Written by Aaron Azariah. Aaron is a placement student with OTLR currently completing his Master of Counselling at the University of Notre Dame in Perth, Western Australia. December marks the start of the holiday season, with Christmas preparations kicking into full swing and plans for New Years and any upcoming January holiday getaways taking up large portions of our time. …
Supporting our youth through times of grief and loss
When we think about grief and loss, our brain tends to assume the worst, which commonly is associated with the passing of a loved one. However, feelings of loss can be closely tied to the loss of various other entities, rituals and opportunities. Although it’s easy to distinguish the loss of a pet compared to the inability to train with your local football team, the byproducts of this loss may carry the same weight. This is especially important in our current society where our youth have needed to become increasingly more resilient and open-minded – sometimes needing to sacrifice their needs due to ever-changing circumstances.
Steadying the ship: Wellbeing tips to stay afloat during COVID-19
I love me a good metaphor. ‘Happy as a pig in mud’, ‘full as a centipede’s sock drawer’ etc. etc. During tough situations, (I don’t know about you, but this is my first global pandemic and definitely counts as a tough situation!), I like to take solace in a metaphor to add humour, imagery and most importantly a sense of hope.
In my field of work, a couple of my favourites are ‘riding the waves of emotions’ and ‘weathering the emotional storm’. COVID-19 is indeed a ‘storm’ and it wasn’t on the BOM radar. We find ourselves in uncharted waters, thrown in the deep end, with only time telling who will sink or swim!
WESTERN AUSSIES UNITE!
100 SPORTING CLUBS & 50 SCHOOLS PER YEAR WESTERN AUSTRALIA FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT Thanks to the support of the Federal Government and the Health Department the Outside The Locker Room welfare and education program is now fully funded for up to 100 sporting clubs and 50 schools across Western Australia per year for the next four years. The allocated funding will …
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
From little things, big things grow, and with 2020 well under way, OTLR is proud to announce the launch of our fresh new look. Our mission is still the same, to bring conversations about mental health out of the shadows and to help shine light upon common misconceptions, while strengthening communities. It has always been our core values to bring …