Welcome to The Return - a place to learn deep rest, unravel old patterns, trust your intuition, and connect authentically with a community of women also treading the path home to themselves. Reflect on something new every Friday and be in the know about my upcoming offerings, including women's circles, workshop series and retreats.
Why I’ve been quiet (it’s more than just a full calendar)
Published 24 days ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader,
Life, in the domestic realm, over the last couple of months has been unusually busy for me. And as such, my rhythm with these weekly newsletters has been thrown off kilter.
Enjoying the sunset on a recent weekend away
When I started this venture of The Return, I anchored it in the deep intention of practising what I preach: prioritising my wellbeing, tending to my nervous system, and remaining present and available to the people I care most about first and foremost.
I made peace early on with the fact that my ability to be consistent with The Return may wax and wane depending on the season of life I’m in. That’s not to say the guilt and “shoulds” are non-existent - they most definitely continue to be features of my consciousness that I have to actively keep at bay!
But the other, more poignant, factor that has been holding me back from turning up regularly in your inbox is an ongoing grappling over what I should or shouldn’t share with you. An internal toing and froing of: What exactly is my message? What do I want to write about? And what is appropriate?
There have been many reflections and insights I have wanted to share with you, but I kept struggling to find the boundary between what is personal and what is political.
You see, my training as a Clinical Psychologist, focused predominantly on the individual, or at best the small ecosystem around them. I was taught diagnoses and therapeutic modalities that focused almost exclusively on the person, putting the onus of distress - and the burden of change - squarely on their shoulders. Yes, acknowledgement was given to the role their background played in shaping their experiences. But pathways for change? Always on them.
Don’t get me wrong. I wholeheartedly believe in the value of individual therapy. We need to continue practicing self-awareness, fostering self-betterment and most definitely taking responsibility for our actions. And therapy can be a great place to do this.
BUT, what about context? What about the society we live in? What about the cultural, economical and systemic structures governing our way of life, our expectations of women, and what’s labelled normal or abnormal?
I was implicitly told that systemic critique was not the realm of my profession, but I’m finding it impossible to separate the two. And in trying to remain focused solely on the ‘individual’ lens in these newsletters, I found myself self-censoring to the point of not writing at all.
The truth, or more accurately my belief, is that we cannot seek to heal or improve our wellbeing in isolation. We need community, connection, support, and spaces where we can authentically be ourselves. But we also need broader societal structures where we feel safe enough to express opinions, state requests and desires, and move freely and with ease. These spaces have significantly increased (in some contexts) over the past few decades, but it’s nowhere near satisfactory.
My calling remains in uplifting and supporting women to develop better self-understanding and meaningfully reconnect with themselves. But that cannot happen without also calling out the invisible rules and structures that shape our experiences and that can make meaningful change difficult.
I can no longer separate the individual experience from the systems that create it.
And so, moving forward, you may notice an intentional shift in focus here. Alongside tools for the nervous system and inner reflection, I’ll be speaking more openly about the external pressures, cultural expectations, and systems that shape our experiences and who we are.
I hope this brings a deeper, more honest layer to our connection here. And as always, I’d love to hear your own thoughts and reflections on this - hit reply and tell me what’s come to mind.
Join me at The Creative Table: An afternoon of art, connection and reflection.
I’m thrilled to be joining as the "Wisdom Keeper" for the next The Creative Table with Gemma from Art for Today. We’ll be weaving together hands-on creative expression with guided conversation and exploration around inner stillness, nervous system care, and navigating life —all in a small, supportive circle of women. All materials and lunch are provided. Zero art experience needed!
The Details:
When: Friday 2nd October, 12pm-3pm
Where: Art for Today, Balwyn North
Investment: $120, all creative materials and lunch provided
Welcome to The Return - a place to learn deep rest, unravel old patterns, trust your intuition, and connect authentically with a community of women also treading the path home to themselves. Reflect on something new every Friday and be in the know about my upcoming offerings, including women's circles, workshop series and retreats.