There are no desks, agendas or PowerPoint slides in the room when staff at the Illawarra Women’s Trauma Recovery Centre gather for a yarning circle.
Instead, chairs are pulled into a circle and conversations unfold slowly – with time to listen, reflect and speak openly.
The Centre has introduced regular Yarning Circles as part of a broader effort to strengthen connections among staff and build cultural understanding through a practice long used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to share knowledge, stories and experience.
Held every six weeks and facilitated by external cultural consultant Errolyn Strang from Culture Across Time, the sessions are intentionally different from the fast pace of day-to-day work.
For Illawarra Trauma Recovery Centre staff member and proud Yuin woman, Kynea, who organised the initiative, that difference is exactly the point.
“The Yarning Circle offers a safe and respectful space to share experiences, thoughts and voices so people feel heard and valued,” Kynea said.
“It creates a different kind of conversation. People slow down, listen more deeply and connect in a more meaningful way.”
The circles are optional and rotate across different weekdays to ensure part-time staff also have the opportunity to attend.
The initiative comes as the Centre sees an increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accessing its services, with the organisation continuing to focus on cultural safety and connection across all areas of its work.
CEO Elise Phillips said the circles reflected the values underpinning the organisation’s trauma-informed approach.
“As a trauma-informed organisation, we know how important it is for people to feel safe, respected and genuinely heard,” Ms Phillips said.
“We are seeing an increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accessing the Centre, so continuing to strengthen cultural understanding and connection within our workforce is incredibly important.”
“Creating opportunities like this for staff to listen, reflect and learn together ultimately strengthens the way we support our community.”
For more information about the Centre’s services, contact 4243 9800.