Welcome to my portfolio

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     I first met Mark when he was painting a fence at a neighbouring farm where I was doing some building work. He had recently separated from his wife and a lifestyle that started in the factories of outer Brisbane. He smoked and drank and looked forward to a Friday night fight at the pub, and occasionally got into harder drugs. He was a straight talker and we got on well. He worked as my offsider in building for five years, and eventually attained a carpentry ticket and did volunteer work in Vanuatu. At my suggestion he took his son off the drug selling streets, and into the mountains of Nepal and India, after which the boy finished school and became a boxing instructor. On Mark’s fiftieth birthday his family came and thanked me. My inspiration for working in mental health has come from many moments like this. I don’t believe in a profession containing a holistic outlook without the backing of a variety of life experiences, as these are points that connect to eventually form the desired picture. The significant experiences that have coalesced into my profession in mental health are a combination of itinerant travel, yoga, building, disability support and mental health studies. Understanding how to help people has been an underlying passion, and although I could help people to an extent, it has only been since I have worked in the mental health field that I have gained a deeper understanding of methods of recovery for people suffering from any degree of mental anxiety.

 Welcome to my portfolio. In it I have included experiences and qualifications relevant to my talents,skills, and professional life. In this site you will find copies of my qualifications in my three professions. Yoga, Building ,and Mental Health. In the Academic papers section I have included examples of submitted university tasks. One is on my professional journey and values. The Media site contains examples of films I made. Three are interviews. In my capacity as a student of Southern Cross University I have selected these works to represent my journey to being a mental health professional, and hope that my diverse interests garner a sense of the holistic skills and experience I bring to this career.

Thank you for your time, I hope you find this portfolio worthwhile.

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Values statement;

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     When I reflect on my personal theories and beliefs around professional ethics I go back to the skills and abilities I have gained from past experiences. My current professional practice is a support worker in a pilot project working with a combination of disability and trauma. I have been in this project for over four years, and in that time have designed and implemented a daily yoga program for the client. Due to its success I have been requested by the CEO to set up similar programs for other clients in the company. The work values I hold are the honesty and reliability that goes with any job. However, the difference in this job is my belief that the right environment can bring about positive change. The additional values include patience, adhering to company and professional protocols, and working with respect for the clients and co-workers. These ideas come from my experiences in managing building sites and raising a family. The core of my values is the belief that everyone is basically good, and there is a reason for a particular action. Thus reconciliation is more effective  from encouraging intrinsic motivation, rather than imposing extrinsic motivation.