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  Episode: 140 Taking Charge After Stroke: Self-Determination and Recovery with Vivian Fu   In this episode you will discover: ● The Conversation Is the Intervention — A structured, facilitated conversation that centers a person's identity, hopes, and vision for their best day produces measurable improvements in quality of life and independence a year after stroke. Connection isn't soft — it's evidence-based. ● Reframe the Expert in the Room — Take Charge asks clinicians to resist offering advice, validation, or direction — and to trust that the person with stroke already holds the wisdom they need. The hardest part of the facilitator role is staying out of the way. ● Self-Determination Is Not a Luxury — When people with stroke are supported to set their own direction, outcomes improve, costs decrease, and the effects last for years. Building systems that protect that autonomy isn't idealistic — it's what the data demands.   Welcome to the Aphasia Access Aphasia Conversations Podcast. I'm Katie Strong from Central Michigan University and a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group, a community dedicated to supporting better aphasia care.   Today I'm speaking with Dr. Vivian Fu, a stroke neurologist living and working in Kelowna, British Columbia, the unceded territories of the Syilx / Okanagan people. Vivian trained in Aotearoa New Zealand, where she completed her PhD running the Taking Charge After Stroke trial. Take Charge showed that people with stroke who were supported to follow their own self-determination had much better quality of life and independence a year after their stroke. The second Take Charge RCT showed that two sessions about six weeks apart produce better outcomes than one session. Vivian strives to embed the Take Charge philosophy in her daily practice, and is focused on improving access to high quality stroke care for rural, regional, and underrepresented populations.   I have been looking forward to this conversation. What drew me to Take Charge was how it reframes the question entirely — from what does the clinician do for this person to what does this person want for their own life. That shift is deceptively simple, and as you'll hear, the evidence behind it is anything but.   Let's get into it.   Katie Strong:  Welcome, Vivian. Vivian Fu: Thank you so much for having me, Katie. I'd like to start off with my Pepeha. This is an introduction in Te Reo Māori, which is the indigenous language of the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, and I'll just translate each line. Nō Hong Kong ōku tīpuna. My ancestors come from Hong Kong. I tipu ake au ki Aotearoa. I grew up in Aotearoa, New Zealand. E noho ana au ki Ki-Low-Na. I live in Kelowna, British Columbia. Ko tēnei taku mihi ki ngā tāngata whenua o te rohe nei. I like to pay my deepest respects to the first peoples of this land. I live on the unceded territories of the Syilx and Okanagan peoples. Ko tēnei taku mihi ki ngā maunga, ki ngā awa, ki ngā roto, ki ngā Papatuānuku, o te rohe nei. I'd like to pay my deepest respects to the mountains, rivers, and the lakes, and to Mother Earth. All these important landmarks that have been here for millennia. Nō reira, tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna koutou katoa. Therefore, hello, hello, hello, Ko Vivian Fu tōku ingoa. Lovely to be here. Katie Strong:  Well, I'm so glad you're here. And I wanted to start off today asking about the Take Charge program that you've been working with, and talk to me about how that began. What was the origin of that? Vivian Fu:  Sure, so really this work began in probably the late 90s early 2000s when clinicians in Aotearoa New Zealand realized that there were different outcomes for people who were Māori compared with non-Māori, and I guess an important point to illustrate is that in Aotearoa society we view things in a very bicultural lens, and by that I mean Tangata Whenua, who are the people of the land, so indigenous people of the Māori and Tangata Tiriti, so everyone else are people of the treaty. It doesn't really matter where you come from, but you are a person of the treaty if you live in Aotearoa, and so it's a bicultural lens, and so we always look at things in that way, and that's how our kind of entire society is grounded upon that. And so when we look at health outcomes, what we could see back then, and unfortunately what we, in a way, still see now is that Māori were experiencing a stroke at about 20 years younger than non-Māori, and they were more likely to die from their stroke, and also more likely to be severely disabled. And so there was a difference in life expectancy, a difference in overall rehabilitation access, difference in overall outcomes, and so it started off with Professor Matire Harwood's work. She is Tangata Whenua, and in her PhD, she was looking at why there were these differences in outcomes and wanting to address them. And so that started off with the Māori and Pacific Stroke Study, which was essentially conducted in just Māori and Pacific people in Aotearoa, New Zealand, out of many different centers around the country. It was a four arm study.. It was a randomized control trial, and it looked at a conversation, which was labeled as the "Take Charge" session, but it was, it was really a connection and a conversation versus a professionally made DVD from the New Zealand Stroke Foundation about people's experiences and stories after stroke. And then the fourth arm of the trial was getting both of those interventions, and there was a control group. So there were three active groups in one control group. And what the researchers basically found was that anybody who had received this session of discussion and connection did much better a year after stroke in terms of quality of life, independence, and caregiver strain. And so that was the first sort of indication that there was something in that conversation that was really important. Unfortunately, it didn't really take off in terms of being able to be implemented, and so then Dr. Harry McNaughton, who was Dr. Harwood's supervisor wrote multiple grants and tried to get this session into much more of a bigger trial with some some type of implementation, and that's where I came along and we essentially did two things. We operationalized the intervention into something that had a bit of a framework, so with a bit of a booklet and a bit of a structure to follow. Really looking into what was it about that conversation that was so powerful and made such a difference to people, and tried to put those things into practice. Then, secondly, to conduct a second trial in New Zealand out of seven centers for people with stroke who were non-Māori and non-Pacific, because the struggle that we came across was that it was only shown to be effective in a small group of people, but not in everybody, and so we had to do things backwards. And so that was really where it all began, from these principles of self-determination, so Tino Rangatiratanga, which is a really important principle in Te Ao Māori, and in the world of Māori, but also knowing that Māori and a lot of indigenous peoples, we think of health as this concept called Te Whare Tapa Whā, for example, which is the house with four walls. So a person is never just their body and their physical health, there are other walls that keep the house upright. So mental health, spiritual health, and family health, whānau is so important, and feeling as though you have strong foundations in where you belong is also really important. So it's that really holistic look at health of an individual and how we can address all of those things in an intervention is really where it all came from. Katie Strong:  Thank you for sharing. I appreciate the backstory, and also just the idea of what you're thinking about from a holistic health standpoint. I know our listeners are probably curious, some of them might not