Brave Collective Studio

🌼 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 & 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴

We are beyond blessed to welcome Joanne Lamond to our team, a deeply compassionate and skilled Counsellor who brings a wealth of knowledge, warmth, and presence to the work she does. Joanne offers Perinatal Therapy with a lived experience heart, supporting parents through some of the most vulnerable, transformative seasons of life.

✨ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆?
It’s a safe, supportive space to explore the emotional and physical changes that can come with:
• Pregnancy – anxiety & depression
• Postpartum – anxiety & depression
• Fertility journeys
• Birth and medical experiences
• Parenting after trauma or loss
• Grief & loss (including IVF, miscarriage, stillbirth, and termination)
• Early parenting and the tender years that follow

It’s a place where you can:
💬 Talk through the parts of motherhood no one warned you about
💛 Make sense of emotions that feel like too much
🕊 Let go of guilt, fear, or shame you’ve been quietly carrying
🤍 Say the things you haven’t felt safe to say anywhere else

You might reach out because you’re feeling:
• Anxious, low, or emotionally overwhelmed
• Disconnected from your body, your baby, or yourself
• Stuck in shame, comparison, or grief
• Like you’re not the parent you thought you’d be
• Like you’ve lost touch with who you are
• Or simply not okay, and not sure why

And here’s what therapy with Jo might offer you:
✔ A calm, private space where you get to be real
✔ Support in understanding your nervous system and emotional triggers
✔ Gentle guidance to make meaning of your experiences
✔ Relief from the mental load you’ve been carrying alone
✔ Permission to grieve, reflect, and reconnect… without judgment

🪷 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩.

You don’t need the right words.
You don’t need to be in crisis.
You just need a safe place to land.

Ready to take the next step?

Fill out our self-referral form on our website:
🌐 www.playcreative.com.au

Or contact Jo with any direct enquiries at:
📧 [email protected]

🍃 We’re here when you’re ready

🍃 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱

Counsellor | Perinatal Therapist | Expressive Arts Therapist

Jo is a gentle counsellor who offers deep presence and emotional safety to children, youth, and families. With a warm, compassionate style and a background in perinatal mental health, trauma counselling, and expressive therapies, Jo supports her clients to feel safe enough to explore their emotions, stories, and sense of self, without pressure, performance, or shame.

Jo’s approach is client-led, deeply trauma-informed, and anchored in the belief that healing begins with relational safety and the freedom to express in ways that feel natural and embodied. She walks alongside clients through emotional overwhelm, anxiety, identity exploration, and big life transitions, particularly during the tender early years of parenting, and for teens navigating self-discovery, emotional intensity, neurodivergence, changing friendships, and the pressure to ‘fit in’ while trying to stay true to themselves.

Her therapeutic toolkit includes:

🍃 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 – supporting parents through identity shifts, emotional exhaustion, and the invisible load of early caregiving

🍃 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗲𝘀 – including painting, drawing, and sensory materials as non-verbal tools for emotional exploration and self-expression

🍃 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 – a gentle, symbolic modality that helps clients explore internal experiences through metaphor and imagery

🍃 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 – using relational and creative approaches to support regulation, self-awareness, and identity development

Jo integrates these modalities in a steady, responsive way, following the child or parent’s lead and weaving in expressive tools as invitations, not expectations. Her sessions are soft, spacious, and deeply respectful of each person’s pace and nervous system.

She offers more than therapy… she offers permission to take a breath, to be held, and to find your way back to yourself.

💬 If you feel aligned with Jo’s approach and would like to explore support for yourself, child or teen, we’d love to hear from you.

……….

📝 Due to a recent increase in enquiries, we kindly ask that all new families complete our referral form (linked below or available via our website). This helps us stay responsive and organised as we offer care in the most timely and thoughtful way possible.

https://play-and-creative-therapy-bundaberg.splose.com/public-form/fd96f919-1db2-4df2-a771-93451730f26d

www.playcreative.com.au

🍃 Meet the Team at Play & Creative Therapy Bundaberg 🍃

We are a neuro-affirming, trauma-informed team passionate about walking alongside children, youth, and families as they navigate life, relationships, and self-discovery. We don’t ‘fix’ or pathologise… we attune, co-regulate, and hold space for each person to be seen in their wholeness.

Our work is grounded in deep respect for the nervous system, the power of play and creative expression, and the belief that healing happens within safe, connected relationships.

