Wellbeingsupportspace

22/04/2026

What I actually do as a Social Worker 🤍

It’s not just one thing.

My work sits across counselling, support, supervision, consultation, research and projects- but at the centre of all of it is people.

Counselling
A space to talk, reflect, and make sense of what’s going on.
Not rushed. Not surface-level. Real conversations about real life.

Support
Walking alongside people navigating mental health, illness, disability, grief, change, and complexity.

Focusing on capacity, independence, and what matters most to them.

Supervision
Holding space for other social workers and helping professionals.
A place to slow down, reflect, and think critically about the work and yourself within it.

Consultation
Supporting organisations, teams, and individuals to navigate complexity.
Bringing a social work lens into systems that are often under pressure.

Research and projects
Listening to lived experience.
Capturing what actually matters.
Advocating for change in systems that need to do better.

This work is layered.
It doesn’t fit neatly into boxes.
And it was never meant to.

At the core of all of it is relationship, trust, and creating space for people to be heard.

Support to grow. Space to be.

socialworkers traumainformed neuroaffirming capacitybuilding research livedexperience adelaidesocialworker wellbeing supporttogrow spacetobe

22/04/2026

Today feels like a significant moment, with Mark Butler delivering the National Press Club address, and further budget announcements expected shortly.

For those of us working in Social Work, particularly across the NDIS and broader social services system, moments like this often bring a mix of uncertainty, pressure, and reflection.

The reality is — changes are rarely immediate.

But what does shift quickly is the direction.

We start to feel it in conversations.
In expectations.
In the subtle (and not so subtle) pressure to justify our work, our time, and the supports people receive.

And yet… the complexity of the people we support does not change.

If anything, it continues to deepen.

We are still working alongside people navigating disability, illness, grief, trauma, and significant life changes.
We are still holding risk, advocating within systems, and trying to provide care that is ethical, relational, and meaningful.

This is where the tension sits.

As systems move toward efficiency and cost containment, what happens to systems that are already stretched?

What happens to services already holding high levels of complexity, risk, and demand?

And most importantly — what does this mean for people with an NDIS plan and their families?

Because behind every policy shift are real people trying to navigate an already complex system.

People who rely on consistency, trust, and safe relationships with providers.
Families who are often already exhausted, advocating within systems that can feel overwhelming and difficult to navigate.

Reform is needed — many of us see that every day.

But reform also needs to be safe, ethical, and centred on the people the system is designed to support.

This week alone, I have seen situations that raise real concerns about how vulnerable people can be influenced or moved within systems in ways that do not feel aligned with their best interests.

That is hard to sit with.

It raises questions about safeguards, accountability, and how we protect people in practice — not just in policy.

I keep coming back to the importance of slowing down in moments like this.

Taking the time to reflect.
To think critically.
To stay connected to our values and to each other.

I’m really interested to hear how others are experiencing this right now.

21/04/2026

In my work as a Social Worker, I often walk alongside people after the death of someone they love.

I also support people following critical incidents in workplaces, through employee assistance counselling and ongoing care.

Grief can feel overwhelming, unpredictable, and at times… confusing.

One way of understanding this is through the Dual Process Model of Grief, developed by Margaret Stroebe and Henk Schut.

It reminds us that grief is not something you move through in a straight line.

Instead, people naturally move back and forth between:

• facing the loss — the sadness, the longing, the memories, the pain
• managing life around the loss — getting through the day, returning to routines, focusing on practical things

This might look like:

Crying one moment, deeply missing them…
Then making dinner, answering messages, or even laughing at something small.

And then the grief comes back again.

This back and forth is not you “going backwards.”

It is how we cope.

Grief after death doesn’t follow a timeline.

It doesn’t move in neat stages.

It moves.

So if your days feel up and down, heavy and then manageable, and then heavy again —
that is not failure.

That is grief.

And it makes sense 🤍

Support to grow. Space to be.

21/04/2026

19/04/2026

Wellbeing is fluid.
It changes depending on what’s going on in your life, your environment, and the supports around you.

Support to grow isn’t about doing more.
It’s about building the right skills, at the right time, in a way that actually fits your life.
It’s capacity building that is practical, consistent, and purposeful.

Space to be matters just as much.
Not every session needs to push.
Sometimes people need space to think, to process, or just to show up as they are.

That’s how I work.

Across capacity building support, training, consultation, and supervision
the focus stays the same
support that is meaningful
and space that is respectful

No overcomplicating it.
Just doing the work properly.