have heard about Take Charge before, so this is the first time of them hearing about this, and so I was hoping, Vivian, you could give us an overview of what the intervention is, and then maybe walk us through what a session actually looks like in practice. Vivian Fu: Yeah, absolutely. So I'll talk you through the session in the way that it was done in the larger Take Charge trial. So this was done in 400 non-Māori, non-Pacific people with stroke, and our trial there had three arms. So there was a control group, there was a group that received just one session, and then there was a group that received two sessions six weeks apart roughly. The sessions were provided by a trained facilitator, and they were timed roughly somewhere between three to 18 weeks after stroke. So quite a large window, really, depending on when the person with stroke was ready to receive it. So the short version of what it looks like is it's based off the booklet and it's done face to face. It's a conversation and the facilitator is trained at the beginning to really try and establish a relationship…to build a relationship. There's a concept in Te Ao Māori called Whakawhanaungatanga, which is really sort of seeking another person's identity, recognizing who they are as a person, and trying to build connections. And so I guess in English, we think of that as building rapport, building trust. And so it in our trial was done face to face. We have also looked at ways of doing this via telehealth as well, which is, you can imagine, is a little bit different. But that step is really important, and we knew that it was important also in the initial Māori and Pacific trial, because the facilitators who were trained were actually ethnicity matched. So that's something where I think it came quite naturally in that trial, but in the second trial we really wanted to ensure that a relationship was built, and then there are three pages, initial pages in the booklet that look at different things. So the first page is looking at how the person has been affected by the stroke, and then asking them to think about actually who they really are as a person. It's a very simple concept, and a very sort of simple question, but for many people that's the first time they've really been asked that and have had to think about that. So anything that comes to mind that they can relate to, you know, who they are. An individual, and what it is that they love, so for example, for me, I would say, "I'm a mum, and I'm, I'm a stroke neurologist, I am a painter, I'm a poet, I'm someone who loves going for walks in hikes," and, you know, so those kinds of things, and it, and it kind of really builds on on that person's identity and who they are in the world. And so that's that sort of page one. It's really about establishing identity and sense of self. And then the second page is talking then about my hopes and fears. And that might be a tricky one, really, for a lot of people to start talking about and thinking about. They may not want to express that, they may not have been asked that. Sometimes it brings out a lot of emotion, and that's why that initial beginning part of establishing trust and in a kind of a psychological safety space is really important. And then the third page is imagining or envisioning what my best day looks like. And you can be as wild and fantastical about that as you like. When we train our facilitators, we asked them to do these exercises as well themselves, so they can get a really good sense of what that's like, and I had a lovely training session with community health workers from Tanaha First Nation in Cranbrook, BC, and one of one of the attendees in the group said she'd love to have breakfast with a Sasquatch, and so that was absolutely, you know, it was so culturally relevant, so important. Katie Strong:  That makes my Pacific Northwest roots just smile there! Vivian Fu: Exactly! Just so unique to that individual and to where they are in the world. And it's not something you can, you can pluck out of a textbook or pluck out of anything, right. It's where they are. I love that activity. It's quite magical what comes out. And then after those three pages are done, then there are some pages that are specifically related to goal setting, which may or may not be relevant to the person in front of you, things like a physical page, emotional, social, financial, health management type pages. And that really is a way to think about or encourage the person to think about, or we know what are the things that do matter to you, and and what are the things you would like to achieve in the long run, and what are some ways you might be able to break that down into achievable steps that you would personally want to do. But the session in practice can look like anything out of that. It can look from a person at session one being completely clammed up about not wanting to dig deep or not not being ready to engage in that. Or just kind of being, you know, keeping it all to themselves, and thinking about it, and ruminating about it, and then session two, looking very different after they've had that six weeks to think about it themselves. It can look like blank pages, or it could look like a person coming up with all sorts of brilliant ideas. Hopefully, you know, we always encourage if they can write the person with stroke as the one who is writing in the notebook. They keep it. They stick it on their fridge. They do whatever they like with it. They write in it in their own time, but it's completely fine to have blank pages. It's completely fine to have nothing come out of that conversation, nothing verbal, but it's just a space to an invitation to dig deep, and if there's something to say to feel heard. And I guess there was another question. I think that's quite important with regards to what the facilitator is doing, what are they not doing, and the facilitator is trained specifically to listen and ask questions and reflect the ideas that are being expressed by the person with stroke, but what they're not doing is they're not offering any advice or suggestions or pathways forward or how abouts or what abouts. They are not, and this is probably the hardest part. They're not passing any judgment, and that includes good judgment. So, by saying something like, "oh, that sounds like a really good idea", which seems like a really normal response from most people, it kind of implies that there are other ideas that are less good. Or the person with stroke might feel as though they are needing to have that kind of external validation, that external approval, and, and what we don't want is to for them to feel like they're doing this or saying this or thinking these things for the facilitator. We want them to think about it for themselves. And so all we encourage people to respond, is "oh, so you'd like to ride your bike, that's really interesting. How, how do you think you'll, you'll go about doing that?" You know, it's, it's much more neutral, but reflective way of speaking and listening, I guess. Katie Strong:  I am curious, how long is the training, or you know, what kinds of.. what we didn't talk about this, but I know people are going to want to know. So, what does it take to be trained? Vivian Fu: This is quite funny. This is a thing that sort of been on my mind ever since we've started implementation around the world, and I have this ultimate goal of operate like actually making the training have some type of qualification and fidelity, and some structure. There is structure, but it's essentially myself or Harry doing a Zoom with people, and it takes maybe say four hours. But ideally, what we'd love to do is to have sort of recorded videos, and then we'd have live sessions, and then we'd have assessments, and then you get a certificate at the end. I have neither the budget or the… Katie Strong: There's always the next step, for sure. Vivian Fu: I'd love to be for people to be able to say, "Oh, I'm Take Charge