21/07/2025
🌿 Changing the Way We Connect: Introducing Welcome Yarns at Superyou
Have you heard about Welcome Yarns?
It's a powerful new initiative developed and implemented by several passionate team members here at Superyou, and it's transforming the way we connect with First Nations clients in our community. Here's what one of those team members - Superyou OT, Layla - said.
🗣️ Why Welcome Yarns?
"After attending cultural training with Noongar leader Ingrid Cu***ng, each participant at Superyou developed a personal Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). My RAP focused on bridging gaps in client care. From personal experience, I knew that the onboarding process often creates unintended barriers for First Nations clients. With guidance from my colleagues, myself and the team worked to find a more culturally appropriate, respectful, and empowering way to begin client relationships.
That led to the creation of Welcome Yarns!"
🌱 What Is a Welcome Yarn?
"A Welcome Yarn is more than just a conversation or an onboarding session. Iit's a safe, culturally sensitive alternative to the traditional intake process. Instead of diving straight into medical checklists or paperwork, we create a warm, open space for First Nations clients to share their stories and experiences in a way that feels natural and respectful.
For Noongar clients, the Welcome Yarn follows the Noongar Trilogy:
✨ Boodja (Country/Land)
We start by talking about connection to land and belonging, with questions like "What's your mob?" and "Where were you born?". This helps us start the journey with our client through meaningful conversation and trust-building.
👨👩👧 Moort (Family)
Next, we'll explore family connections, identity, and community ties, to honor the importance of kinship and cultural continuity.
📚 Kaatijin (Knowledge)
This is where we listen to personal stories and cultural knowledge, gathering important insights into each client's lived experience.
A community map/eco map is often used as well, to guide the yarn and help us understand roles, relationships, and daily life of our clients!"
At its core, Welcome Yarns is about closing the gap, fostering genuine relationships, and ensuring that healthcare and support services are delivered with cultural safety and integrity. It's one of the ways we're reimagining therapy in WA. We are so proud of Layla and her team members for recognising an essential piece was missing for some of our clients, and advocating to ensure we can provide it going forward. 🫶
