Being in an abusive relationship can cause one to feel like they have lost their sense of self. When I was in unhealthy relationships, I would often disown the parts of me that my partner didn’t like. Either he would outright express his dislike of an aspect of my personality or he would do so […]

A little while ago I was watching an Insight episode called “Rebuilding Your Life”. People were invited to talk about how they were rebuilding their lives after experiencing a catastrophic incident. One man said: “I was able to be independent and use my own skills and abilities to manage my situation”. I was so impressed […]

Recently I was struck by a 6-year-olds answer to the question, what are you grateful for? The response was simple yet took me by surprise, “I am grateful for my warm bed to sleep in”. When I asked her why, she responded, “not everyone has a bed to sleep in’. There is much more awareness […]

In 2015, I was lucky enough to be chosen to go to Cambodia and spend three months teaching English to children. The school I volunteered at was built on a former landfill. All the children who attended the school used to work long hours on this dumpsite, without any form of education, healthcare or stability […]

Join us to commemorate women who have been murdered in 2018 due to domestic violence As part of the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, Bonnie Support Services will be facilitating a Candlelight Vigil on the 22nd of November, to remember the women who have lost their lives to domestic and family violence […]

One of the most joyous parts of working at Bonnie’s is observing the positive change in the children who come to us. When they first arrive their sense of ‘unsafety’ is often what is most noticeable – Watchful eyes, sometimes tears, sticking closely to their mother and siblings – We don’t always see a lot […]

This is a thank you letter to my family worker and to Bonnie Support Services. My name is Rachel*. I was born in West Africa in a country called Sierra Leone. In Sierra Leone I was married to a man whom I believed was meant to be my protector but instead, he turned out to […]

My name is Melissa * and I am 38 years old. I came on 9th September 2013 to Bonnie’s Support Services with my two children. Angela* my daughter was ten years old at that time and my son Tom* was about to turn seven. At this stage, my children and I felt confused, scared and stressed. […]

Recently, a group of women from Bonnie’s Creative Space connected over inspiring art and fine dining. They visited the 2017 Archibald prize exhibition at the Casula Powerhouse and ignited their taste buds at the Bellbird Dining and Bar for a special celebratory lunch. Bonnie’s Creative Space runs each school term for 8 weeks, with a […]

A few of us were at lunch when a child from Bonnie’s joined us. Her mother was in a session with another worker. She had all of our attention. One of us played with her using the ‘Bear Cards’, a set of emotion cards; she was very good at identifying the different emotions. She proceeded […]

When Tracy, Bonnie’s executive officer suggested I attend FACS Domestic Violence training I thought “Why send me, the Administration Officer?” But she knew better. I must admit, I found myself regularly feeling unsure how to respond to people when they enquired about my work. They often would say “What a shame a place such as […]

One valuable resource inherent to all of us is our breath. Breathing deeply allows us to release stress, become calmer and feel more energised. However, it’s easy to forget to breathe deeply. Particularly when our nervous system has dealt with more than what seems fair for any one person. Or when thoughts are racing with a […]