trained" and for them to be able to like "Look, I've got this qualification, I'm Take Charge trained, I know how to do this," and especially for if we were thinking about doing it in more clinical trial settings, I think that's really important, but also, you know, for people, you know, to have on their CV, if they're moving between jobs and things, I think it's so useful. But yeah, basically people get in touch with myself or Harry and say, "Hi, we'd like to be trained, can you fit us in?" And we just do it for free. Katie Strong:  Lovely, I love it. And the other question I had as you were talking was how long is a typical session or or is there is there length? Vivian Fu: So in the trial what our facilitators did was they because it was face to face and they had to drive between people's houses, they booked in the session, usually at 10:30 in the morning, and then another session, I think, if I remember correctly, either maybe it was 1:30 in the afternoon. And so you can probably surmise that for people with stroke, usually the 10:30 slot is the most popular. And you know, some people would would prefer to wake up earlier and be ready earlier, so they might ask for something like 9 o'clock and then they might usually go for about an hour and a half to two hours if it's a good going session, and they're really digging deep, and there's a lot to say. And often you know that first half an hour is, "Here's a cup of tea and a biscuit. Let's get to know each other. Tell me all about what happened with your stroke." That kind of stuff, so that listening and connecting stuff actually takes takes a while to establish, and I think people just allowed for that time. Then they'd do a second session in the afternoon again. There are lots of things, you know, cognitive problems, fatigue is a big one. So, if people felt like they couldn't keep going, the facilitator would say , "That's totally fine, we'll book in for, you know, do the rest of this another time, is that okay?" It was fine to really just, you can truncate it and break it up as much as the person really wants. Katie Strong:  Thank you. I appreciate the extra information. You had a recent publication in 2025 with some colleagues that looked at this work from a qualitative lens.  You came up with some themes about doing things my way, coming to my own wisdom, and they're just so deeply related to identity, and what struck me was the contrast participants drew between Take Charge care and standard care, where they described being put in a box receiving scripted advice that had really nothing to do with who they were as a person. And when someone gets to tell the story of who they are to a genuinely good listener, something shifts. I was just curious, if you could think about what you think is happening there, or what you found in your study. Vivian Fu: Well, I think for the most part, as a, you know, as a clinician, if we think about from the moment the person has a stroke, they disempowered from that very moment.  Something happens where they just aren't themselves, and they are brought into a merge. A bunch of things happen to them that they can't really even speak up about. You know, they're popped in a scanner. They might get thrombolised, you know, all these things are happening. And the person doesn't really know what's going on. There are a lot of important qualitative studies that have been done, looking at that element of feeling disempowered, and what somebody in New Zealand study described as feeling gut-wrenchingly emotional. You know, experiences that that aren't heard and aren't ever expressed to to anyone in the healthcare side and aren't dealt with, and so, if you think about that, just that trauma of having a stroke and then going through all of that stuff, and you know, ending up in a bed somewhere on a ward with strangers on the other side of a curtain, and it's really pretty traumatic. And so I think what was powerful with Take Charge was it's an it's an opportunity for someone to finally tell their story and feel heard and for all that stuff to just come out. And a lot of the time you know people might say, "Oh, well, you could talk to your family, you can talk to your kids, or, you know, whatever. Once you get home" but actually, a lot of people don't feel like talking to those who are closest to them about how much it affected them, and there is still an element of stigma. There's still an element of, "Oh, you know, you look great physically, you to someone we know having had a big health scare, and then kind of coming back into that. But there's there's a real dissonance between what is going on inside a person and and how other people are reacting to them coming back into "normal spaces". And so I think the ability to tell your story from the very get go. You know, all of the messiness of it. All the things that went wrong, and then to have somebody listen to that really gives meaning to it and makes it real, but it also helps that person really reestablish their sense of power to regain some power from that that they had lost. And there's a lot of power in story, and I think the kind of, you know, lovely thing about it is that sort of all indigenous cultures sort of be like, you know, First Nations, Māori, Gaelic, a lot of cultures really put a lot of value in the power of storytelling. And that is how historically things were really passed down, and so I think it's through that ability to be able to feel heard and to tell your story that then the person who is speaking can actually hear themselves say things out loud for the first time. And then understand the power and the value and the worth in their words and their experience, and that is that process of coming to my own wisdom, is "Oh, actually, you know, I do know about my body. I am, I am the expert, not these people in their white coats, or you know, with their expertise, I am the expert. I know what I need. I can plan my rehabilitation. I can go back to the things that I want to do, and this is how I'm going to do it." And it's that, that kind of reestablishment of confidence and strength and hope that is so powerful. I think. Katie Strong: I agree. I agree, Vivian. As you know, our listeners are primarily speech language pathologists working with people with aphasia. We also have people with aphasia that are listening, and researchers as well. But you know, the capacity for language being disrupted by aphasia. I was just curious, with Take Charge, as you've studied it, is you know, really a talking therapy with writing, and, and those sorts of things, and so I was just curious, you know, what would it take to extend this kind of intervention to people with aphasia, and what principles would you want to most preserve in the adaptation. Vivian Fu: Yeah, thank you. That's such an important question. We certainly, in the Take Charge trial, included people with aphasia in the trial, and the way that we sort of just included them was if they could understand or the consent form and could mark an "x" on the form, we'd be happy to to have them included, and so we had people with mild to moderate and moderate to severe aphasia in the trial. And we hadn't made any specific changes or tweaks to the intervention, the facilitator just did what they could with what we had. But I think what has come out of reviews of the implementation of Take Charge now in New Zealand is that it is really important for us to look at how we can adapt the intervention for people with aphasia. I think for the facilitators in the trial, what they did was they allowed a lot more time, so the usual two and a half hours became three and a half hours, and that was fine if the person could continue. But also I think from the report we need to look at alternative ways of how we can complete some of these activities, whether it's providing images where people can point, whether it's a lot more inclusion of their family, their whānau important people to them who