ResourceYourself

🤎 A little pause for a very big moment…

There are some moments in life that deserve more than a quick weekend or a few days squeezed in around work.

Over the coming weeks, I’m taking some time away from ResourceYourself to be with my family as we celebrate a pretty significant milestone…

My eldest daughter is getting married. 🥹🎉

It feels a little surreal to write those words!

So, for a little while, I’m stepping away from the emails, the appointments, the training, the paperwork and the “I’ll just quickly…” moments and making space to be fully present.

Present for the celebrating.
Present for the family.
Present for the emotions (there will undoubtedly be a few!).
And present for this beautiful next chapter.

ResourceYourself will be taking a little pause from 25th September to 13th October, with messages and enquiries responded to when we return.

As someone who spends a lot of my working life talking about connection, relationships and the importance of being present for the moments that matter, it feels lovely to be able to practise what I preach. 🤎

We’ll be back soon, very grateful and probably with a few more stories to tell.

Today is International Day of Sign Languages and is an annual observance that aims to raise awareness about the importance of sign languages as a vital means of communication for millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing people worldwide.

It seeks to preserve and promote sign languages as the rich cultural heritage of deaf communities globally. The day also emphasizes the need to support and facilitate access to sign language education and learning for everyone, allowing the inclusion and full participation of deaf individuals in all aspects of society.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the International Day of Sign Languages in December 2017, with the first observance on 23 September 2018.

In Australia, Australian Sign Language (Auslan) is the predominant sign language used by the deaf community, and it is a critical component in the education, socialization, and overall well-being of deaf Australians. With around 30,000 daily users, this observance encourages Australians to learn and engage with sign language, helping to bridge the gap between hearing and deaf communities and promoting inclusivity across the country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPzfyJ-4hUg&t=8s

Townsville, DDP & a week of connection ❤️

Townsville has always held a special place in our heart.

This week Leah had the privilege of being back in Townsville delivering DDP Level 1, surrounded by a wonderful group of practitioners working across mental health, child protection and human services from Townsville, Canberra, Brisbane, Mt Isa and Malaysia.

There is something pretty special about sitting in a room with people who are committed to supporting children and families through some of life’s most complex moments; learning, reflecting and thinking together about what it means to create safety, connection and relationships where people can heal and grow.

And this trip has been extra special. Townsville has its own connection to family through Leah's time with the Navy, and this week she had the joy of spending time with her nephew, who is now posted here with the Army.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that service has woven its way through generations of family. Different roles, different uniforms, different places, but a shared thread of contributing to something bigger than ourselves.

DDP for us feels connected to that same thread. Not service in the traditional sense, but a commitment to showing up for children, parents and families. To creating environments where safety comes before shame, connection before correction, and where relationships can become a place of healing rather than another source of fear.

So, Townsville has given us a pretty wonderful week: DDP, great practitioners, meaningful conversations, family, a little Navy nostalgia and some very special Army time.

Feeling grateful for all the different threads of connection that brought us here. 🤎

This year National Child Protection Week 6-12 September, is driving a stronger national focus on shifting conversations into meaningful action.

Conversations can spark new ideas and encourage reflection. But real change happens when those conversations translate into practical steps that create safer environments and stronger support for children and families.

National Child Protection Week helps turn these conversations into action. Extending beyond the Week itself as a year-round national campaign, it brings people across Australia together to strengthen support systems, prevent harm and help children grow up safe and supported. By shifting conversation to action, we can build communities where every child not only feels heard but also experiences real safety, care and protection.

This artwork you see speaks to the power of conversation as a catalyst for action. It highlights that
through connection, understanding, and collective effort, we can create meaningful change
and safer environments for children and communities across Australia.

ResourceYourself is committed to this and uses frameworks that lean into vulnerable and safe conversations everyday.

Today Leah had the pleasure of hanging out with a super cool bunch of Teacher Aides whilst delivering Creating Relational Healing Environments. The morning was spent covering content and theory whilst engaging in some super fun clay/play dough creativity, whilst the afternoon was working shopping how we create such environments. Always a pleasure to spend time with helping professionals who are passionate about making difference in children’s lives. Compass Seminars Australia

🌱 Spring is here… time for a little spring clean!

We often think about spring cleaning our homes; opening the windows, clearing out the cupboards and making space for something new.

But what about us?

What might you like to spring clean from your inner world?

