Reflections

Thank you both for all you did to make yesterday’s time together so special. There’s a kindness to the feel of the venue you chose, with its lovely décor and gently discreet staff, and such delicious food. I certainly felt very spoilt and special, and it’s a perfect setting for allowing conversations and quiet listening. It was a real pleasure to hear Michael Magazanik speak from a lawyer’s perspective about the challenges of achieving some justice for survivors. It was quite an eye-opener, and I would love to hear the rest of his presentation if there is another opportunity in future for him to join us again.

I particularly want to thank you for making it possible for me to stay overnight and truly relax at the end of a full day. To be able to sit quietly and read for 2 hours uninterrupted in the sitting room was such a luxury. I’m so grateful for the thoughtfulness and friendship of you two wonderful women and sincerely thank you for all that you are doing to help so many of us to heal and feel hope.

February 2025

Having recently attended a Healing and Hope function at the school's White Balloon Day I’m writing to express how impressed I am with this program. As a psychologist who has specialized for 35 years in the trauma field, I'd like to acknowledge some things that stood out to me as most heartening. 

From the several people I met who had accessed Healing and Hope services it was well evident that they strongly appreciated the genuine support they received from Kate Parsons and Tanya Bishop. Their apparent trust and comfort in relating to others at the function struck me as a likely important antidote to the unwarranted shame felt by many abuse survivors, a common harmful legacy of their perpetrators taking no responsibility for their criminal actions against vulnerable children. Healing and Hope appeared to provide broader acknowledgment from the school community to those afflicted. Such validation at a wider community level offers something beyond what individual psychological therapy can truly provide and can help undo at least some of the harm.

I was further impressed by the clarity and authenticity of Rebecca Cody's words in acknowledging the impact of past abuse on former school students. Along with the involvement of the Principal and other influential members on the Healing and Hope Board, that seemed to demonstrate that the school's concern for abuse survivors goes beyond lip service. The carefully chosen words of students of varying ages, spelling out ways to help themselves and others keep safe and well, was uplifting in that it would help ensure that current and future generations will be better equipped to protect themselves from serious abuse and its harshest impact.

In attending the function, I learnt more about the various forms of practical assistance offered through Healing and Hope, including care packages, therapy assistance, retreats and family support in addition to the important individual support offered by Kate and Tanya. These forms of assistance seem well targeted for easing the distress of sufferers through practical means offered with genuine kindness. I note the varied benefits to those served are reflected in testaments on the Healing and Hope website.

As a former school parent, in my view the existence of such a program is one of the most heartening things I've encountered to reflect a modern and enlightened culture at the school. This had a greater impact for me as many people would not have witnessed what my wife, Sue, and I did that day, given that it was more an internal school event than something open to a wider public. Congratulations to all involved in the establishment, support and delivery of this program.

Chris Mackey

Clinical Psychologist

October 2024

For the first time we had mothers with their daughters, and I appreciated having conversations with other daughters, at lunch and while travelling on the ferry. Through our conversations I gained another perspective on how each family has had their own journey through this experience we’ve all had to share. Some family members may seem to have been touched lightly, or less obviously, while for others the hurt has been very deep and complex. It was good to be reminded that the ways in which siblings and family members have been affected by the abuse experience is unique for each person, and that this healing journey needs to take many different paths.

April 2024

My experience with Healing and Hope at the Mothers’ Retreat Day illustrated to me that GGS is serious about addressing the impact of sexual abuse of children on families and wider systems.

Tanya and Kate are warm and engaging and treated my mother and I with compassion and sensitivity. For the first time in a long time, it felt like GGS is acknowledging mistakes and making headway into changes for the future.

More importantly for me, it felt like this was not just lip service but a true recognition of the experience that families of sexual abuse survivors endure.

April 2024