can help with, you know, subtle guidance, and, and, and having sort of lived with the person now, can read their non-verbal expressions a lot better than a stranger, a facilitator can and can help with the guidance of participating. And really, while Take Charge has been translated, I think, now into seven or eight different languages, we really need to adapt Take Charge to other communication needs and other languages, but what I.. so my role.. sorry, I didn't.. I'd actually say this, but my role in the in the large trial was as the blinded outcomes assessor, so I went around at one year after stroke. I traveled around to the 400 or so different other people, participants' homes around the country, and I sat in their living rooms, and I listened to their stories again. And then I did all of their outcome instruments and got all of their outcomes done, but I did not know which group they were allocated to. And then I locked all the data, and then I'd say, "Hey, so which group did you get Take Charge or not?" And it was really, it was good. I think out of the 400 there were only two people who, when I turned up, actually had the booklet on the table, and so you know, I just ignored it, and then, but yeah, it was, it was really good in terms of sort of blinding and masking, and then sort of having a guess as I was going through and checking where things were at. It was such a privilege for me to, as a stroke doctor, I think you know people don't usually get to do this as a physician, but to, to meet so many different people with so many different stories, and a number of people who still had moderate to severe aphasia, and and were telling me about the impacts of that on their life. But we were still able to communicate a year after stroke, and so I think it is so important that we don't exclude people with cognitive and communication difficulties. We have to adapt the things that we have to make it work for them. What I'd love is to be able to have some kind of focus group with people with aphasia, and, and show them Take Charge, and realize, oh, what can we do? How would this work better for you? Katie Strong:  I love that, and well. Well, and we haven't talked about the materials yet, but I do have to say they're so accessible, or they're very accessible from a visual standpoint as well. Vivian Fu: Thank you. Yes, we are actually modifying them and making the font bigger and having better graphics. We started off with stick figures that Harry drew, and then I think we're actually making them a lot nicer in terms of the graphics, but what we do have at the moment is actually available online for free, and you can just download them as a package. It's if you Google it, it's the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, or www.mrinz.ac.nz  and then under programs, and we spell that as p r o g r a m m e s, and then under programs slash forward slash stroke, I think is where it lives, and at the bottom of the page you should be able to download, a training package and the booklet itself. Katie Strong: Yes, lovely, and we'll have the links on our show notes as well, so you can check those out, listeners, if you're interested. So, thank you. You have two randomized controlled trials that you've talked a little bit about, and a cost effectiveness analysis and qualitative work, all pointing in the same direction that the cost data suggests that Take Charge actually might save money, and that is remarkable, and lots of evidence showing that, but still, it's a challenge in implementing into standard practice, and I was curious if you could talk with us about what you think stands between what the evidence shows and what actually gets implemented. Vivian Fu: Sure, gosh, I love this question. It's it applies for so many interventions, I think, specifically for Take Charge, it's a number of things. So definitely the stuff that affects other interventions being implemented, but for Take Charge itself, it started off with a huge amount of disbelief bias, so people, you know, even after I presented the main results of the second trial at the European Stroke Conference in gosh, when was that? 2019 pre-COVID in Milan. So this is a huge international stroke conference, and this was a plenary session. People stood up and took photos of the results and went, you know, there was this collective gasp throughout the audience of 6000 odd people, but there's just this disbelief that something as simple as a conversation can make a difference to people's objective quality quantitative outcomes, like the, you know, Bartel or the FIM, what they, you know, what their physical outcomes are like at a year. And what their quality of life is like. I think for people who are stroke researchers, a lot of the focus is on that initial 24 to 48 hours after stroke. And you know, that that's kind of where that's kind of where all the funding goes, isn't it? So it's the pre-hospital stuff, and then the interventional things you can stick catheters into and thrombolysis, and you know that's, and that's all great. You know, I, as a stroke physician, I love that part of stroke as well, but to think that you could possibly do something at three to 18 weeks after stroke that could change a person's outcome by a year, and actually we've got a long-term follow-up study now that says that those those same magnitude of changes are still present at five years between the groups is, you know, kind of gobsmacking. And people just go, surely you've fudged this, or surely this can't be true. And so there's this huge disbelief bias that stopped us from being able to publish initially, and it was only after I presented the results in Milan that that we got accepted into a journal. And we'd been trying for about a year beforehand, and, and so there's, there's that disbelief. But also in the way that it has to be provided, you know, it's probably considered quite labor intensive. You know, one on one home visits, and that's why people of other researchers who do believe in Take Charge are now looking at providing take charge in different ways. Like I did a telehealth trial in Canada, in southern Alberta, when I was there as a fellow in Calgary, and there's potential other work that's being. Done in Australia with Take Charge, looking at providing it by computer avatars, by even maybe even AI, and maybe in a larger sort of telehealth format. And so you know other ways of doing it, but I think ultimately it's kind of cultural inertia, because you know, "We've never done this, this is not part of who we are. Why would we need to start something new?" There's probably kind of an established way of thinking about clinician and, and patient, rather than person with stroke, in still in how we practice, and this idea that the therapist and doctor are experts. And so I think it really challenges that dogma and challenges clinician's role, and therefore there's a resistance to accept that this is something that is useful and helpful, and actually doesn't, you know, you don't need to take it personally. You're still doing great work. Take Charge is just a tool that helps supplement everything else that's going on, and so there's a lack of time, and I think we also get quite, as practicing clinicians, we get quite tunnel visioned into this, you know, hamster wheel of go to work, treat all these people, go home. We just keep doing it. Hoping that things will get better for them, but, you know, we, it's only when we start looking at alternative interventions and alternative things that work and start trialing them and being open to that, that I think things will really start to change. We've certainly had interest from random little parts around the world. I think it's been translated into Latvian. I've got people from Sweden who are interested. A little hospital in Germany, and then parts of it's been trialed in pilot studies in the UK. And Harry and I last year trained a whole bunch of occupational therapists in