Sobah Life Podcast

EPISODE 9: Amber Rules, Rough Patch @roughpatchcounselling

In this episode of Sobah Life, Dr Clinton Schultz yarns to another mental health professional and founder of Rough Patch, Amber Rules.
While Sydney-sider Amber is passionate about pickles, punk music, non-alcoholic spicy margaritas, Stevie Nicks and her cranky old toothless dog Baxter, she is driven by her purpose to create affordable, accessible and compassionate mental healthcare; destigmatising mental health and addiction issues; building connection and community; uplifting marginalised voices; and radical community care.
"As a kid who had a rough childhood, learning how to maintain relationships has been hard, because I didn’t have some of the important foundational skills to be a good friend. I had to unlearn some shitty behaviours and learn how to show up for people, be compassionate, supportive, forgiving and trustworthy, and at times have difficult conversations," says Amber.
"In my opinion, adversity isn’t a good thing for growth - that cliché of “my pain is what made me strong” doesn’t feel right to me. I had to work harder and suffer more as a result of my painful experiences; I survived in spite of it, but honestly, I’d have preferred to not have experienced it at all." Despite having grown up surrounded by abuse and having experienced mental health concerns for most of her young life, Amber is so full of positive energy, compassion and empathy.
At Rough Patch, Amber is helping create an entirely new mental health service model in Australia - one that will no doubt increase access for people seeking affordable service and will also better working conditions for counsellors.
"I wish I’d had the practical support and care I needed, and I don’t know any advice would have made that easier. I think I would have liked to have known that eventually, I would be able to create a life that felt safer than it was then. I might have told myself “This is going to be really awful for quite some time, but it will get better eventually”," says Amber in reflection.
Hearing about her work, life philosophies and future desires was inspiring. An important theme to come out of the yarn was that of self-care and it's connection to caring for others.
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Disclaimer: Sobah Life Podcasts may contain explicit content relating to social-emotional wellbeing concerns such as abuse, addiction, self-harm and suicide. If you are likely to be offended or triggered by the discussion of these topics we recommend you do not listen to our podcasts. Sobah Life is not intended to replace professional help. If you have any concerns about your social and emotional wellbeing, you should consult your doctor or mental health practitioner. If you are triggered by any of the content of our podcasts and need immediate assistance you can call Lifeline (13 11 14), Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) or if you are a young person, Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800). A further list of crisis hotlines can be reached at:
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-services-infographic✊🏽

EPISODE 7: Danny Heke, Cultural values, and societal deficits. @focuswithdan
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Danny Heke hails from a small rural town in the Central North Island of New Zealand called Te Awamutu. Now he resides in Queensland, Australia with his family.
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At 17 years old Danny joined the Royal NZ Navy as a Combat Sailor (Underwater). He served for 15 years until he moved to Perth to work in the Pilbara mines as an Emergency Services Officer. After 4 years working in the Pilbara in Perth, Danny and his family moved to Brisbane and he currently works for BHP in the Bowen Basin as an Emergency Services officer.
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Danny traverses two different lives while being a week-on-week-off mine worker. He works long 12 hour days and when he is home, Danny loves helping his kids get ready for school and running them around. Danny loves to stay healthy by working out every day, even after a 12 hour work day.
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Danny has seen active war zones and participated in peacekeeping efforts while serving in the Navy during the East Timor conflict in 1999. "It was an amazing experience and allowed me to help many people, achieve some amazing things." - Danny Heke
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Danny opens up about "warrior upbringings" and how Australia and New Zealand are very similar but also very different..
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Disclaimer: Sobah Life Podcasts may contain explicit content relating to social-emotional wellbeing concerns such as abuse, addiction, self-harm and suicide. If you are likely to be offended or triggered by the discussion of these topics we recommend you do not listen to our podcasts. Sobah Life is not intended to replace professional help. If you have any concerns about your social and emotional wellbeing, you should consult your doctor or mental health practitioner. If you are triggered by any of the content of our podcasts and need immediate assistance you can call Lifeline (13 11 14), Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) or if you are a young person, Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800). A further list of crisis hotlines can be reached at:
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-services-infographic

