we are updating our website over the next few days, so things a little skewiff .. please ring 043 555 0084 or email us at info@hobajing.com.au for up to date information
we are more than one choice or age or event but sometimes the echos of a singular experience can be so loud that it renders the rest of our lives, our knowledges and our successes invisible. At hobajing, we call that a problem story, and its power can feel like no other story will ever told.
sometimes the problem story doesn't even come from our own experiences but from a heavy consuming fog stalking us through birth, gender, culture, religion and other terrains.
by combining your expertise (after all it is your story) with our skills in engagement, reflective practices and narrative therapies, we bring the problem story out into a space where you can openly speak about your fears, desires and frustrations and then, if you're up for it, explore how to do more of what works for you and less of what doesn't.
live sessions are available face to face in Robertson NSW or by phone, Zoom or Teams. There are also offline options with a three day or seven day turnaround using Slack, email, Dropbox and even snailmail. All delivery modes are available for counselling and live delivery is available for cultural supervision and professional supervision. See below for more info on services or click here to learn a little more about our style.
have you ever taken a friend out to your favourite creek or trail? Somewhere you've been a hundred maybe even a thousand times where you can name every branch, every crevice, every stone and of course you know the way so well that you never sink into a hole or fall over a log. You know the history of the land and how the weather, the people and the fauna have impacted the landscape for good and for bad
and then your friend notices something different
something you don't even see at first and maybe insist is not there, but they point it out and it starts to shine. Something you can't believe you have either missed for so long or thought had no importance at all. Narrative yarns are just like that friend bringing other parts of the landscape to the front to learn how it was shaped, what is shaping it now and how it affects the rest of the view. Our approaches are influenced by our cultural identities, life experiences and community practices
.. often it doesn't. I am a female Aboriginal Australian over 50 and have supported many clients with different faiths, birthplaces, genders and ages. Sometimes though it is the client who feels they can more open if the counsellor has gone through what they have.
I know what it's like to be born during the stolen generations, during the times when girls and boys were the only recognised genders, when there was no white passing and when teen pregnancy was worse than bank robbery. I have overcome addictions, self loathing, divorce and many other adventures. I don't agree that there is more benefit in talking with someone who shares certain values or experiences, but I do encourage people to find the type of counselling that they need. If my sharing of my life helps yolu with that, I see it as a benefit.