Hong Kong, so you know it is, it is kind of picking up, slowly but surely. Katie Strong: Well to me, you know, most stroke survivors, or people with stroke, as you're referring to them, have chronic challenges, and so all of the early intervention, while important, doesn't necessarily help somebody navigate that longer term change. And so I love that this is just such an empowering way of putting that power back into the person's life, which it seems like it is showing up n in the results that you're sharing. Vivian Fu: Oh, absolutely. I mean, if we think about it, if we just think about thrombectomy and thrombolysis, somewhere between five to 15% of all people with stroke are eligible, and then receive the treatment. That leaves what?, 85 to 95% of people who don't get to receive that. And even after they receive the treatment, there are consequences of stroke that are beyond the physical that don't you know don't have any other thing to address them apart from our routine care, so I completely agree with you. Katie Strong: Well, thinking about what clinicians might be able to do tomorrow or you know, in the near future, for our speech-language pathologists or other practitioners who are listening today and are feeling the pull of this work, and you know, really encouraged by it, but are you know working in an embedded productivity driven impairment focused system, what's one thing that they could do differently in the very next clinical encounter that they have? Vivian Fu:  We have a paper, I think it's written. Oh gosh, where did it.. where did it get published? I think it was published in Practical Neurology. It's titled something, something intrinsic motivation. I should know better. Katie Strong: I'm going find out, and I don't think I read that one, so I'm gonna find it, and I'll put the link in the show notes for everybody. Vivian Fu: Sorry,Harry about the promo, but yeah, I'll send it to you, but essentially it's written to give some guidance on how you can embed Take Charge into your daily clinical practice. And it's written for neurologists, but honestly it applies to everybody.  One of the key things is when you have that next encounter, obviously you know therapists do this a lot better than doctors do, but they ask a lot about, you know, what's outside of the person's life and what's important to them, but maybe move away just, you know, from the very practical questions like "How many steps do you have going in and out of your house?, and How do you hang up your washing?", or whatever, but it's, you know, really much less functional, but more, "Who are you? Tell me a bit more about yourself. What do you love doing? What gets you out of bed?" You know, if I might, the one that I like to use a lot on my ward rounds is, "If you weren't in this hospital bed right now, where would you rather be? What would you rather be doing?", and I do that on my rounds, and it's incredible, because you know, I'll hear all sorts of things, "I'll, you know, be on my boat fishing out on the lake", or I think this lady was like 84 or something. "I'll be with my girlfriends, we'll be having coffee at Tim Hortons", you know, and it's just, I don't know, it's something so unique to that person that I could never, you know, they're in their hospital pajamas with a whole bunch of stuff stuck to them, and I can't envisage them doing that, and yet I'm like, I want you to imagine yourself there. Where would you rather be? Okay, so everybody, that's our goal. It's not to get her home or to get her walking again. Our goal is to get her back in Tim Hortons with her eight friends, having coffee, like that is what this person loves to do. And I think that you know that inquiry, that it shows you care, it shows you see them as an individual, and I think it completely shifts your rehab focus, and then you can ask more questions about that, and they, you know, then you have this whole conversation about about what their life is like. And I think that part of being seen, even if it's only within 60 seconds, makes such a difference to that person. So that's one thing. The second thing I'd be, you know, doing is I'm trying to involve family as much as possible, as much as the person wants, and basically, just seeing them as an individual makes a huge difference already to the way you practice, that would be what I'd focus on. Katie Strong: Agreed, agreed. Well, Vivian, is there something you wish people asked you about this work that they rarely do, something about Take Charge or stroke recovery more broadly that you think the field hasn't quite caught up to yet. Vivian Fu:  Oh gosh, this is a tricky one. I think one thing we ought to recognize is that everybody is doing the best that they can with what they have. And you know, we're not as clinicians on the ground on the front line, we're not involved with funding decisions, and what projects get funded and which ones don't. And there will be the ambitious amongst your listeners, who I really hope will be like, "Oh my gosh, I can apply for this little grant, and I'm going to pilot this, and I think we should give this a go with our people." and I think that is absolutely a great idea to have. And, and I would, myself and Harry will do everything that we possibly can to help support such projects from where we are. I think the important thing to think about is that every little bit that you do makes a difference, and to not feel as though, because you know your funding runs out, or you don't get it, or the world is such a bleak place that you know it's not worth continuing to try. Because people with stroke who see you do this work, they will be grateful for it. And also the patient partners I've met that I've spoken with, and all of the people whom I've interviewed with the qualitative work, they're also happy to be part of something like this. And so even if it's a pilot project. Even if it's, you know, something that may not last, you'd be so surprised at how much momentum you can build with a movement of people who see the value in this and then take it further and further, And that's what I've been really impressed by, and kind of stunned by in all these different locations around the world who have contacted me. I've just been like, "Wow, can't believe [this]." There's this wonderful group in Hunter Medical Research Institute down in Australia, who basically took Take Charge back to their own unique Aboriginal community, the Gamilaroi peoples of that particular area of Australia. They have, like Canada and like the States, they have 1000s of tribes and lots of different groups that all speak completely different languages, but they took it to their local group, and they broke down, take charge into little bits, and then rebuilt it into an intervention that just works for them, and it's called "Yarning Up after Stroke", because what they do is they have a yarn. They yarn, and that's the way they tell their stories. It's yarning, and so you know, I just think it's incredible. Like, they got funding for it, they did it, and now it's an ongoing project that just keeps on in the community being provided to their people, and it's fantastic. So, I think it'll evolve. I love to see how it evolves, and I certainly don't think of, you know, this isn't the kind of intervention that we go around patenting and making a ton of money out of. It's the kind of intervention that everybody makes their own, and hopefully with a lot of input by people with stroke, Katie Strong: I love it. Thank you. Thank you so much for being our guest today, and sharing about Take Charge, and your generosity in sharing about the intervention, and if people are interested in reaching out to contact you, so thank you so much, Vivian. Vivian Fu:  Thank you so much for having me. I hope I haven't spoken too long. Katie Strong: Oh no, it's perfect. Vivian Fu: I'm always happy to be contacted, and yeah, very happy to support anyone who'd like to explore this further. Katie Strong: Thanks so much. On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening. For references and resources mentioned in today's show, please see our show notes, available on our website at www.aphasiaaccess.org. There you can also become a member of our organization, browse our growing library of materials, and find out about the Aphasia Access Academy. If you have an idea for a future podcast episode, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. For Aphasia Access Conversations, here at Central Michigan University in the Strong Story Lab, I'm Katie Strong. Dr. Fu's Email  dr.vivianfu@gmail.com  Resources and Readings Fu, V. (2019). Taking Charge After Stroke: A novel, community-based intervention to improve the lives of people with stroke. