Workshops Archives

The Spiral Symbol: moving and growing

We are immersed in a world of symbols. Wherever I look, I see reflections of parts of myself – the drooping tomato plants fatigued from the long hot days of summer; the river red gums stretching tall and wide providing habitat for a whole ‘other’ world of plants and animals; the river pebble streaked with marks from its earlier life which have become integral parts of its present self. Artists, movie makers and marketing gurus use symbols of all kinds to convey messages to their audiences, and many of us use symbolic imagery in a conscious or unconscious way as we process information.

After completing my initial formal training in expressive therapies, I began to discover the richness that symbols contribute to our inner lives. Symbols are a language in themselves. They enable us to identify and communicate meaning about our inner and outer worlds in a visual way which is not limited by vocabulary. Symbols support connectedness and wholeness. They are not absolute, but remain open to the meaning that each individual attributes to them.

Historically we can pick out patterns of meaning that individuals and cultures have assigned to various symbols. This gives us a fascinating insight into shared understandings across time and space.

The spiral form has been represented in most cultures and ages with a variety of interpretations. It appears frequently in nature, and for me it’s a symbol that demands my attention; it calls out to me and speaks to my heart.

The new fern frond slowly, excitedly, intensely coloured, emerging inconspicuously at first from the ground or behind a larger frond protecting it from view. Over time unfurling, growing, becoming strong and productive.

The snail shell, offering protection and growing with the living body as needed. (Image Source: http://physics.aps.org/story/v17/st8)

Weather systems such as cyclones, twisting and spinning in defined semi-predictable spiral patterns. (Image Source: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/pictures/disasters/cyclonecatarina.html)

Tendrils, often growing in a spiral fashion, twisting and twining, reaching out for support to further the plant’s growth and development. (Image Source: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=176569&picture=tendril-in-a-spiral)

For me, spirals are all about GROWTH and MOVEMENT. There is a newness, an anticipation and a vibrancy that excites the senses and stimulates the movement towards daring, reaching out and development. A natural inclination for flow between the inner and outer. Revelation, revolution and evolution. Productivity. Agelessness. Centrality and distance.

As I moved towards a new direction and a new focus with my business, I chose the spiral for my logo as representative of all the above meanings. The fresh green colour adds to the imagery of growth and nature, both of which are foundational to my own sense of wellness and purpose. The spiral logo reflects my move towards supporting groups of professionals seeking mental health knowledge and skills development, groups of women seeking personal growth and development opportunities, and communities seeking wholeness and wellness. The spiral logo also reflects my own journey of growth and development, daring to reach out in a new and different way, searching for innovative ways to contribute to sustainable wellness practices in our society.

I invite you along on my journey. You can sign up to my e-news mailing list if you would like to stay informed about professional and personal development events which I offer throughout the year.

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Uncovering ‘FUN’ in the midst of the seriousness of life

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Last year I participated in ‘Uplift Women’s Wellness Day 2015’ in Warwick. It was the culmination of months of hard work by the Community Network of Warwick team, its many co-opted members, and dozens of supporters. All the planning, negotiating, advocating, collaborating, promoting and presenting saw 80 women actively engaged in seminars and mini-workshops that promoted health and wellness. I presented a seminar near the tail end of the day titled “Navigating the Next Stage of Your Journey”. This article is based on my presentation.

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The smiling faces I was surrounded by were having a contagious effect on everyone in the room, including me. Life can be SO serious, and for me, the women around me were providing that incredibly important reminder to have fun.

Earlier in the day I had participated in a workshop session on personality. As the facilitator posed a series of questions, we were required to navigate to various parts of the room which indicated our responses. Lo and behold I found myself sharing space with like-minded “conscientious” women. One of the things we discovered we had in common was the deep and serious attitude we bring to many aspects of our lives: parenting, relationships, work and study, health and sickness, paying the bills, the state of the world – it’s all serious business! And in our serious attitude to life, we also recognised we had an appreciation for organisation and planning.

