Shows
Social Work SpotlightEpisode 101: JanaIn this episode I speak with Jana, an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with over a decade of experience working as a practitioner and clinician within community-based and multidisciplinary services, working with individuals and families, providing 1:1 counselling and case management support, as well as offering mentoring and supervision to emerging and graduate social workers.Links to resources mentioned in this week’s episode:Jana’s practice website - https://www.wusahcounselling.com/Hints for Healing (STARTTS) - https://www.hintsforhealing.startts.org.au/The Department film - https://thed...
2024-01-1947 min
The Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 3, Episode 3: All One Under the Sun - Opposing Interpersonal Racism through MusicDianne Jacobus (STARTTS’ Coffs Harbour Youth Community Development Project Worker) discusses three arts-based anti-racism projects she has worked on in Coffs Harbour: All One Under the Sun, Change the Story and Stand Up/Stand By.
Show notes:
All One Under the Sun Official Website
All One Under the Sun ABC News Article
Produced by Nicole Loehr. Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Eric Avery. Image from https://www.alloneunderthesun.com.au/
2023-01-2333 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 3, Episode 2: Combating Institutional Racism in SchoolsIn this episode, Marica Stipanovic (Principal Policy Officer, Anti-Racism, NSW Department of Education) discusses how the NSW Department of Education is tackling racism and shares highlights from the Department's 2022 revision of their Anti Racism Policy.
Anti Racism Education, NSW Department of Education
Racism. It Stops with Me.
Produced by Nicole Loehr. Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Eric Avery. Image supplied by the NSW Department of Education.
2023-01-1639 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 3, Episode 1: Structural Racism with Dr Virginia Mapedzahama and Rafik TaniousIn this episode, Dr Virginia Mapedzahama (African Women Australia) and Rafik Tanious (STARTTS) discuss structural racism in Australia and what is needed to combat it effectively.
African Women Australia
Diversity Council Australia
https://mindtribes.com.au/reports/
Leaked audio reveals Queensland police staff in racist conversations, joking about violence to black people and protesters
Produced by Nicole Loehr. Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Eric Avery. Image supplied by Virginia Mapedzahama.
2023-01-1054 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 3 Introduction: Four Forms of RacismIn Season 3, Hints for Healing examines four forms of racism, how racism impacts on learners with refugee experience and what is being done to combat this. In this introduction, STARTTS School Liaison Counsellor, Rafik Tanious, introduces the four forms or racism: structural racism, institutional racism, interpersonal racism and personal racism.
Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Eric Avery. Royalty free image from Pixabay. Produced by Nicole Loehr.
2023-01-1010 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 2, Episode 4: Navigating Year 12 in 2021 - Experiences of an Afghan-Australian Young WomanIn this episode, 19 year-old Afghan-Australian, Farzana Nazari talks about her experiences of transitioning from her Intensive English Centre to mainstream high school. Farzana also discusses what gave her strength and comfort during the turmoil of 2021, when the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan coincided with a prolonged covid-19 lockdown in Sydney, all while she was preparing for her Year 12 exams. Image supplied by Farzana Nazari.
For assistance with visa applications, the following services may be able to assist:
RACS – Refugee Advice and Casework Service. Call +61(2) 8317 6500
Legal Aid Refugee Service. Call - +61(2) 8713 6725
Jesuit Refugee Services. Legal Support. Call – +61(2) 9356 3888
2022-06-0916 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 2, Episode 3: Supporting the Recovery of Afghan Youth through Online PlatformsIn this episode, STARTTS Youth Program Team Leader, Lina Ishu discusses how she and her team used flexibility, creativity and consultation to adapt to the needs of Afghan Young People in the context of the 2021 Taliban takeover and the COVID-19 lockdown in Sydney, Australia. Lina explains how a range of supports including small online groups, large forums, fundraisers, art competitions and social media communication channels were offered to minimise isolation and reach out with pathways to mental health support.
Find out more about STARTTS Services for Children and Young People here.
2022-05-1032 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 2, Episode 2 - Supporting the Resettlement of Afghan Evacuees in NSWIn this episode, STARTTS Community Development Group Worker, Rohullah Rahimi, spoke with Nicole Loehr about how recent evacuees from Afghanistan are being impacted by their ordeal. He discusses what educators can do to support the resettlement and recovery of young Afghans and also talks about the various groups and forums, he and STARTTS colleagues have been facilitating for their Afghan clients.
Groups that Rohullah and colleagues are involved in facilitating at STARTTS:
Australian Citizenship Test Preparation group for Permanent Residents
Women’s yoga group (run by a colleague)
Excursions
Afghan Youth Gathering – Afghan Young People are on Ste...
2022-05-0343 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 2; Episode 1: Resettlement of Recent Afghan Evacuees in Victorian SchoolsWelcome to Season 2 of the Hints for Healing Podcast! In this season we welcome guests to share their experiences and insights into supporting the resettlement and mental health of Afghan members of the community at a time of enormous upheaval, uncertainty and worry for Afghan people all around the world.