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EPISODE 4: Jeremy Donovan, Walking with Wisdom
Jeremy Donovan is one of Australia’s most celebrated First Nations' keynote speakers, performers, and artists. A proud Kuku-Yalanji man, Jeremy draws on his personal experiences of adversity and expertise in First Nations culture and values to speak about Indigenous disparity. From the influence of Jeremy’s grandfather and Elders from his community, he has gathered knowledge and understandings of his amazing Cultural heritage which he is able to impart to others.
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Jeremy is an accomplished and published artist, musician, and poet. Jeremy has produced works for Nestle, David Jones, LendLease, Suncorp Bank, and Officeworks. In 2019 Jeremy completed two of the largest individual pieces of Aboriginal artwork measuring 14.1m for LendLease and the historic Barangaroo business district.
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Working with youth is one of Jeremy’s great passions. He travels to both remote and urban communities working with youth development. Jeremy’s work with youth is based around building self-esteem, self-worth, and gaining a greater understanding of Identity - the same battle Jeremy once faced. His message is powerful, purpose-based, and straightforward.
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Disclaimer: Sobah Life Podcasts may contain explicit content relating to social-emotional wellbeing concerns such as abuse, addiction, self-harm and suicide. If you are likely to be offended or triggered by the discussion of these topics we recommend you do not listen to our podcasts. Sobah Life is not intended to replace professional help. If you have any concerns about your social and emotional wellbeing, you should consult your doctor or mental health practitioner. If you are triggered by any of the content of our podcasts and need immediate assistance you can call Lifeline (13 11 14), Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) or if you are a young person, Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800). A further list of crisis hotlines can be reached at:

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-services-infographic

EPISODE 10: Kelly Louise, Deadly Podcasts @DeadlyPodcasts

In this episode of Sobah Life, Dr Clinton Schultz yarns to social worker, podcaster and country music singer-songwriter Kelly Louise about cultural identity and belonging.

Being different and being treated badly because of that difference can be really tough, particularly for young people. Having a strong and positive sense of identity is important for wellbeing.
Kelly Louise is a Gunggari woman born and raised on Jagera, Giabal and Jarowair country. Her best advice to her younger self is having self believe and the courage to back yourself to go for it. "You can be anything you want to be, believe in yourself and go get it."
Growing up in Toowoomba appeared to be fairly normal until she hit her mid-teens. Kelly has a non-Indigenous father and an Aboriginal mother that was disconnected to her mob. Being fair skinned left many unexplained questions of identity and belonging. Looking back on her life now, Kelly recognises that this caused her to feel alone, unsettled and doubtful. "I remember crying thinking 'why is my mum black and I’m white?' Am I white or black?"

Kelly didn’t have access to her culture or Aboriginal Elders to support and guide the development of her cultural identify so she found herself lost traversing young adulthood using alcohol and drugs to block out the pain. "I was continuing a generational cycle of alcohol abuse and self-destructive behaviour."

Having her son at 30 was a turning point in Kelly's life. She decided to study enrolling into Education but soon changed pathways to achieve a Bachelor of Social Work degree at 40. This personal success was only the beginning! It helped to propel her to what she loves doing the most. Now a singer/songwriter, recording artist, podcast founder, journalist and host, media producer and visual arts creator, Kelly is thriving.

"I am passionate about humanity, environment and animals and believe we all have right to reach our full potential. Deadly Podcasts is a platform that aims to inspire, empower and motivate theta to reach their full potential."

Follow Deadly Podcasts @DeadlyPodcasts on Instagram

EPISODE 8: Josh Toole, Community & Country Connectedness for better Wellbeing @blackfitfitness

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Gamilaroi man Joshua ‘Thurston’ Toole, founder of BlackFit Fitness, grew up in Bourke, NSW (Barkjindi Country) with his family ties going back to Coonamble throughout the Castlereagh catchment of northwest NSW (Gamilaraay Country). He now lives in Dubbo (Wiradjuri Country).
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"HEALTH FOR ME IS EVERYTHING,
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S ALL WE HAVE..." Josh Toole

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A young man and life-long learner, Josh has an undergraduate degree in Health Science with aims to become Physical Education Teacher (Secondary). Josh is also studying Personal Training and Nutrition.

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Josh has always had a love for health, fitness, and wellbeing. Being a First Nations man and wanting to play a role in "closing the gap", Josh started BlackFit Fitness nearly a decade ago. His passion helps expose Aboriginal children to opportunities to prioritise health and wellbeing.

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BlackFit runs school programs to help teach young Aboriginal children how to have a healthy lifestyle with cultural values, and also provides bush tucker recipes to cook for a healthy and more diverse, traditional food experience.

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Disclaimer: Sobah Life Podcasts may contain explicit content relating to social-emotional wellbeing concerns such as abuse, addiction, self-harm and suicide. If you are likely to be offended or triggered by the discussion of these topics we recommend you do not listen to our podcasts. Sobah Life is not intended to replace professional help. If you have any concerns about your social and emotional wellbeing, you should consult your doctor or mental health practitioner. If you are triggered by any of the content of our podcasts and need immediate assistance you can call Lifeline (13 11 14), Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) or if you are a young person, Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800). A further list of crisis hotlines can be reached at:
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-services-infographic✊🏽