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Taking-Charge-After-Stroke:-A-novel,-intervention-Fu/3bc1dbb271f425c72e146510088856e3aad8683e  Fu, V., Fernando, K. M., Bright, F., Riley, J., McPherson, K., & McNaughton, H. (2025). Coming to my own wisdom: A qualitative study exploring the role of the Take Charge intervention in stroke recovery. Clinical Rehabilitation, 39(3), 377–387. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692155241310770 Fu, V., Weatherall, M., McPherson, K., Taylor, W., McRae, A., Thomson, T., Gommans, J., Green, G., Harwood, M., Ranta, A., Hanger, C., Riley, J., & McNaughton, H. (2020). Taking Charge after stroke: A randomized controlled trial of a person-centered, self-directed rehabilitation intervention. International Journal of Stroke, 15(9), 954–964. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747493020915144 Fu, V., Thompson, S., Kayes, N., & Bright, F. (2025). Supporting long-term meaningful outcomes in stroke rehabilitation. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 25, 17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-025-01403-z Harwood, M., Weatherall, M., Talemaitoga, A., Barber, P. A., Gommans, J., Taylor, W., McPherson, K., & McNaughton, H. (2011). Taking charge after stroke: Promoting self-directed rehabilitation to improve quality of life - a randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 26(6), 493-501. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215511426017  Te Ao, B., Harwood, M., Fu, V., Weatherall, M., McPherson, K., Taylor, W. J., McRae, A., Thomson, T., Gommans, J., Green, G., Ranta, A., Hanger, C., Riley, J., & McNaughton, H. (2022). Economic analysis of the 'Take Charge' intervention for people following stroke: Results from a randomised trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 36(2), 240–250. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692155211040727 McNaughton, H., & Fu, V. (2023). Intrinsic motivation. Practical Neurology, 23(6), 489-492.  https://pn.bmj.com/content/23/6/489  McNaughton, H., Gommans, J., McPherson, K., Harwood, M., & Fu, V. (2023). A cohesive, person-centric evidence-based model for successful rehabilitation after stroke and other disabling conditions. Clinical Rehabilitation, 37(7), 975-985. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692155221145433   Medical Research Institute of New Zealand. (n.d.). Take Charge rehabilitation resources. https://www.mrinz.ac.nz/take-charge-rehabilitation-resources World Stroke Organization. (n.d.). Taking Charge after stroke: A person-centred approach to life after stroke [Webinar]. https://www.world-stroke.org/what-we-do/education-and-research/education/webinars/taking-charge-after-stroke-a-person-centred-approach-to-life-after-stroke  

The Gamilaroi journalist on the tiny coalmining town that made her and still sustains her, how eating worms led to a job on breakfast TV, and why she's aiming to be a good ancestor in the deep future.Brooke grew up in Muswellbrook, a coal mining town in NSW.She was a smart, high-achieving kid, doing every extra-curricular activity she could fit in.Despite this, she dropped out of high school and didn't finish her education.After a couple of lost years, a kind boyfriend introduced Brooke to the idea of journalism, and suddenly, she was raring to go, earning jobs in the press gallery in Canberra for NITV, and on triple j, reading the news.Brooke was at the height of her career, doing entertainment news on the Today show on Nine, when she made a decision that seemed to come out of left field.In 2024 Brooke suddenly quit her high-profile job to take up an offer to study at Oxford University.Oxford presented the opportunity to complete the unfinished business of her education after being robbed of her academic potential in high school. In continuing to study, Brooke is focused on a life to be a not only a good auntie and sister but also a good ancestor for future generations.Further informationBrooke's book of essays, All of It: Notes on public life, private joy and everything in between was published by Joan, an imprint of Allen & Unwin.This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch.This episode touches on the Voice to Parliament referendum, Aboriginal, language, climate change, Indigenous knowledge systems, aunty, ancestors, single mum, DV, domestic violence, work experience, political reporter, Tony Abbott, the news cycle, Canberra, the press gallery, parliament house, UTS, family, nieces, nephews, deep time, deep future, raise the age, age of criminal responsibility, children in prison, children in detention, Socratic method, philosophical argument, economics and politics.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

In the newest Mental Fitness Conversations episode, produced in partnership with Black Magic Woman, host Mundanara Bayles yams with Dr Clinton Schultz, a proud Gamilaroi man, psychologist and Head of First Nations Strategy at Black Dog Institute. Clinton speaks openly about his life and the role of culture in shaping his path. He reflects on growing up disconnected from support, navigating systems that didn’t see him and the turning points that helped him realign with culture, lore and spirit. From building a career as a chef to retraining as a psychologist, Clinton’s journey shows the resilience of spirit that comes from culture and community. At the heart of this yarn is Aboriginal psychology - a way of understanding wellbeing that goes beyond the mind to include spirit, belonging and connection. Clinton explains why psychology must reflect culture and lived experience, and how he works to embed this at Black Dog Institute. Clinton’s story is raw, wise and deeply hopeful. He reminds us that mental fitness is not about going it alone but about drawing on culture, relationships and the practices that keep us strong across generations. Resources and links: Find out more about Gotcha4Life at www.gotcha4life.org and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @gotcha4life and Black Magic Woman on Instagram @blackmagicwomanpodcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts or follow on your Spotify app and tell your friends and family about us! Hosted by award-winning Indigenous businesswoman and Gotcha4Life Board Member Mundanara Bayles, and produced in partnership with Black Magic Woman, Mental Fitness Conversations centres First Nations voices in powerful conversations about culture, connection and what truly sustains mental fitness. Content in this podcast covers topics related to mental health, including suicide which can be confronting and distressing. If you found this content emotionally challenging, please practise self-care. There are support services available 24/7, 13YARN 13 92 76 and Lifeline 13 11 14.