'A Connected + Respectful Tasmania' ...

'Why This Matters to ME and COLLECTIVE THERAPY HUB' ...

Last year, COLLECTIVE THERAPY HUB was involved in the '75 Conversations in 75 Places' project with Relationships Australia Tasmania. This project travelled across Tasmania listening to people and asking one simple but powerful question:

'What does a connected and respectful community look like to you?'

The conversations were turned into a report called A Connected and Respectful Tasmania – Tasmanians speak. We listen.

Recently, I was sent this Insights and Actions paper with a sticker that says 'Connected & Respectful', and I’ve thought about that sticker a lot. You will see them displayed inside The HUB. When I look at the HUB, I realised something very clearly:

That is exactly what this space that we have created together is about, Connection and Respect, plus Community and Belonging.

What Tasmanians said they need ...

Across Tasmania, people spoke about wanting communities where they feel:

• Safe;

• Heard;

• Included;

• Respected;

• Connected;

• Supported; and

• Like they belong.

They also spoke about what gets in the way:

• Loneliness and social isolation;

• Mental health challenges;

• Difficulty accessing services;

• Funding and system barriers;

• Discrimination; and

• Communities becoming disconnected.

Reading this Paper felt very familiar, because these are the things I hear every day in counselling sessions, yin yoga classes, drum circles, training and conversations at The HUB.

The key priorities for Tasmania ...

The Insights and Actions Paper identified key priorities for building a Connected and Respectful Tasmania:

• Equitable access to services and support;

• Inclusive growth through diversity and equity;

• Strong community infrastructure and shared spaces;

• Empowered community capacity and leadership;

• Social connection and belonging; and

• Mental health and wellbeing as foundations.

When I read this, I realised that COLLECTIVE THERAPY HUB actually sits right in the middle of these priorities.

The HUB is a shared space. It is about mind + body health and wellbeing. It is about access to support. It is definitely about creating connection, community and belonging.

The HUB was never just about MIND + BODY Health Therapies ...

COLLECTIVE THERAPY HUB was never meant to be just a counselling practice or a yin yoga studio, or about providing training or drum therapy.

It has always been about creating a space where people can:

• Come and talk;

• Sit and have a cuppa;

• Join WALK + TALK;

• Sit in a drum circle and feel a part of something;

• Connect their mind + body with yin yoga;

• Attend training and learn skills;

• Connect with others; and

• Feel welcome walking through the door.

In many ways, The HUB is simply trying to create a small example of what a 'Connected and Respectful' community can look like.

Connection is built through relationships ...

One of the most powerful messages in the Paper was that strong communities are not built only through infrastructure and services, but through:

Relationships;

Trust;

Belonging;

Connection;

Community; and

People working together.

This really resonated with me, because sometimes what people need most is not another appointment, another form, or another referral.

Sometimes people just need:

• Someone to listen;

• Somewhere to go;

• Something to be part of;

• Someone who knows their name; and

• A place where they feel like they belong.

  
  

Connected and Respectful ...

If we want stronger communities, we don’t just build services, we build connection, relationships, and spaces where people feel they belong. That, to me, is what The HUB is really about, and why I began this journey in the first place.

So that little sticker that says 'Connected & Respectful' now means a lot to me, because when someone asks me what COLLECTIVE THERAPY HUB represents, I reply by sharing:

'It's a space where people feel connected;

It's a space where people feel respected;

It's a space where community is created; and

It's a space where people feel like they belong.'

With warmth + care

Jodhi x