"Thanks to Tom and to Caritas Australia, because Red Dust Healing has taught me about being a man and being a father"

“I still thank Red Dust Healing for giving me the courage and confidence to take on such a big role.”

“The whole country needs this program. It will go a long way towards healing for the last 200 years.”

RDH has had one of the biggest influences in my life. When I did RDH, it brought all that stuff to the surface of being abandoned, losing my two brothers and a sister – it brought it out naturally not with prescribed medication. It’s basically changed my life.

Red Dust Healing is so culturally respectful and provides a safe space to talk and heal. There is so much pain for (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) families that have been disconnected and ripped apart. Red Dust Healing is the only thing I’ve seen so far that can even touch their pain. We need more of it and it shouldn’t be locked away for the few.

RDH just made sense to me – in how I can deal with my son’s suicide better and I’d never ever got that from going to other meetings or workshops over the years. I’d never left from a workshop feeling good – unbelievable. RDH was very positive and it made me feel like I finally learned something. It has changed my life in how I deal with everyday life. It put things in perspective for myself, my children, my grandchildren.

I actually regurgitate them tools often to people – I pass this on mostly in the basketball and then try to pass it on to kids that we go out and visit.

There’s nothing around like RDH. It gets you in the heart. It’s brought out the best in me… RDH has helped me more than going to see someone else. RDH has been the best thing for me. I’d recommend it to anyone.

Red Dust Healing is the most effective cultural brokerage tool on the agenda. It supersedes cultural appropriateness and awareness and brings with it a cultural literacy that tackle’s intergenerational trauma and replaces it with love and acceptance Much of our work and communities are riddled with stories of abuse, addiction, jail, rehab, meth, child protection and loss. For workers and individuals, families and agencies this is a mountain of pain, however if we work with individuals on restoring identity we can re-build and create strong relationships. You really need to do it to recognise its effectiveness. As a social worker working in Aboriginal mental health Red Dust Healing is making this work worthwhile as it is more than social care absent of social control and all about change and sustainability. I love Red Dust Healing….

The ripple effect of Red Dust healing is starting to permeate through the community and many people are talking about it. I believe this is because of the simplicity of the Model, understanding that it’s about right and wrong and love and respect and that gives communities and individuals back hope and acceptance and supports social inclusion to live a satisfying and purposeful life and to be a valued member of the community. They understand it’s a journey and it’s about where you have come from and where they are going to and how they are empowered be in charge of that journey by making choices. I believe that when it comes to dealing with the mental health of people and communities, which I personally feel underpins many problems and issues in communities and individuals, Red Dust Healing supports the Recovery based mental health practice.

Thank you so much for the last 4 days. The personal growth I’ve accomplished this week has been significant.  I know you are a humble gentleman but please take this as a true compliment. You Mr Powell have a very special gift and I have no doubt I was gifted today and truly touched by your wisdom. Thank you for this week, thank you for coming to Geraldton and most of all thank you for selecting me to participate in the Facilitator training. I will honour and respect your concept, program and will pass on your wisdom to heal people to become the strong man or woman they can be.  God bless you safe travels home to your family. 

There is not one person who can go through this and not take something away.