Creative projects
Creative projects
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander narrative practitioners are involved in some fantastic projects! Here are just some examples.
Tree of Life in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
with Che Stow
Examples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Trees of Life
Using the Tree of Life to help young mums
Carolynanha Johnson
My meeting place
Vanessa Davis created this narrative methodology by integrating Aboriginal Art with Narrative Practices in order to create culturally appropriate counselling with Aboriginal children and young people.
Didgeri: Local Collective Response
by Anthony Newcastle
No More Silence
Aboriginal men supporting others who have experienced childhood sexual abuse
Men’s Talk
This project involves men from Mounts Isa, Cloncurry and Normanton sharing stories about Aboriginal ways of being uncles, mentors, dads, grandfathers and friends .
Click here to see the Men’s Talk Project
Thwarting Shame: Feminist engagement in narrative groupwork
by Kylie Dowse
Yarning with a purpose
by Carolynanha Johnson
Solid families: Strong in heart and spirit
This program, ‘Solid families: Strong in heart and spirit’, is to our knowledge the first parenting support program based on Aboriginal values. It was initiated by Aboriginal mothers in Roebourne, Western Australia, and developed through a cross-cultural partnership led by Anne Mead and Jasmine Mack.
Hayley Saye
March 16, 2023I love the tree of life exercise, it allows for a person who shows their strengths, expression and empowerment.
shilaavissa
February 26, 2023My deepest thanks to the Drop the Rock team for sharing your Tree of Life with us. What a powerful way to render visible all the strengths, stories, ancestors, hopes, and dreams we carry – and to further share this with the collective and the rest of the world! This collective orientation towards healing is often lost in the dominant western approaches to “therapy” where people are viewed as mere individuals with problems to solve, separated from the countless beings that make us possible. This practice reminds me again of the importance of a concious anti-colonial approach to therapeutic practices.
Susie L
January 25, 2023All of these creatives incorporating narrative techniques, with First Nation’s People as the experts, developers and participants is so rich and so powerful. Thank you to all those who shared their work and and personal stories to enable us to learn and to reflect on our own practice with the hope of doing better.
The ways that culture is woven through all these creative ways of working, in ways that individuals in community can participate and build the practice and support each other is absolutely wonderful to see. Such beautiful healing practices.
As a non-Indigenous woman, it is truly a privilege to learn from all those contributing to this course.
littlewing.therapies
January 23, 2023It was so powerful to see the Tree of Life activity – I’m an art therapist and I can really see how this could be incorporated in my practise.
Tina
December 14, 2022I appreciate that yarning is being used in these creative and practical ways. I think it not only speaks to appreciation of the culture but also the connection that Narrative provides through creative and expanded means to externalize problems and seek broader paths to map resistance and dreams.
annikt
November 2, 2022I really enjoyed the My Meeting Place framework – i work with children and am always looking at new ways for them to share their worlds. This gives simple and meaningful tools for children and young people to visually explore as well as opening up opportunities to add an art therapy element. The integration of past and cultural influences is something that resonates with me, particularly for with working with young indigenous populations
faye blanch
May 3, 2022I feel true strength that the creative processes can allow for the hard conversations, and allowing voice that is respected and encouraged to speak is key to healing as well as sharing. I am very impressed with the part of men opening up about abuse and finding ways to contribute to healing.
standen_jo@yahoo.com
April 14, 2022I loved the Tree Of Life and Meeting Place tools and the oppportunities that these open up to explore problem stories; identify an alternative story and stories of resistance/resilience/strength; and externalize ‘the problem’. I also loved how non-directive and safe this approach can be and how it is a creative tool that moves beyond talking therapy and into creative expression and processing.
lil m
March 12, 2022I really loved this, the Tree of Life is a wonderful way of recording people’s strength and resilience. I enjoy doing tangible, creative interventions (such as drawing and decorating the Tree of Life) that are usually associated with play therapy with children, but I think work wonderfully with adults too.
debbie webster
February 25, 2022The idea of the tree of life was very inspiring when working with children. I found this very innovative and very interesting. The examples of the tree of life and their connections told a pictorial narrative and this was a very creative way of connecting and understanding children’s stories.
kenmarchtaler
February 19, 2022Kylie Dowse’s work with men who have abused, has enlightened me in so many ways, especially in situations where a woman may wish to stay within an existing relationship, once the abusive behaviour has been resolved. So often men are labelled and shamed, and left without hope. I believe Kylie’s work shows that abusive man can change, and where the functional parts of a relationship can continue once therapeutical resolve has taken place. Kylie presented eloquently and provides hope to those men who seek to change, and the relationships they wish to maintain. I plan to use some of Kylie approaches in helping my clients.
emma.puddy
February 4, 2022I love the idea of the tree of life – I work with Aboriginal children and young people and can already see how this will be such a beneficial grounding activity for us to engage with from the beginning of our therapeutic relationship. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sandra Owen
November 22, 2021I loved the creative endeavors to find strength within and to assist in a great community outcome “tree of life” cultural knowledge. I love it. It’s inspirational and very much draws from a narrative healing theme.