✨ An old story you keep telling yourself?
✨ Expectations about who you should be?
✨ A habit of being hard on yourself?
✨ Something you've been carrying that no longer needs to be carried?

And what would you like to make more room for?

🌿 Curiosity
🌿 Connection
🌿 Playfulness
🌿 Self-compassion
🌿 Rest

Perhaps a therapeutic spring clean isn't about getting rid of parts of ourselves, but becoming curious about them, understanding what they might be trying to tell us, and creating a little more space to choose how we want to respond.

A little less judgement.
A little more curiosity.
A little more PACE with yourself. 💛

So… what are you spring cleaning this year?

Have you recently completed DDP Level 1 or DDP Level 2?

These supervision groups have been created to ensure that on completion of the levels you have somewhere to continue your learning journey.

These groups can support you to remain connected to what you have learnt or may serve as a mechanism to help you reach for DDP Practitioner.

If you are interested in learning more information regarding DDP in Australia, reach out at [email protected]

🧩Could DDP be the missing piece🧩

If you're working with children, young people, adults or families impacted by complex trauma, attachment disruptions, developmental trauma, out-of-home care, foster care, kinship care, adoption, residential care, reunification, disability, or child protection, you may be looking for a model that places relationships at the centre of healing.

If you've been wondering...

💭 Is there another way to understand behaviour?
💭 How do I work more relationally?
💭 How do I bring curiosity, connection and safety into my practice?

DDP may be worth exploring. DDP is much more than a therapy model. It's a way of understanding relationships, behaviour, and healing through the lens of attachment, child development, neurobiology, relational trauma and intersubjectivity.

At its heart is a simple belief:

Children (and adults) heal in relationship.

Rather than asking...
"What's wrong with you?"

DDP invites us to ask...
"What has happened to you?"
"What do you need from this relationship right now?"

DDP weaves together many evidence-informed theories to help us understand the whole person.

These include:

🌿 Attachment
🧠 Neurobiology
💛 Intersubjectivity
🤝 Relational Trauma
👨‍👩‍👧 Child Development
💬 Mentalization
👨‍👩‍👧Family Systems
✨ The PACE Attitude (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity & Empathy)

Together they help us create relationships that foster:
• Safety
• Connection
• Regulation
• Reflection
• Resilience

Because healing doesn't happen in isolation.

It happens through relationships that are consistently curious, accepting, playful and empathic.

Connection creates the conditions for change.

💥 RELATIONAL REMINDERS 💥
In the busyness of everyday life, it’s easy to forget that at the heart of parenting, caring, teaching, case managing and being with families and children is relationship.

So many moments are filled with doing rather than being, and over time this can quietly erode connection. When this happens, we miss the very relationships right in front of us. We lose opportunities to prime the brain for safety and regulation, and we miss the moments that fill our cups and sustain joy in the roles we hold as parents, carers, educators, and helpers.

This visual is a gentle invitation to return to the simple, relational practices that often get lost in the doing. The practices that support both us and our children to thrive.

💗 Go slow to go fast — stay mindfully connected to the moment and what is truly needed
💗 Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity & Empathy (PACE) lead with relationship
💗 Notice shame when it shows up so we don’t unintentionally fuel it
💗 Name the experience, say what you see to deepen a shared understanding
💗 Connection before correction, co-regulation must come first, especially in hard moments
💗 Check what’s being activated in your values system, respond, don’t react
💗 Nurture and Structure, being with and doing together, with emotional co-regulation as the foundation for action.

Small relational moments, practiced often, create the safety and connection that make everything else possible.

🌱 What is P.A.C.E.?
Discover the heart of attachment-focused parenting with P.A.C.E. Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, and Empathy a transformative approach developed by Dr. Dan Hughes to help children feel safe, seen, and supported. 💛

Check out the link to hear Dr Kim Golding and Dr Dan Hughes talk about and break down each element of P.A.C.E. and show how it:
✨ Strengthens connection
✨ Builds trust
✨ Supports children to heal from trauma and big emotions.

Whether you’re a working with families, a foster parent, adoptive parent, or caregiver, this approach can bring calm, connection, and joy to everyday moments.
🎥 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWuFH44NFC8

PACE | A powerful PARENTING approach developed by Dr. Dan Hughes The Traumatized & At-Risk Youth Toolbox: https://amzn.to/3FxE2lD ...