My first guest this season is Greg Gow. Greg leads the Melbourne-based Foundation House Education and Early Years Program, which is a Victorian statewide service supporting schools and early years service providers to respond to children and families with refugee experiences. Since August 2021, Greg has been coordinating...
2022-03-2538 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 15 - The Sacred Territory: Using the Methodologies of Eco-dialogue to Open Minds to the Interrelation and Interdependency of Nature and HumanityOn 10 September, STARTTS School Liaison Team Leader, Shaun Nemorin chaired the 2021 conference of the International Society for Health and Human Rights (ISHHR). One of the distinguished speakers was psychologist, activist and social arts facilitator, Hector Aristizábal. In this recording, Hector, himself a survivor of civil war, trauma and torture, speaks about his work on the “Reconectando” project in Colombia. This project combines deep ecology, social theatre and ritual to support ex-combatants and victims of Colombia’s civil war to heal through their connection to themselves, each other and the earth. The project accompanies the work of the Truth Commiss...
2021-10-1236 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 14 - Supporting Students and Families with Afghan BackgroundsIn this episode, Nicole Loehr speaks with STARTTS Senior Clinician and Clinical Trainer, Nooria Mehraby. Nooria trained as a medical doctor in her native Afghanistan before completing a Master of Counselling in Australia. She has more than 30 years experience working with refugees both overseas and in Australia and that includes over 25 years working at STARTTS.
In this podcast, Nooria provides some context for the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan and explains how the situation is impacting on the Afghan diaspora around the world. Nooria also shares her tips on how educators can best support students and families at this t...
2021-09-0741 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSupport for Dari-Speaking Parents Affected by the Crisis in Afghanistan: How parents can promote the wellbeing of their children and themselves during COVID-19 restrictions (Language: Dari)In this special edition podcast in Dari, STARTTS Senior Clinician/Clinical Trainer, Nooria Mehraby, MD, addresses Afghan parents across NSW. In this podcast, Nooria provides:
An introduction to STARTTS services
An outline of some common symptoms of acute stress and retraumatisation
Advice on how parents can get some relief from their symptoms while adhering to COVID-19 restrictions in NSW
Tips on how parents can support the wellbeing of their children and adolescents during the crisis in Afghanistan and COVID-19 restrictions
Suggestions on how to avoid exposure to graphic content amongst children and young people
Guidance to parents who are conc...
2021-08-2625 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 13 - Supporting Refugee Children Survivors of the Beirut Blast: Reflections from Trauma Specialists in LebanonIn this episode, Nicole Loehr speaks with Clinical Psychologist Joelle Wehbe and Social Worker Celine Yasmine from RESTART, which is the Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture in Lebanon. Joelle and Celine discuss how they have supported young survivors of the blast that occurred at the Port of Beirut on the 4th of August in 2020. Of the 1026 survivors of the blast that RESTART has assisted, 55% are refugees. Celine and Joelle explain how children, already impacted by refugee trauma, were further impacted by the blast and they outline the protective factors that they’ve observed to be...
2021-08-1557 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 12: Neurofeedback Counselling for Children with Refugee ExperienceIn this episode, Nicole interviews STARTTS Child and Adolescent Neurofeedback Counsellor Jacqueline Tow. At STARTTS, Jacqueline practices neurofeedback counselling with children, young people and their families both in STARTTS clinics, and, when COVID restrictions allow, in schools.
Jacqueline explains what neurofeedback counselling is, for which trauma symptoms it’s particularly effective and how it affects change in the brain, and ultimately in the mental wellbeing of her clients.
Jacqueline holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Speech Pathology) as well as a Master of Counselling & Applied Psychotherapy. Prior to being at STARTTS, she worked in private pra...
2021-07-3026 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastEpisode 11: Music-based Group Therapy and Navigating the Territory of a Bicultural CounsellorIn this episode STARTTS Counsellor Hassan Saleh talks about his early life as a Kurdish boy and young man, growing up in northern Iraq and how his commitment to learning, peace and justice brought him to the counselling profession and extended his pursuit of human rights to animal rights as well. Hassan shares some of the intricacies of his experiences as a bicultural counsellor in Australia and explains about how a music-based psycho-social group at STARTTS has supported the recovery of adult survivors of refugee trauma. Hassan holds a Bachelor in Translation from the University of Mosul and is currentl...
2021-07-091h 06The Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 10 - Physical Activity for Health Among young Torture and Trauma Survivors: An opportunity for treatment and preventionDr Simon Rosenbaum is an internationally recognised pioneer in the field of physical activity, mental illness, sport for development and global mental health.
Scientia Associate Professor in the School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney, he has worked with a variety of groups including youth, veterans, emergency service workers and refugees. Simon has overseen various international research and capacity building projects, including working in the Rohingya refugee crises in Bangladesh and with those fleeing the Syrian conflict in Gaziantep, Turkey
In this talk with Shaun Nemorin, they discuss the impact of sports and physical activity as an...