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Jodi Hoffman for a new solo edition of Moorditj Mag! Gamilaroi singer songwriter Naomi Diane called in to discuss her evolution as a musician, and her experience being mentored by the award-winning Jaowyn and Torres Strait Islander artist Candice Lorrae in Uncle Archie Roach's legacy program, Singing Our Futures. We also hear her new single, “Same Sky”. Noongar Yamatji woman Kirby Bentley, who has led an illustrious career as an AFLW player, coach, and youth and mental health advocate, also called in. They discussed her selection as the honouree for the AFLW's 2025 Indigenous Round, and the significance of representing Indigenous women and girls in football, such as through the Kirby Bentley Cup. Jodi also highlights the upcoming NAIDOC Week Perth 2025 Opening Ceremony on Sunday 7 September from 12pm – 4pm at Wellington Square/Moort-ak Waadiny. Moorditj Mag airs live every Thursday on RTRFM 92.1 at 11am. You can also catch Moorditj Mag on 100.9fm Noongar Radio on Fridays and Great Southern FM at 9:30 am on Tuesdays and Sundays.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the inspiring trailblazer Brook Boney. Brook is a proud Gamilaroi woman. She’s a political reporter and much loved broadcaster who took the big leap of leaving her job as the entertainment reporter for The Today Show, to follow her dream to study at Oxford. Brook has written a new book All Of It, which tells her story in a beautiful and moving way and we absolutely love it. In this conversation we hear about the brave decision Brook made to leave one of the most coveted jobs in Australian TV to pursue a Masters in Public Policy at Oxford University. She shares why even though it was difficult to leave behind a job like that, and even harder still to move so far away from her family, she has no regrets. Nicola and Di also share their own life-changing decisions and how they look back proudly at those decisions now. Brook tells us what life is like at Oxford and how she’s having so much fun. She’s even landed herself in the college that recruits for spies (although Brook admits she’d be a terrible spy after a champagne of two). Brook opens up about her personal story, growing up poor in housing commission in Muswellbrook, and how she’s been the first in her family for so many of the things she’s achieved. She speaks beautifully about how proud she is to be Aboriginal, and what it means to her to feel completely connected as one link in the chain of a 60,000 year history, and the sense of duty she feels not only to those that have come before her, but also to the next generation of her family. Brook also shares about the grief she felt when her 2 dogs passed away, and the future dreams she has to be a mother one day. This is a deeply personal chat and one that we feel so lucky we were able to have with Brook. It’s also a lot of fun - we laugh all the way through this with Brook and we felt like we all were having a glass of wine together over the back fence. We hope you love Brook’s energy and her story as much as we did. If you love our Over The Back Fence chats, come and hang out with us and some amazing guests at our in person event on the 19th of June at the Woolly Bay Hotel in Sydney. You can buy your tickets here - https://events.humanitix.com/over-the-back-fence-podcast-9r2scfqj/tickets This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. Follow Brook on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/boneybrooke/ Buy Brook’s book All of It here - https://www.amazon.com.au/All-public-private-everything-between/dp/1761068008 Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/ Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Water is an integral part of many artists' practices, from inspiration to materials and motifs, but how does water interact with art-making for those of us who live far from the ocean? On today's show, we're speaking with Emma Russell, an incredible Gamilaroi artist who shared a bit about her experiences using ochre from the local Moonee Ponds creek in both her arts practice and her teaching.Emma tells us about how her artistic practice is 'a family affair' and the influence of her local environment, living on Wurundjeri country, on her work. Plus we touch on the history of the urbanised and sometimes under-appreciated waterways of Melbourne's north-west.You can keep up to date with Emma's work at her instagram, @emmarussellarts and keep an eye out for her upcoming arts workshops!Artwork by Emma Russell. 

Trailblazing journalist and proud Gamilaroi woman Brooke Boney opens up like never before in All of It, her powerful debut essay collection. Like many millennial women, Brooke Boney is navigating a society that expects her to chase it all – career, success and personal fulfillment – while doing so under an unforgiving public gaze. In her highly anticipated essay collection, All of It, she reflects on the pressures of life in the spotlight as the first Indigenous host of Australian commercial breakfast television and now as an ambitious scholar striving to inspire others. With honesty and insight, she explores the competing expectations placed on young women today. In conversation with Jacinta Parsons, the charismatic and thought-provoking Boney delves into what drives her sense of purpose and meaning while grappling with the generational impacts of colonisation, love, friendship, fertility and ambition. This event was recorded on Friday 4 April 2025 at The Wheeler Centre.The official bookseller was Readings. Featured music is ‘Golden Hour’ by Sarah, the Illstrumentalist.Support the Wheeler Centre: https://www.wheelercentre.com/support-us/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooke Boney is a proud Gamilaroi woman and trailblazing journalist, known for using her platform to spark conversation around Indigenous affairs and advocate for those less fortunate. She made history as the first Aboriginal woman in a major commercial TV role on The Today Show. In this conversation, Brooke shares her personal journey from the lasting impact of the Stolen Generations and intergenerational trauma, to the emotional toll of public life, racism, and being misunderstood. She opens up about grief, loss, and the unexpected way Ali Langdon supported her through fertility treatment. Content Warning:This episode includes a traumatic story involving the accidental death of a baby. Listener discretion is advised. Know someone who'd enjoy this episode? Why not share it with them by tapping the 3 dots above ⬆︎ and passing it on LINKS: Buy Brookes incredible book of essays 'All of It' here If you loved this chat with Brooke we think you'll love Jess's conversation with Nakkiah Lui here If you love what we do, why not follow the show, and rate and review on Apple or Spotify CREDITS:Host: Jessica RoweGuest: Brooke Boney Executive Producer: Nic McClureAudio Producer: Nat Marshall Digital Content Producer: Zoe Panaretos The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show acknowledges the Gadigal people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we recorded this podcast, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples here today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marlee Silva is a renowned Australian Rugby League journalist. Her love for the game began practically from the moment she was born, which was just three days before her dad won a premiership with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.As a Dunghutti and Gamilaroi woman, storytelling has been part of Marlee's Indigenous Australian culture for over 60,000 years. So as a proud supporter of the NRLW, it only felt natural that telling stories about women's rugby league is what Marlee was destined to do.But now she's dipped into Longform storytelling to tackle some of the biggest issues within the game. This week Chloe caught up with Marlee following the release of her new documentary: Skin in the Game.Skin in the Game examines the role that Rugby League has played in Australia's history of domestic and family violence and what the sport can do to be part of the solution. You can watch Skin in the Game for free here: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/skin-in-the-game/2412109891542 Buy our kids book The A to Z of Who I Could Be, or book for adults GIRLS DON'T PLAY SPORT. www.thefemaleathleteproject.com/shopGet the wrap delivered into your inbox as a weekly newsletter! Subscribe here for the newsletter + don't miss a merch drop.Shop TFAP merch: https://www.thefemaleathleteproject.com/shopFind us on Instagram: @thefemaleathleteproject#womenssport