✨ Support to grow
✨ Space to be

18/04/2026

We talk a lot about mental health and checking in on people.

“Are you okay?”

And that matters. It really does.

But what happens when you can tell they’re not?

When the answer is hesitant… or doesn’t quite match what you’re seeing?

This is where we often stop.
We get uncomfortable.
We don’t want to say the wrong thing.

But sometimes, the most important question is the one we avoid.

If someone tells you they’re not okay, it is okay to gently ask:

“Have you had any thoughts about suicide?”

I know that can feel confronting.
There’s a fear that asking might make things worse—but it doesn’t.

What it can do is:
• give someone permission to be honest
• reduce the sense of being alone
• help them feel truly seen and heard

You don’t need the perfect words.
You don’t need to fix it.

You just need to be there. To listen. To stay.

And if they do say yes—don’t panic.
Stay calm, stay with them, and help connect them to support.

In Australia, support is available 24/7:
📞 Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14
📞 Su***de Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

17/04/2026

Core beliefs start forming long before we have the language to describe them.

They are shaped in early relationships, environments, and experiences—what was said, what wasn’t said, how we were responded to, what we learned about safety, love, worth, and belonging.

Over time, these beliefs become the lens through which we see ourselves and the world:

“I’m not enough.”
“I’m too much.”
“I have to do everything myself.”
“People will leave.”
“My needs don’t matter.”

They don’t come from nowhere.
They come from somewhere that made sense at the time.

And here’s the important part—
they are learned… which means they can be unlearned.

Shifting core beliefs doesn’t happen by just “thinking positively.”
It takes awareness, curiosity, and repeated new experiences.

It might look like:

* Noticing the belief when it shows up (instead of automatically believing it)
* Gently questioning it: Is this always true? Where did this come from?
* Understanding the function it once served (often protection)
* Practising new, more balanced thoughts
* Taking small actions that go against the old belief
* Allowing safe relationships to challenge your old narrative

This is slow, layered work.

Because core beliefs aren’t just thoughts—
they are felt in the body, reinforced over years, and often tied to identity.

But change is possible.

Every time you respond differently,
every time you choose curiosity over judgment,
every time you act in alignment with who you want to be—

you are rewriting the story.

You are not your core beliefs.
You are the one who can notice them… and choose something different.

15/04/2026

✨ Shared with permission

The magic of engaging with people’s strengths is where real change happens.

I recently supported someone living with a psychosocial disability who found it really difficult to engage in traditional, talk-based sessions. What I came to understand — through time, curiosity, and connection — was that art was their strength. It was what made them feel safe, engaged, and like themselves.

So we followed that.

What shifted next was powerful.

Rather than me leading the session, they began planning art sessions for me.
They decided what we would do, what materials we needed, how it would run.

And in doing this, they were:
– thinking ahead
– planning and organising
– initiating tasks
– problem solving
– communicating ideas
– engaging socially

This is capacity building.

This is executive functioning in action.

This is what it looks like when someone is supported in a way that aligns with who they are — not forced into a model that doesn’t fit.

What might look like “just art” was actually:
– building confidence
– strengthening cognitive skills
– increasing independence
– creating connection and trust

They wanted to engage this way.
So we met them there.

Because when we take the time to deeply understand the person — what makes them tick, what feels safe, what brings them to life — we create space for meaningful, lasting change.

This is the work. 💛

15/04/2026

Wednesday | Office Day at the South Connect Health Hub Morphett Vale

I currently have very limited availability on Wednesdays for in-person sessions.

As an Accredited Social Worker, I bring experience across:
– Mental health and emotional wellbeing
– Adjustment to injury and illness
– Brain injury rehabilitation and complex disability
– Supporting people and families navigating significant life changes

My approach is always relational and person-centred — walking alongside you, making sense of what’s happening, and building capacity to move forward in a way that feels meaningful and manageable.

These sessions are suited to people who may benefit from:
– A more contained, in-person therapeutic space
– Support with complex presentations or multiple intersecting challenges
– Rehabilitation-focused support following injury or illness

If you’ve been considering face-to-face support, Wednesdays at South Connect Health Hub, based in Morphett Vale South Australia may be an option — though spots are limited.

Feel free to reach out if you’d like to explore whether this is the right fit for you.

Cate@wellbeingsupportspace.com.au

14/04/2026

Amazing well done neurotopical therapy 👏👏👏

Join Amelia Wright from Neurotopical Therapy to understand what burnout can look like in children, and how to support wellbeing in ways that respect capacity.