The Heal For Life Foundation runs healing programs for survivors of childhood trauma. Trauma is different from abuse, and covers many different events that can happen in childhood - such as a difficult birth, serious childhood sickness, death of a parent at an early age, perceived abandonment by a parent caused by death/ fostering/ adoption. Trauma can also be caused by emotional, sexual or physical abuse. Trauma affects the development of our brain, and makes us less able to cope with problems in life.

We can keep trying tocope or we can recognise that we need to heal. Coping mechanisms include addictions - such as work, drugs, sex and gambling. Other problems include poor relationships, loneliness, lack of trust. Not healing from childhood trauma can lead to mental ill-health, particularly depression - as well as greatly increased likelihood of physical illnesses (find further info at : www.trauma-central.com 

Mayumarri's Model of Healing
Our Model Of Healing at Mayumarri is based on the following principles:

1. Our programs are run BY survivors FOR survivors
We believe that survivors understand other survivors best. Our guests  - females and males - often find great relief and comfort being with people who truly understand the pain, confusion and suffering that comes with childhood trauma. We carefully select and train survivors, who are dedicated to their own healing, to ‘walk alongside’ our guests.

2. Safety
We recognize it is vitally important for survivors to feel safe. In order to heal we need to connect with, and express our emotions which arise through personal trauma and we do this only when we feel we are in a safe place.

We establish our healing centres in remote areas deliberately to provide a refuge from the outside world. Confidentiality is strictly upheld, and we strive to ensure each guest feels safe at all times.

3. Living in Community
We aspire to live as a loving, healthy, functioning community. Guests, carers and facilitators join together in all aspects of the Healing Week, including spiritual reflection, preparing and sharing meals, community work and the sharing of feelings.

4.Understanding of Power/ Authority
We recognise our abuse has made us very sensitive to power. All people are treated as equals and with respect. There are no rules, no hierarchy and no authority figures. All members of the community are treated as equals and we do not ‘tell’, advise, try to ‘fix’ or ‘control’ anyone.

5. Survivors Take Responsibility for Their Healing in Order to Regain Their Own Power.
Our guests refer themselves to our programs, when they have made the commitment to heal. Each person is encouraged and expected to be responsible for their actions, emotions and behaviour. Guests are supported to develop their own insights, make their own decisions and choices and realise they have all the answers within themselves.

6. Survivors  Connect With Their Trauma For Effective Healing.
Scientific research supports what we, as survivors, have intuitively known : to facilitate healing we must unlock and express the emotions that we ‘shut down’ when we were traumatised as children to enable us to survive.

Our guests are lovingly supported to re-connect with, and re-empower the ‘child’ part of themselves, the part of them that felt the pain and carries the memories of their trauma.

While it can be a relief for survivors to ‘tell their story’, be heard and believed, our primary focus  is the acknowledgement and expression of emotion associated with trauma.

7. No Time Limits
Our guests determine when and how their healing will happen. We encourage our guests to stay with the process of healing throughout the week and guests decide what is right for them from our program. Our guests are lovingly encouraged to continue their journey of healing when they leave and are invited to return to us as many times as they need to.

8. Mutual Learning
We use all opportunities to learn from each other. It is understood that guests, carers and facilitators are all survivors and everyone has the responsibility to grow and learn throughout the Healing Week.

9. Unconditional Love, Acceptance and Understanding.
At Mayumarri survivors are heard, believed and validated. We express our love and compassion for each other and share our feelings each day.

10. Connection With a Higher Power.
Mayumarri is run on the teachings of Jesus, (equality,non judgmental, caring ) and our guests are encouraged to explore their own spirituality. People of all faiths are welcome and we believe that connection with a source of ‘Higher Power’ is an important factor in healing.