GANDANGARA

LOCAL ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL

Connect. Belong. Thrive.

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Social and Emotional Healing Centre

Social and Emotional wellbeing encompasses the total package of social, emotional, physical  spiritual and cultural wellbeing of a person.  Gumal Mari Dyulu, means “belonging together in friendship”, and has been designed to achieve positive social and emotional wellbeing outcomes for First Peoples.

When talking about wellbeing, rather than only focusing on mental health, First Peoples concepts of social and emotional wellbeing consider a holistic perspective of what makes a person thrive, including how the body, mind and spirit are interconnected, how the connection to Country and culture provides strength and a strong identity, and how the connection to the community is central.

Social and emotional wellbeing is a broad term that covers the facets of needs for a person to thrive and contribute positively to their community.

Following First Peoples traditional healing knowledge, which has been passed down by Elders throughout history to the modern day, while also combining Western therapeutic frameworks, we have developed a host of programs that provide holistic support for your healing and well-being. Come and have a yarn with us and see what might suit you.

Our yarning circles incorporate age-old cultural practices of coming together and sharing our stories, learning from each other and healing together.

Yarning circles are a way for people to come together, connect, share stories in a safe environment, and learn and heal together as a group. We have yarning circles for group healing and cultural leadership, and for health, groups to learn how to better manage your health. This is the First Peoples way of coming together for healing business.

Music and art therapy are here to help nourish your spirit, your creativity,, your culture, and be therapeutic at the same time.

Fully focusing on one thing, such as the careful act of putting one dot of paint to canvass, can be a deeply mindful activity, helping you enjoy the wellbeing benefits of mindfulness through a cultural activity. For centuries, our Old People have used these mediums for mindful spiritual practice, and for storytelling, so why not start learning how yourself soon, and start telling your own story.

Meditation and mindfulness in cultural terms is often referred to as “inner deep listening, and quiet still awareness.” (Aunty Miriam Rose)

As we practice mindfulness, we train our mind to be present to what life offers, rather than allowing our minds to run on autopilot, making us miss our precious life. It also helps us to have more space around our thoughts and feelings, being able to be more reflective, experience greater inner peace, and learn how to respond to life with compassion and acceptance.

All of our Gandangara team have a foundation of knowledge in Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB). Our specially trained SEWB team is skilled and dedicated, including Aboriginal Health Workers, Aboriginal Health Practitioner Trainee's, Counsellors, Clinical Psychologists, Exercise Physiologist, Nurses, and more.

To link in with our Social and Emotional Wellbeing team, please give our friendly team a call today. Please call us on (02) 9601 0700 or email health@glalc.org.au