Thoughtful Connections Pty Ltd is born

Hello, this is Frederica.

It's taken me some years to start my own professional business, having taken time working within systems to learn my way around a new environment. I'm originally from Kenya, where I worked in marketing for many years, until I realised just how disempowering the whole marketing world is. I started feeling that the very ethos of the industry sits against what I believe and what I want to stand for. Around the same time Kenya was going through some political change with unrest, and it was not a safe time for me to be there with my children, so I decided to re-qualify over a few years, and see what I could turn my life into.

I made enquiries about how I would go about changing my profession, what education I would need to complete and how long this would take me. Australian universities were reputed to be worth their fees, and having the opportunity to spend time in an environment which does not have a harsh winter really struck a chord with me. As well as being able to spend some time with other family, whom I had not seen in an age.

So the decision was made (by me), and within a few months I was on my way with my children, the house packed up for the next few years. It was an exciting and scary time for me and I can only imagine an excitingly terrifying time for my young ones, who had to integrate into a new social setting, education style and culture. It made me realise just how lucky we were to be able to speak English, while navigating a very intricate and closed social system.

Australia is for the strong-minded and the intrepid explorers. I had to discover everything for myself here, and when I found the information I needed, my new friends and pseudo family would exclaim "of course it is!". This was something of a culture shock to me coming from Kenya, as the Kenyan "Karibuni" culture is to guide new people and show them the way. If nothing else, though, it's made me a very good researcher and strengthened my back-bone!

Along the way I decided, with my little family, to seek permanent residence in Australia. This took some time as the structure and system is complex and very strict, but after some time we found solid ground. This allowed me to stretch my wings and shift my professional from the counsellor I had trained for and become, to focus more towards social work which I believed - and which has been confirmed - provides so much to vulnerable people in need.

Counselling supports people in themselves, while Social Work supports people in their environments. That is likely too simplistic a definition, but it will suffice for this blog.

Having worked in the healthcare sector for some years now, the time has come for me to extend my practice outwards again, and so you now have a bit of an idea of how my business, Thoughtful Connections Pty Ltd, began.

I look forward to working with you, and to finding YOUR way, together.

Frederica