In this episode, our crew member Tilly engages in an insightful conversation with Simon, a private practitioner in the NDIS and mental health space and the founder of Mindfulness Men. Simon calls himself a lived experience therapist and generously shares his journey of navigating mental health challenges. Tilly and Simon talk about how society constructions of masculinity impact men’s mental health. Simon and Tilly have a robust conversation about the struggles of working with the NDIS and work cover systems for funding support. They also discuss approaches to self-care, supervision, and the importance of critical reflection when working in private practice. Simon shares insights into his creative approach to work with men which involves “mindfulness on the move” among other activities, aiming to destigmatize the therapy process and create a comfortable space for men to talk about their mental health issues. 

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JKCimh0HLCEszuf7hmd2SRMFGBPXUHuQ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=100719681595597138502&rtpof=true&sd=true

References/Resources: 

Mindful Men: Mindful Men - Mindful Men AUS (mindful-men.com.au)

NDIS: https://www.ndis.gov.au/

Work cover Queensland: https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/about/who-we-are/workcover-queensland

Mindfulness definition: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/mindfulness 

Hegemonic masculinity definition: https://helpfulprofessor.com/hegemonic-masculinity-examples/

Keywords: 

#socialwork #Men'sMentalHealth #MentalHealth #NDIS #LivedExperiencepractitioner #PrivatePractice #creativeapproaches #SelfCare #ProfessionalDevelopment #SupportWorker #DisabilitySupport #CommunityEngagement #hegemonicmasculinity #burnout #MentalHealthAdvocacy

Music by Boe Toweh

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