harbour, that works with local employers to find a role that unlocks an individual’s unique talents, kind of like the TV show “Employable Me”. Coffs Coast Autism and North Coast AFL are planning an “All Abilities Afternoon”, on Monday 28 March at 4pm. This will be a fun arvo of ball skills and laughs, and is open to all abilities, disabilities and ages.

And as my eldest starts high school, I’m also advocating with the NSW Department of Education, about changing their Assisted School Travel Policy, which I believe doesn’t cater to regional kids’ needs.

What advice would you give to other parents of kids with ASD?

Build a support network – they will help you through the hard days, and celebrate with you on the fabulous days. My support network has become like family to us, and I honestly couldn’t have done it without them.

And if you’re having problems with a service or system, reach out. If you’re having issues, it means other families will be too, and together we can work to change it for the better.

And while my life is certainly different to how I thought it would be, it is so much richer for the path I’ve walked with my beautiful boys. I wouldn’t change a thing.

THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF

S W E A R I N G

Dr Desirée Kozlowski is an expert in pleasure, gender roles and emotional intelligence. She’s a proud Coffs Coast local, a star in the Twitter-sphere, and Course Coordinator of Southern Cross University’s Bachelor of Psychological Science.

We chat to her about how pleasure can affect our mental wellbeing, the psychology of swearing, and her latest research project: The National Pleasure Audit. It’ll make you want to study psychology!

Let’s start off by talking about pleasure. How do you define pleasure? I’m sure a lot of people’s brains jump straight to the sexy stuff.

Well that’s undeniably a lovely place to go! The two biggest things that people think about when I say “yes, my study area is pleasure” is definitely sexual or sensual pleasure and the other one is food, particularly chocolate! But I'm encouraging people to look far more broadly and in more detail at their lives. An example I often use is the pleasure of standing underneath a warm shower. It’s just so impossibly beautiful and luxurious. We often take for

It’s just so impossibly beautiful and luxurious. We often take for granted granted these little these little things things and every day and every day experiences that feel so experiences that feel so wonderful. wonderful. If there’s a message that anyone takes from this, it’s the power of bringing our attention to those small, simple, accessible pleasures that have a lot of influence over our frame of mind.

So how do these pleasure-filled moments affect our mental wellbeing?

The evidence is showing very strongly that