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As the wellness day continued, I heard and saw so many other inspiring ideas about women’s health and wellness that I found myself seriously [over]thinking what it is that I needed to do to take better care of me. And there is a certain pressure in this that can be counter-productive – there is a tendency to try to fit yet another activity into our already hectic lives.

On reflection, the real souvenir I picked up at the wellness day was the plain simple idea of making space for fun. Fun is not something that I HAVE to schedule in, just ANOTHER thing I have to fit into my day. Fun is an attitude that I can choose, and I can allow it to permeate the seriousness of life, bringing an experience of joy and relaxation to many things I do.

Following this moment of insight, I’ve been focusing on allowing a sense of fun to permeate my day. You could say I’ve been on a pursuit to discover more about fun!

dklhelmets A few years ago I began mountain biking, so obviously I already know a bit about fun! But even mountain biking risks crossing the line into the territory of ‘serious business’ for those of us with the conscientious and perfectionist personality types!

Some days I need to work really hard at focusing my attitude of ‘fun’ on my inner compass. Fun can look different on different days.

Some days the best fun is simply rolling along wherever we happen to go and soaking up as much of nature as I possibly can; having a picnic in the middle of nowhere and lying back staring up into the tall trees to the blue sky and clouds that seem infinitely far away.

Some days fun can be found in the competitiveness of a spontaneous sprint up a hill to dlrockrest see who can make it to the top first, puffing and laughing so hard that talking just isn’t going to happen!

Other days the riding is the sort that absolutely scares the pants off me and I’m holding on for dear life, storm clouds going through my mind “What the heck am I doing here? Exercise is supposed to make happy hormones, right? Then why am I so terrified!” And then when it’s all over, there’s that electric feeling of elation, knowing I conquered a fear, knowing that I’m out there having a go and living life as fully as I can while I can. And that’s fun!

So seriously people, point your attitude towards fun. Let it take you an a journey that will colour your life with joy and contentment, friendship and fellowship, lightness and balance. There is always time and space for an attitude of fun.

Mind Your Worries

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“Mind Your Worries” is a 2-tiered workshop for parents and carers to build knowledge and skills around childhood anxiety. Feelings or emotions such as worry, stress and anxiety are normal reﬂections of how we experience our inner and outer worlds.

Learning how to navigate our emotional experiences involves complex skills which we continue to develop our whole lives. These skills include:

noticing body sensations and emotions
naming and describing sensations and emotions
noticing thoughts
making conscious choices about responding to those thoughts, and
consciously choosing constructive or helpful actions / behaviours (instead of simply reacting)

Developmentally children progress their skills over time. Parents, carers and educators play a vital role in supporting the emotional development of the children in their care. This includes having an awareness of their own emotional state and being able to conﬁdently role model healthy strategies.

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We are all human – we all experience emotional states that are sometimes challenging. A healthy emotional life does not mean we are always happy. It means we have a tool box of knowledge and skills from which we can choose various strategies or tools as we need them. Sometimes we choose a tool that doesn’t quite the ﬁt the job, and we need to go back and make another selection.

As parents or carers, it’s important to have realistic expectations of ourselves and our children. Sometimes we think we got it right, and other times we think we got it wrong. By building a large collection of tools for ourselves, we’ll be better placed to support the emotional development of the children we care for.

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“Mind Your Worries” will help you towards your goal of growing your tool kit by offering you a practical, down to earth workshop that will build you knowledge and skills around emotional development.

Parents and carers are invited to register for the ﬁrst tier of the workshop held during school hours at St Mary’s Parish Centre. Morning tea and lunch are provided.

You are invited to bring your children back to the venue for the second tier of the workshop after school. We’ll demonstrate and practice some practical stress management and relaxation skills altogether.

