Support can mean more than talking about mental health
For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, wellbeing can involve much more than how someone is feeling emotionally.
Wellbeing can also be connected with family, community, culture, Country, identity, spirituality and a sense of belonging.
Peer support can create space to talk about the parts of life that matter to you without reducing your experience to a diagnosis or a problem that needs to be fixed.
There is no single Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander experience
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples belong to many different Nations, communities, cultures and language groups.
People can have very different experiences depending on where they live, their family and community connections, cultural knowledge, age, identity and many other parts of life.
There is no single way to be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Respectful peer support starts by listening to how you describe yourself, your experiences and what matters to you.
What can peer support offer?
Peer support is based on lived experience, mutual understanding and human connection.
A peer support worker is not there to tell you what your culture should mean to you or assume that their experiences are the same as yours.
Instead, they can provide somewhere to talk openly about what is happening in your life and work alongside you as you decide what support would be useful.
You might want to talk about family, relationships, mental health, recovery, identity, work, isolation, community, grief, discrimination or something completely different.
The conversation belongs to you.
Feeling understood without having to explain everything
Sometimes seeking support can mean having to explain parts of your life before you can even begin talking about why you are there.
That can be exhausting.
A peer worker with relevant lived experience may already understand some of the realities that can shape Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s lives.
Shared experience does not mean making assumptions.
It can simply mean there may be less pressure to translate every experience into language that fits somebody else’s understanding.
Culture, Country and belonging
Connection to culture and Country can be important sources of identity, belonging and wellbeing for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
That connection will look different for different people.
For some, it may involve strong relationships with Country, community, language, Elders, family, cultural practices or spirituality.
For others, those connections may have been interrupted, may be developing or may feel complicated.
There is no requirement to demonstrate cultural knowledge or connection in order to have your identity respected.
Family, kinship and community
Family and community can be important sources of strength, identity and support.
They can also involve responsibilities, expectations and sometimes difficult relationships.
You may be navigating caring responsibilities, grief, family conflict, separation from community or changes in where and how you live.
Peer support can give you room to talk about those experiences without assuming there is one correct family structure or one right way to respond.
When racism or discrimination affects wellbeing
The difficult part is not being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Sometimes the difficulty comes from how people, organisations or systems respond.
Racism, discrimination, exclusion and culturally unsafe experiences can affect trust, confidence and wellbeing.
Peer support cannot undo those experiences.
But it can provide somewhere to talk about their impact without treating your identity as the problem.
Connection can look different for everyone
Some people feel strongly connected to community and culture.
Others may be reconnecting.
Some people may have grown up away from Country, moved between communities, experienced family separation or have mixed cultural backgrounds.
You may know exactly where you belong, or you may still be working that out.
Peer support should not judge the strength or legitimacy of your identity based on where you live, what you look like, what you know or how involved you are in community.
Your experience is your own.
Practical support can be part of the conversation
Peer support does not only have to involve talking about feelings.
You might use a session to:
- prepare for a difficult conversation
- think through family or relationship issues
- rebuild routines after a difficult period
- explore connection with community
- work through experiences of discrimination
- prepare for an appointment
- talk about work or study
- explore recovery or wellbeing goals
- identify what helps you feel grounded and connected
- decide on one manageable next step
The focus should stay on what is useful to you.
Peer support can sit alongside other services
Peer Support Hub is not intended to replace Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, cultural support, clinical care or community-based services.
Peer support can sit alongside those services.
You might use a peer worker for regular conversations and practical support while also receiving help from an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service, GP, psychologist, counsellor or another service.
Different forms of support can serve different purposes.
Finding the right peer support worker
The right fit matters.
You may specifically want a peer worker with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander lived experience.
You may also be looking for someone who understands another part of your life, such as mental health recovery, neurodivergence, addiction, disability, LGBTQIA+SB identity, grief or isolation.
Read worker profiles and look for someone whose experience and approach feel relevant to you.
Shared identity can be important, but it should never be used to assume that two people’s lives are the same.
Support should respect who you are
Good peer support starts with respect.
You should be able to talk about your life without being stereotyped, questioned about your identity or expected to represent an entire community.
You decide what parts of your identity and experience are relevant to the conversation.
Peer support can give you somewhere to feel heard, explore what matters to you and work towards the kind of wellbeing and connection that makes sense in your own life.