“My daughter was linked to NDIS over 7 years ago when she was 13 years old. Everything was new then with the system only just rolling out, and we were given a coordinator to assist us with our plan. The coordinator very kindly suggested that my daughter may benefit from meeting this woman who worked as a mentor.

“Both my daughter and I were very sceptical! What on earth was a ‘mentor’, what could they do, and how could someone like that help my daughter learn to navigate her Autism, OCD, and other sensory issues? The woman reassured us that the first session was free and to just try it out and see what came of it. That was the beginning of our connection with Michelle, whose ongoing sessions became the most transformational and pivotal process in my daughter’s healing, growth and emergence into the incredible young woman she is now.

“Michelle became part of our unusual family setup without any judgement, and she became the navigator for us to guide us through school systems, psychiatric processes, emotional breakdowns, dysfunction and transformation. She was a shining light in our darkest hours.

“For me she was a confidant, a friend, someone who understood deeply what I was going through. She became a translator for me; slowly and patiently teaching me the world of autism and how to communicate with my daughter, to understand what she was going through, and how I could best support her.

“But most importantly, she never ceased in her constant advocacy and support of my daughter. Through thick and thin she stood by her, constantly encouraging her to become herself. She showed her through example how to be strong, how to claim a disability and make it so much more of an ability. To not hide who she was in the world, but to claim it as a strength. She showed my daughter that there was a future for her, that she had something to offer, that she was worthy just as she was, and that the world needed her. She has taught my daughter to understand how her brain works, to respect how her brain works, and how to manage her life in a way that is full of hope and potential for her future.

“Each session we would spend working through the issues of the week, with Michelle teaching my daughter the skills she required to navigate her life’s processes and relationships. She became a friend to my daughter at a time when she wasn’t capable of having friends, and she guided her with care, compassion, firmness, wisdom and insight through the difficult teenage years. She was such a role model for my daughter, living her own life by example and showing that no matter what difficulties life presents us, that there will always be a light that can come from this.

“The word ‘mentor’ goes nowhere near what Michelle does in her work. We all laughed a lot, and I cried a lot, and we pondered and strategised, and my daughter would often hide under cushions and not be able to say any words. And each time Michelle would patiently find her and with great care bring her home. Words cannot really express who Michelle is and how she works in the world. For us she was, and continues to be, an angel in our lives, who has blessed our family and more importantly my daughter, with a gift of life. My daughter knows now that her life is worth living, that she has a wonderful future ahead of her, and that come what may, there will always be a way to work through it. The words ‘thank you’ go nowhere near when it comes to what Michelle has given us.”

Testimonial written by Sofia,
and published here with Sofia’s permission,
and with the permission of Sofia’s daughter.