The Quest for Life Foundation has partnered with community organisations to deliver a series of free trauma-recovery and wellbeing workshops for communities in regional and rural NSW and Mallacoota, Victoria – the Your Life Matters Regional & Rural Workshops 2022.
Quest Founder and CEO Petrea King and Quest’s Senior Facilitator Margie Braunstein will deliver the series of one-day workshops from March to July 2022 in the Central Coast, Mallacoota, Tathra, Batemans Bay, Nowra, Gloucester, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Wangarratta, Albury, Wagga Wagga, Hay, Broken Hill, Dubbo and Bathurst.
The workshops aim to educate people about the impact of trauma and help participants to improve their sleep, memory and focus, to make better decisions, and to feel more connected with other people. They are designed for anyone experiencing hardship, grief, trauma, illness, mental health issues – and particularly anyone impacted by recent natural disasters.
Quest CEO Petrea King said, “People living in rural and regional communities – especially those experiencing exhaustion, emotional and financial strain, trauma, hardship or loss after floods, fires and the ongoing impacts of the pandemic – need support now more than ever.
“The resilience of people living in rural and regional communities is immense,” Petrea said.
“They face challenges regularly and are constantly at the mercy of the elements – many have experienced drought, fires, an invasion of mice and now, floods. They eke out their resources – financially, materially, physically and emotionally – for so long, until they simply cannot any longer.”
The workshops are open to people on the land and their extended families, indeed anyone residing or working in the communities listed. We understand there’s always a flow-on effect which can engulf people in unexpected ways.
Quest Senior Facilitator Margie Braunstein invites community members to attend what she described as “non-confronting workshops” designed to teach people practical self-care skills.
“While we will talk about feelings and how to manage difficult emotions, we’re not going to ask you to share your feelings or to expose yourself in any way where you might feel vulnerable,” Margie said.
“These workshops are offered because we know how many challenges have been faced by all Australians but especially in our rural and regional communities.
“These workshops are very practical and you will take home skills and strategies that will help you in your life, in your community, in your family.
“We know the floods are particularly devastating for some communities. People are still recovering from the bushfires, and we’ve all been dealing with the effects of COVID-19 over the past two years. There’s been a mouse plague, and a long drought before that, plus all the regular challenges we have within ourselves and families.”
Margie said the Your Life Matters regional workshops would introduce the four key principles of building resilience and peace of mind, the symptoms of burnout and stress, and more importantly what can help people in their daily life.
“We’ll also touch on meditation and mindfulness. There’s a lot of science behind meditation and mindfulness now to show how it can soothe the nervous system. You can learn how to destress, decompress and relax your nervous system,” Margie said.
“So, if you’re feeling financially, mentally, or emotionally stretched, this workshop is for you. We want to introduce you to practical tools for building resilience and motivate you to implement self-care strategies. We’d love you to join us!”
Your Life Matters Regional Workshops – Dates, Venues & Bookings
Workshop times: 9.30am-3pm.
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL – Please contact event organisers via phone numbers listed below.
20 March Central Coast – 02 4320 9855 – CoastCanCare
28 March Mallacoota – 02 4883 6599 – Quest for Life Foundation – or book online (scroll to bottom of page for booking form)
29 March Tathra – 02 6499 2345 – Bega Valley Bush Fire Recovery Support Service
30 March Batemans Bay – 0436 299 482 – Eurobodalla Community Recovery Officer
31 March Nowra – 02 4421 0730 – Shoalhaven Women’s Health Centre
26 April Gloucester – 0412 754 210 – Gloucester Evening Branch Country Women’s Association
27 April Coffs Harbour – 0416 017 372 – Connection Works Australia
28 April Armidale – 0409 723 657 – Tour de Rocks
30 April Lismore – 0428 216 079 – Lismore Day Branch Country Women’s Association
23 May Wangarratta – 03 5721 9175 – Open Door Neighbourhood House
24 May Albury – 02 6021 5773 – Women’s Centre Albury/Wodonga
25 May Wagga Wagga – 02 6921 3333 – Wagga Wagga Women’s Health Centre
26 May Hay – 0428 938 186 – Hay Country Women’s Association
27 June Broken Hill – 0439 515 247 – RFDS Wellbeing Place
29 June Coonamble – 0457 221 872 – Coonamble Landcare
30 June Dubbo – 0400 913 849 – Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP)
1 July Bathurst – 02 6331 4133 – Central West Women’s Health Centre
The Quest for Life Foundation is located in Bundanoon, NSW and holds regular residential programs for people experiencing a range of issues including cancer diagnoses, mental illness, chronic pain, grief, and isolation.
Browse our Events Schedule for 2022 to learn more about our programs.
