Speak Out August 2021

“thinking” came back into the picture as we drove back to where we work.” “To tell you the truth, some of us were quite nervous about spending all weekend with a bunch of speech pathologists. But we weren’t just speech pathologists that weekend. We were encouraged to create space to come as ourselves.” “We were welcomed by way of the river in a spiritual welcoming ceremony. Learning to connect through Dadirri: inner deep listening and quiet still awareness, is something that takes practice.” “Through ceremony, painting, sharing meals and quiet listening, Miriam-Rose encouraged us to think about the big questions: Who am I? Where do I belong?” “It was an immense privilege to be able to spend an extended time period in a remote community without an agenda nor set outcomes to achieve.” “As speechies we generally tend to be perfectionists, overachievers and great conversationalists. We often miss the opportunity to just stop and listen to the world around us.” “An opportunity to reflect on what is truly meaningful when we connect with Aboriginal clients. One part is to connect with others as yourself first, put your role as

a speech pathologist second. It’s not what many of us were taught in university. There’s some un-learning and reframing to do.” “I’ll take away these points: slow down, stop, be still, listen to your surroundings, walk with people, and consider the challenges of walking in two worlds. I have started implementing this at home with my children and look forward to using it in my workspace too.” “High on my mind is how we can advocate for systemic change to enable our work to include more of the kind of connection and time spending we experienced in Nauiyu.” “I am so happy to have had the opportunity to learn more about Dadirri and to practice this with the guidance of Miriam and the community we were introduced to. I hope to carry this unique gift with me.” “I am very grateful to Miriam-Rose for sharing her home, thoughts and reflections with us, and also to Speech Pathology Australia for allowing the weekend to happen.”

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August 2021 | Speak Out