The John Wallis Foundation has generously supported this event to minimise the cost to you. Each family is asked for a contribution of $20 to be paid when you register online. Contact Kathryn if you have any difficulties with your registration kwalton@condamineassist.com.au

When: Thursday 13th October 2016

9am – 2:30pm (Parents/Carers only)

3:30pm – 5pm (Parents/Carers AND Children)

Where: St Mary’s Parish Centre Palmerin Street Warwick (between Wood St and Pratten St next to St Mary’s Upper Campus)

Fees: $20 per family

Registration Fee includes m/tea, lunch, a/tea and handouts.

To Register: https://www.trybooking.com/LXUU

Cancellation Policy: No refunds with less than 7 days notice. You reserve the right to substitute another person to come in your place. We reserve the right to cancel in case of insufficient registrations, illness or other unforeseen situations. In this case, a full refund will be provided.

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This project is supported by donations to the John Wallis Foundation Small Grants Program, an approved project of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR). FRRR is a government philanthropy partnership, supporting projects that benefit rural, regional and remote communities.

Women Empowered: Living a Life With Meaning

Join me for an INSPIRING and INFORMATIVE day of retreat that will guide you through the maze of opportunities, choices and dilemmas that face women in our society.

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“Women Empowered: Living a Life With Meaning” is suitable for women of any age and walk of life. We’ll be tapping into our inner strengths, values and what creates meaning in our lives to identify the ways each of us can bring unique leadership to our families, work places and the wider community. You will develop a deeper sense of your own value and identify purpose-driven pathways into your future as you live a life with meaning.

The day is suitable for PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT as well as PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. Come along knowing that your workplace, friends, family and the wider community will all share the benefits of your participation.

The JOHN WALLIS FOUNDATION has generously supported this event through the provision of a grant so your financial outlay is only $20! Where else do you get such great value for so little expense!

Here are all the details:

Who: All women with an interest in developing their personal or professional leadership qualities in formal and informal roles in their families, workplaces or the wider community.

When: Thursday 15th September 2016 9am – 4:30pm

Where: St Mary’s Parish Centre Palmerin Street Warwick (between Wood St and Pratten St next to St Mary’s Upper Campus)

Fees: $20

Registration Fee includes m/tea, lunch, a/tea and handouts.

To Register: https://www.trybooking.com/LVQX

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Empowering Women Through Retreat Days

Condamine Assist’s Kathryn Walton is adamant about the benefits of “Women Empowered”, a series of retreat-style workshops offered to women in small groups within their communities. Kathryn brings a unique blend of enthusiasm, compassion, knowledge and skills to offer women an experience of self-awareness, insight and hopefulness.

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The first Women Empowered Retreat Day was developed and facilitated in Warwick by Kathryn and her wonderful colleague Janine Hills in April 2012. The project grew from the community’s response to several extreme weather events which highlighted the benefits of individual and community resilience in managing and recovering from uncertainty and unpredictability. The retreat days were designed for small groups of women with the following objectives:

identify sources of inner strength
identify strategies to effectively assist with managing daily stresses of personal, family and community life
build personal and community resilience in the event of unexpected, unwanted and natural events
enhance a sense of well-being and connectedness among women
promote mental health as an integral part of the wellness of individuals, families and communities
develop skills and confidence in goal-setting and decision-making
support the development of cognitive skills which enhance mental health

Activities during the retreat included mindfulness-based practices and reflective activities interwoven with information and discussion sessions. Feedback highlighted that Women Empowered successfully informed and supported the participants in a genuinely caring, safe and warm atmosphere.

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Following the pilot project, a further series of Women Empowered Retreat Days was facilitated by Kathryn and Janine in 2014 for the communities of Warwick, Maryvale and Emu Vale. Participation and feedback from the women involved in the retreats once again reflected the beneficial nature of this style of program for women.

In early 2016 Kathryn offered a Women Empowered Retreat Day in Killarney with a focus on creative and expressive arts to explore the topic “Me, Myself and I”. The combination of reflective and creative activities in the tranquil surrounds enabled new insights into self care and role identity for participants.