2021-05-2848 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 9 - Third space and Intercultural Learning: Providing pathways for safety and healing in the classroomRafik Tanious is an education and mental-health professional and film maker, who specialises in cross-cultural therapeutic interventions and inter-cultural learning. In this discussion with Nicole Loehr, they address the specific needs of learners with a refugee experiences and ways in which schools, teachers and counsellors can support in more culturally sensitive and trauma informed ways.
Rafik talks intimately about his personal journey in Australia and how it would later influence his work over the last 25 years, both in Australia and internationally. More recently through the complexities and opportunities in working with young people with a refugee experience...
2021-05-1841 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 8 - Windows and Mirrors: Teaching and Sharing Refugee Stories in the ClassroomTeacher, psychologist and writer Jemima Shafei-Ongu talks to Nicole Loehr about how texts with refugee themes can be used in the classroom in a way that respects the psychological safety of all students. Jemima also shared her tips on how to support students who express their wish to share aspects of their refugee experience with the school community.
Find out more:
Sitti's Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye. Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.
My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald. Illustrated by Freya Blackwood
Produced by Nicole Loehr. Music by Eric Avery and R.E.M. (performed by Troy Reill...
2021-04-1646 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 7 - Occupational Therapy Approaches to Trauma RecoveryNicole Loehr interviews Occupational Therapist and fellow STARTTS School Liaison Officer, Rachelle Coe about the role that occupational therapy can play in recovery from refugee trauma. They discuss how a knowledge of sensory processing can be harnessed to support students with co- and self-regulation in the classroom and illustrate the important role that the physical environment plays in supporting calm and alert states of arousal. Rachelle also reflects on her experiences of facilitating and providing consultation for play-based groups and supports for learners with refugee experience.
Find out more:
Occupational Therapy Australia
Australasia Pacific Play Therapy...
2021-03-3057 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 6 - On Country: Belonging and Culturally-Relevant TherapyShaun Nemorin interviews social worker and psychotherapist Sue-Anne Hunter, a proud Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman. They discuss connection to ancestors and the intersections of trauma healing amongst First Nations Peoples and people with refugee experience who have migrated to Australia. Through Shaun's personal experiences of being welcomed on Aboriginal land, Sue-Anne and Shaun explore the power of welcome and connection with First Nations Australians and the critical importance of supporting First Nation’s people's healing.
Find out more:
Australian Indigenous Health Info Net
Welcome to Country App
Sue-Anne Hunter Aboriginal Cultural Consultancy
Neurodecolonisation and Indigen...
2021-03-0957 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 5: Sydney Soccer Stories: Social Connectivity and Narrative Approaches to Trauma RecoveryShaun Nemorin swaps roles and hops in the guest seat! In this episode Nicole Loehr interviews Shaun about the importance of social connectivity in overcoming adversity and his personal and professional experiences of people finding a sense of belonging and purpose through sport, writing and narrative therapeutic approaches to healing.
Shaun made reference to the following texts during the interview:
Tribe by Sebastian Junger http://www.sebastianjunger.com/tribe-by-sebastian-junger
Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam http://bowlingalone.com/
Laurie Pearlman https://dartcenter.org/bio/laurie-anne-pearlman-phd
Sydney Soccer Stories - https://www.facebook.com/sydneysoccerstories/
Books by Frantz Fanon - The...
2021-02-1647 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 4: Cultural Chameleons and Creative TherapiesIn this episode Shaun Nemorin talks to STARTTS School Liaison Officer, Nicole Loehr. They discuss how the most unsuspecting paths can lead to working with survivors of refugee experiences and explore how a knowledge of cross-cultural identities and creative expression in a therapeutic environment, can support healing and recovery. Produced by Nicole Loehr. Music written by R.E.M and performed by Troy Reilly. Artwork "Now you see me" by Nicole Loehr
2021-01-2741 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 3: Sandplay - Expressing and Understanding Through Sand and MiniaturesIn this episode Shaun Nemorin talks to STARTTS Child & Adolescent Counsellors Chiara Ridolfi and Sanja Stefanovic about how they apply Sandplay to working with children with refugee experiences. Sanja and Chiara reflect on how key aspects of Sandplay Therapy, such as freedom of expression, safety and a person-centred approach, support clients’ psyche to work toward healing.
Produced by Karen Collier. Music written by R.E.M and performed by Troy Reilly. Photo and staging by Nicole Loehr.
2020-12-1544 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 2: Jungle Tracks - HealingThrough Stories
Shaun speaks with STARTTS Psychologists Pearl Fernandes and Yvette Aiello about the how story books from the Jungle Tracks Kit have been used to support children's recovery from refugee trauma.
2020-11-2055 minThe Hints For Healing PodcastSeason 1; Episode 1: Working therapeutically with learners with refugee experience in a COVID reality
Shaun speaks with Julie-Anne Younis who is the Senior Child and Adolescent Counsellor/Trainer at STARTTS.
A registered psychologist who has provided therapeutic services to learners with refugee experience for almost 20 years, we talk about how we might better support young people in the time of Covid 19.
2020-10-1249 min