Each of us brings a unique lens, but at our core, we are united by a shared commitment to safety, authenticity, and honouring the voice and needs of every individual we support 💛

www.playcreative.com.au

After years of deep, grounding work in trauma, grief, nervous system repair, and therapeutic support, I’m stepping into a new chapter that brings it all together in a new way.

I’ve joined Kara and her beautiful team in a light, playful, creative, and deeply aligned space at Play & Creative Therapy Bundaberg.

This new role brings everything I’ve learned from private practice, Phoenix House, and sitting in the complex and heavy with so many brave humans and weaves it into a setting that holds just as much depth but with more softness and colour.

It brings back my earlier years working in early childhood education, the part of my career that taught me how to see children, notice the stories behind their behaviour, and how powerful connection can be when it’s felt, not forced.

And something even older… the artist in me. The part that has always known how to create meaning through colour, shape, and story. That part sat quietly while I worked in crisis and systems for a long time. But now, she’s back in the room, the creative self who knows how to hold chaos gently.

Now, all of it comes together... trauma work, perinatal therapy, creative therapy, nervous system care, early childhood wisdom, and art, all in a space designed for play, expression, and repair.

It’s a space where the nervous system can exhale.
Where art, movement, sand, and play become tools for healing.
Where the inner child is welcomed, in children, teens, and adults alike.

If you’ve known me through Brave Collective, you’ll still recognise the heart of my work. It has a new home now, allowing for even more play, support, and steady collaboration.

I’m excited about what’s ahead and grateful for all the steps that have led me here. If you’d like to work with me moving forward (children, teens, and adults), reach out through the page or complete a referral form on the webpage https://www.playcreative.com.au/

For the final time, here at Brave Collective.....

Go gently,
Jo Lamond Xx

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗱 – 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆 & 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴 🎨

We’re delighted to welcome Joanne to our team as a Counsellor supporting children, young people, and families. Joanne brings over five years of experience as a trauma-informed practitioner and has a deep commitment to neuro-affirming practice.

With a creative and body-based approach to therapy, Joanne weaves together expressive therapies, play, and movement to support emotional regulation, relational safety, and trauma recovery.

Joanne has previously worked alongside children and adolescents navigating complex trauma and experiences of emotional distress, grief, and identity development. She’s also developed and facilitated yoga and art-based programs designed to honour individual sensory profiles and promote nervous system safety. Her background also includes supporting parents through perinatal loss and adjustment.

Joanne is passionate about supporting young people and families to feel safe, seen, and empowered to explore their inner world at their own pace. We’re so grateful to have her as part of the team.

Joanne will begin seeing clients in early June. If you’d like to join the waitlist to work with her, feel free to reach out via email: [email protected] or fill out our referral form directly online at www.playcreative.com.au

Note to Caregivers: The Grief No One Talks About

There’s a kind of grief that doesn’t get named.
It’s not about death or loss in the usual sense.
It’s the kind that builds slowly, in quiet moments, over time.

It’s the grief of watching people struggle and not being able to fix it.
The grief of holding space for everyone else, while your own needs go unmet.
The grief of being expected to stay steady — no matter what’s happening inside you.

You start to feel heavy.
Irritable. Detached.
And maybe you think it’s just burnout.

But burnout is often what happens when grief has nowhere to go.

You’re not broken. You’re not ungrateful.
You’re carrying too much, too quietly.
You don’t have to keep pushing through.

You deserve space to feel it, too.

Go gently,
Jo Lamond Xx

When the Path Looks Different Than You Expected

There’s a kind of grief that comes quietly.
It doesn’t come with sympathy cards or casseroles.
It shows up in moments.
when you hear other kids reaching milestones your child hasn’t,
when you see the gap growing wider,
when you realise this journey might always be different.

It’s the grief of letting go of the version of parenthood you thought you’d have.
Of watching your child struggle in a world not built for them.
Of constantly adjusting your hopes, your plans, your energy... without ever really having the space to say, this is hard.

It doesn’t mean you love your child any less.
In fact, it often means you love them more fiercely than you knew was possible.
But loving them deeply doesn’t erase the ache of what’s been lost
or the exhaustion of constantly adapting.

This kind of grief is real.
And it deserves a name, a voice, and a place to land.

If you’ve felt it, you’re not alone.
There is no shame in mourning the map you never got to follow.
You’re still a good parent. A brave one. A tired one.
One who is learning to hold both the love and the loss... every single day.

Go gently,
Jo Lamond Xx

Supporting children and families takes more than patience and skills. It takes emotional energy.
And when you’re always the one managing the meltdowns, navigating the team tension, or holding it all together, it’s easy to lose sight of your own needs.