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Responding to community feedback, further Women Empowered Retreat Days will be offered in the future with a focus on various aspects of life relevant to women in our society. The next Women Empowered event is “Living a Life With Meaning” to be held in Warwick on Thursday 15^th September 2016.

To keep informed of Women Empowered Retreat Days and other events, sign up to our email newsletter list, or send Kathryn an email kwalton@condamineassist.com.au

INSPIRE Mentoring Programs for Women

INSPIRE combines the warmth, reflection and connection of Condamine Assist’s much-loved retreat days with the essential elements of a skills training program to provide you with support and guidance as you journey towards your professional or personal goals.

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FREE start-up sessions are being offered for a limited time. Find out how INSPIRE Group and Individual Mentoring Programs for Women can guide and support you as you work towards change or growth in your work or personal life. Contact Kathryn (kwalton@condamineassist.com.au) to arrange a FREE 45 minute start-up session for yourself or a small group of friends.

INSPIRE will commence in August 2016 with the launch of the foundation group “INSPIRE: Now has the power!”

INSPIRE: Now has the power! will:
• Bring clarity to your professional and personal goals
• Empower you to bring your goals into reality
• Create a safe space for you to explore your inner world of thought
• Support you as you develop a deeper awareness of the power of your own thought
• Challenge the mind habits that get in the way of achieving your goals
• Provide a stepping stone into your future by focusing on the power of ‘now’
• Engage with your inner inspiration and empowerment
• Connect you with other women who are stepping into their power of ‘now’

What format and structure does INSPIRE use?

When you participate in INSPIRE, you will have access to 4 x 90 minute face-to-face structured sessions with a small group of women held fortnightly in Warwick and facilitated by Kathryn Walton. A group using SKYPE may be offered in the near future as an alternative for women unable to access face-to-face sessions – please email Kathryn if this interests you! (kwalton@condamineassist.com.au)

You will be provided with inspiring and enlightening pre-session preparation material so that you get the most out of the face-to-face sessions.

Your post-session reflections and action-based tasks will bring your goals closer to your reality.

A private online discussion group will be available to you and other members of your group program so that you can keep the conversations and inspiration rolling along between sessions.

You will have access to individual online support with your facilitator, Kathryn Walton, for the duration of the program.

What investment do I need to make?

The time and energy you commit to INSPIRE: Now has the power! is in itself an empowering investment in yourself and your future. Your commitment includes 6 hours of face-to-face mentoring, pre-session preparation, post-session activities, and private group and individual online support over a 2 month period. And what an amazing investment that will be in your personal and work life as you literally begin living the reality of your goals!

To celebrate the launch of INSPIRE, a special rate is being offered. Your financial commitment to this inaugural program is only $290. This is a unique opportunity to engage in an inspiring and empowering program that is valued at over $490. (And an added bonus is that you may be able to claim professional development points for work-related mentoring, as well as claim expenses against your income for tax purposes – check with your employer, association and / or tax accountant).

If you have a keen commitment to ongoing growth and development you may choose to follow up with the subsequent program INSPIRE: Into the future! which will take you further on your journey of exploration, resilience-building, sustainability and inspiration.

How does individual mentoring work?

Individual mentoring is available as an alternative to the group programs. Individual programs are uniquely tailored to meet your particular need. A regular commitment to face-to-face sessions, pre-session preparation, post-session activities and online interaction will maximise the benefits for you over a minimum period of 2 months.

How do I find out more, sign up for a free start-up session for myself or a small group of friends, or register my interest?

If any of the above information sparks your interest, send Kathryn an email kwalton@condamineassist.com.au or phone 07-46670171.

Remember that limited free start-up sessions are available to give you and / or a small group of your friends a taste of INSPIRE before making a full commitment. I’d love to hear from you. Please share this information among your friends and colleagues who may be interested in this opportunity.