By Stephanie Kemp

From denying to thriving – ocean photographer’s journey

Ocean photographer Jaron Oshannessy recently treated us to a slide show of his photography and also shared his journey to acceptance of his autism, ADHD and bipolar disorder through nature and his art.

While in hospital, he reflected on a childhood fishing trip when he caught a 4kg snapper.

On that trip he saw a whale with a baby, grabbed his mother’s camera and took his first ocean photograph.

A stroke of luck led him to a pop-up shop of works by Ray Collins, another ocean photographer.

Ray offered to mentor Jarod and has been teaching him and shooting with him for five years.

They shoot together on land and in the water. Shooting in the water involves swimming with a 2kg waterproof camera tied to him so he cannot lose it.

Over five years in and out of hospitals, Jarod met a variety of people and came to accept his illness.

Acceptance opened the door to recovery and he is now passionate about sharing his story to help others.

People with mental health issues are still people – they just feel more acutely.

They need to feel heard and loved like we all do.

Moving to the South Coast helped Jarod as he found himself surrounded by the beauty of nature.

He joined Christian Surfers and has at last found somewhere he belongs.

His photos can be seen on Instagram, Facebook and on his website.

Cath Winley - a wholehearted therapist

Cath moved to the Gerringong community four years ago with her children after she was widowed.

She finished training as an art therapist in July and sees therapy as a way of giving back to the community.

She wants to help people unpack their stuff so that they can live their lives to their full potential and become the best version of themselves.

Cath Winley.

Often we follow the same pattern in our interactions and make the same mistakes again and again.

Cath wants to help people realise these patterns so they can move beyond them and lead a fulfilling life, at whatever stage of life.

Her particular interests are in helping the elderly and young boys.

The beauty of art therapy is when people’s hands are busy doing something, it is easier for them to open up than when they are sitting across the room from a therapist.

She gave the example of a World War II veteran who was colouring in poppies.

Gradually he opened up about his war experiences for the first time to the point where he asked for help buying a suit so that he could attend his first Anzac Day.

She described the satisfaction she finds in group work in care homes, where residents come out of their rooms and begin to form friendships, revisiting and comparing memories of the mischief they got up to in the 1950s and 1960s.

Often music provides the stimulus to refresh the memories and help conversation flow.

She also shared an instance where she helped a teenage girl overcome her fear of getting in the water.

Often when she is working with teenagers, she takes her two poodles and finds that they help young people relax into the session.

For further information on Cath’s practice, Wholehearted Therapy and Healing, go to www.healyourheart.com.au.

Future speakers

Future speakers at our Wednesday morning meetings in Gerringong Town Hall are publicised on our website - https://gerringongrotary.com.au. Visitors are welcome – please arrive in time for a 7.30am start.

Over the next few weeks, we are welcoming:

19 November: Dr Zara Fulton, speaking on “Innovation and Impact in Disability and Health". Dr Fulton is the Head of Investment at Remarkable, the startup accelerator run by Cerebral Palsy Alliance, where she supports technology shaped by lived experience to create a meaningful impact for people with complex disabilities.

3 December: Meryll Faulkner, speaking on "The Art of Makeup and Mentorship". She is a professional makeup artist and educator, principal of Making Faces Makeup Studio, Kiama and has over 20 years experience in film, TV, and education.

She trained under Oscar-nominated artists and mentored many of Australia's leading makeup professionals.

New members and friends always welcome - see www.gerringongrotary.com.au or contact [email protected].