You might snap more often, cry on the drive home, or feel like nothing is left in the tank.
That doesn’t mean you’re not good at your job. It means your emotional reserves are running low, and that matters.

This is emotional labour. The part of your work that often goes unseen, but weighs the heaviest.
It deserves recognition. And it deserves care.

I remember sitting in my car after work, hands still on the steering wheel, just staring.
Not because anything huge had happened that day, but because it had been a lot in a quiet, constant way. Little moments I’d held for everyone else, and hadn’t even noticed the toll it was taking.

Sometimes it’s not a meltdown that breaks you, it’s the million times you stayed calm before it.
So if you’re tired, if you’re stretched, if you’re wondering when it gets to be your turn
You’re not alone. And you're not weak. You’re just full.

Find a moment. Even a small one.
Take a walk, step outside, text a friend, sit in the quiet, and let your body know it’s safe to stop holding it all, even just for a bit.

You matter too.

Go gently,
Jo Lamond Xx

Note to Caregivers: When a Child is Dysregulated

When a child is losing it, yelling, crying, withdrawing, hitting, clinging it’s not about disrespect.

It’s about a nervous system that feels unsafe.
And in that moment, they don’t need a lecture.
They don’t need a consequence.

They need you steady, present, and regulated enough.
You don’t have to be perfectly calm.
You don’t have to have the right words.

You just need to offer something more grounded than the chaos they’re in.
Because kids can’t borrow calm from someone who’s also unravelling.

So take a breath.
Soften your shoulders.
Notice your feet on the ground.
Then offer that steadiness to them.

Not to stop the behaviour but to help them feel safe enough to come back to themselves.

Go gently,
Jo Lamond Xx

Self-Regulation & Co-Regulation

You’re doing everything you can to hold it together.
But holding it together isn’t the same as feeling okay.

You try to stay calm. Breathe. Push through.
But your body’s not listening.
Because it’s not just about tools, it’s about safety.

You can’t self-regulate in a system that’s constantly under threat.
You need someone steady beside you.
Someone who doesn’t ask you to fix it.
Just be with it.

That’s co-regulation.
And it’s what teaches your body it’s safe to soften, finally.

It’s not weakness to need someone.
It’s how we’re wired.
We learn calm through connection.

Go gently,
Jo Lamond Xx

Note to Caregivers: When You Want Them to “Go Calm Down”

When a child is overwhelmed, yelling, melting down, refusing to listen, it’s tempting to send them away.

“Go calm down.”
“Take a break.”
“Come back when you’ve stopped.”

But here’s the truth:
If they could calm themselves down on their own, they would have already.
What they actually need in that moment isn’t space... it’s you.

Not to fix it. Not to explain it.
Just to be steady beside the storm.
They learn it by having someone sit with them inside those feelings and stay.
Because kids don’t learn regulation by being left alone with big feelings.
That’s co-regulation.
That’s what helps their nervous system learn it’s safe to come back down.

So next time you want to say “go calm down,”
Try:
“I’m here.”
“We’ll get through this.”
“Let’s take a breath together.”

You don’t have to get it perfect.
Just stay close enough to help them find their way.

Go gently,
Jo Lamond Xx

Processing Emotions (Not Just Managing Them)

You’ve been told to manage your emotions.
Stay calm. Stay professional. Keep it together.

So you breathe through the tight chest.
You push the tears back down.
You pretend it didn’t sting.

But managing isn’t the same as processing.
Processing is messier.

It’s letting the feeling move through you, not just pasting over it with a coping strategy. It’s shaking hands, red eyes, quiet rage.

It’s letting the feeling move through you, not just pasting over it with a coping strategy. And sometimes, the very thing you were praised for holding it all together is what’s keeping you stuck.

Go gently,
Jo Lamond Xx

Safety Before Strategy

You can’t logic your way out of survival.
When your body doesn’t feel safe, no strategy in the world will work.

Not the breathing exercises.
Not the communication skills.
Not the positive thinking.

Because your brain doesn’t care about being rational, it cares about keeping you alive. And if it thinks you're in danger (even if you're not), it shuts everything else down.

So if nothing’s helping…
If you keep falling back into the same patterns…
Maybe it’s not about trying harder.
Maybe it’s about feeling safer... in your body, in your relationships, in your day.

Safety isn’t a luxury.
It’s the starting point.

Go gently,
Jo Lamond Xx