When I first decided to move out of home, it was a surreal feeling of taking my first triumphant step into real adulthood. The thought of having my own apartment made me flutter with excitement. I was ready to become a responsible and independent adult.   But – in the first few days of moving in, […]

My grandparents were married for 63 years. Their love story is truly one for the ages. They met when they were dance instructors at the Surreyville Dance Hall in Sydney. My grandfather proposed in 1950 at the Trocadero dance hall while they were dancing. The Canadian 3-step, La Bamba and the Jazz Waltz were some […]

I’ve been working with a beautiful family who have experienced a significant loss and disruption in their lives. Despite this big change, the Mum, in particular, is doing an amazing job in helping her kids process the loss so that they can still see a bright future. Experiencing grief is never easy and can be […]

I’ve been thinking about home, in all its different forms. Home can represent the heart of memory. And memory in turn provides meaning to our experiences. It is a significant part of our identity: the why of who we are. Dulled by our tendency to move on from the more painful ones, or strengthened by […]

Here at Bonnie’s, workers often take turns writing blogs, about our personal experiences or those of clients we’d like to share. This time round I just couldn’t think of anything to write about until a colleague asked me what it was that stood out for me most in my line of work. Immediately, the first […]

“Remembering our Sisters”, Photo by CHERIE WINTER via Bingara Visitor Information Centre My interest in the visual arts combined with work in the domestic violence sector means I’m always on the lookout for avenues where the concept of violence is explored or presented in an unusual way. Art to me provides an excellent vehicle for […]

Groups are a powerful way to bring women together to enhance personal growth.     It’s a place of safety for a sense of belonging, acceptance, and validation. The focus of our Bonnie’s Creative Group is creativity. There are many benefits to being creative. Creativity improves problem solving, self-expression, self-awareness. It reduces anxieties and mood disturbances. […]

My friend Julie* is charming, elegant, smart, and passionate. A caring mother and good cook, she knows how to enjoy her life. I love reading her social media updates: guided bush walks in winter by herself, a cruise with friends from the dance club, wineries for wine tasting. Wow! I don’t know how she finds […]

Sometimes I find myself sitting in front of my wardrobe for an hour deciding what to wear for the day. Black pants? Nope, I wore that yesterday…jeans? Hmmm not very comfortable…grey trousers? Yes, I think that’ll do. The hour can stretch to two if I move on to researching café reviews, deciding where to have […]

I am new to Bonnie’s and in my first month, I walked downstairs to see a client sitting across from her family worker. The client had the same background as my grandmother. Immediately I knew something wasn’t right. The fear in her eyes made me think of my grandmother. It also made me wonder: what […]

I am leaving Bonnie’s for a year to have a baby. While working on my handover, I remembered the time I left a few years back to have my son. My water broke early, and I had to stay in hospital for almost 3 weeks. Lying on the hospital bed in a gown without any […]

We recently had a client who arrived with her son, they were empty handed and needed our help. Mum was on a visa, which meant she didn’t have an income and couldn’t work. They had just left a violent environment and were finally safe at Bonnie’s. First thing I did, after our initial intake meeting, […]