Acknowledgement of Country// Headlines//Gaza updatesInquest into Clinton Austin death in Loddon Prison delayedFederal budget anti-poverty critiqueUrges for the Australian government to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons We play a speech by Themme Fatale at the Defend Dissent Coalition rally on Victoria's Parliament Steps last Wednesday the 19th of March. Themme Fatale drove home the powerful message that preventing the criminalisation of mask-wearing at protests is first and foremost a disability justice issue. Read and sign the open letter "Protect the Right to Protest" from Defend Dissent Coalition here.// Ruth Nyaruot Ruach and Geskeva Komba, Creative Producers and Co-Founders of Next In Colour, joined us to discuss the Future Reset: Diasporic Dreaming project, a creative collaboration between Footscray Community Arts and Next In Colour which aims to support young people from African Diaspora communities. The project, funded by Vic Health, began in 2022 and culminates in this Saturday's launch of the research zine 'Re-imagining Utopias'. Ruth is a South-Sudanese multidisciplinary artist, who uses art to heal, explore her surroundings and create comfort within her blackness. Geskeva Komba is a trans-disciplinary creative of Comorian and Tanzanian heritage. Raised in the Western suburbs of Melbourne she has experience combined in community development, theatre, film, spoken word, as well as music.// Yusra and Khadija, students at River Nile School (RNS), share what independent senior secondary education at the school is all about. RNS provides specialised support for young people from refugee and asylum seeker communities, and has a commitment to trauma-informed teaching and learning strategies, with a goal to reduce the barriers to education faced by young women in particular. In our conversation today, Yusra and Khadija also spoke about River Nile School's block party happening next Thursday 3 April from 2-6pm in North Melbourne. You can RSVP or show your support by donating to the school here.//Gamilaroi man and IndigenousX founder Luke Pearson joined us for a critical conversation about 'Harmony Day', which australia celebrates on March 21st while the rest of the world is commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Luke speaks about the difference between successive australian governments' attempts to creatively re-branding the colonial status quo and the work required to engage in actual anti-racist practice. You can read an excellent piece by Luke on 'Harmony Day' here on IndigenousX.//

Gamilaroi and Dunghutti woman Marlee Silva takes a bold look at rugby league's impact on Australian identity in 'Skin in the Game' - premiering Sunday, 23 March, on NITV, SBS, and SBS On Demand.

7.15am Kim Sampson, the president of the Victorian branch of the Australia Vietnam Friendship Society spoke about the AVFS, its beginnings, purpose and heads into discussions of Vietnam politics and economy. 7.45am Julian Cribb an Australian author and science writer about the continuing and emerging debate about whether COVID 19 had its origins in a laboratory, in so called gain of function experiments.https://johnmenadue.com/did-a-us-funded-biotechnology-experiment-ignite-the-worst-pandemic-of-modern-times/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372946677_Open_Letter_To_Nature_Medicinehttps://usrtk.org/covid-19-origins/timeline-the-proximal-origin-of-sars-cov-2/https://www.jeffsachs.org/newspaper-articles/t335agp59fnltwp4te9zggsta6rmc8https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Final-Report-7.pdf 8.10am Gamilaroi and Dharug man Travis De Vries, founder and managing director of Awesome Black, a creative agency and foundation, which tells stories, makes cool sh*t happen and helps individual creatives and organisations execute meaningful, authentic and professionally awesome projects.https://awesomeblack.studio/https://awesomeblack.org/shows/frontier-war-stories/https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblackfoundation/ SongsJess Hitchcock - Homeward BoundAndrew Gurruwiwi Band - Yaa Djamarrkuli

Kylie Captain is a proud Gamilaroi woman, best-selling author, and educator with over 20 years of experience in education, finance, and community services. As President of the Aboriginal Studies Association and Founder of Dream Big Education Wellbeing, Kylie promotes leadership, cultural awareness, and Aboriginal educational excellence. She has delivered influential workshops across Australia, positively impacting individuals and organizations. In 2024, Kylie was a finalist for the NSW Woman of the Year Award in the Aboriginal Woman of the Year category. Her third book, published at the Sydney Opera House, underscores her dedication to driving positive change and empowering communities.

This special episode revisits one of our most captivating conversations of the year, featuring a guest whose journey is as dazzling as it is inspiring.

WE'RE DOING A LIVE PODCAST!!!! Sunday 15th DecemberApple Store in Sydney CBD. It's FREE! --------------------Register to attend here: https://apple.co/first-things-first It's a very traditional time of year for most people, so we thought it might be a nice time to teach you some of our traditions and a little bit more about our culture. Brooke is a proud Noongar woman from Western Australia. Matty is a proud Gamilaroi man from Northern NSW. Today they chat about their lack of connection to their mob's language, why sorry business is so important and the differences in culture between mobs all over the country. Plus whether mob should be the ones acknowledging country, OR if it's a non-Indigenous persons job? Nova Entertainment acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we recorded this podcast, the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We pay our respect to Elders past and present. LINKS Follow @itsmattymills on Instagram Follow @brooke.blurton on Instagram Follow @novapodcastsofficial on Instagram CREDITSHosts: Brooke Blurton and Matty MillsExecutive Producer: Rachael HartManaging Producer: Ricardo Bardon Listen to more great podcasts at novapodcasts.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever been curious about Aboriginal astronomy and how the night sky has guided mobs for thousands of years? In this episode of Yarning Up, Caroline sits down with Karlie Alinta Noon, a Gamilaroi astrophysicist, author, and advocate for Indigenous and women's rights in STEM. Karlie is the first Indigenous Australian woman to graduate with a double degree in maths and physics, and she's currently completing a PhD in astrophysics at the Australian National University. As the co-author of the award-winning book Astronomy: Sky Country, Karlie is committed to making STEM and Indigenous knowledge accessible to all. During the conversation, Caroline and Karlie delve into her incredible journey—from growing up on Gamilaroi Country surrounded by strong matriarchs, to taking on her matriarchs strength in a male-dominated field. Karlie shares how Indigenous wisdom has shaped her understanding of the universe, and her groundbreaking research exploring the Milky Way's nuclear wind using radio telescopes. Karlie also opens up about the personal challenges she faced growing up in a low-income family and how her passion for science blossomed through the support of a kind Aunty. Together, they discuss the importance of Indigenous representation in science, the value of community, and how traditional knowledge systems can offer solutions to modern challenges. You won't want to miss this powerful yarn. To learn more about Karlie Noon, follow her journey and research here. Follow Caroline on Instagram:@blak_wattle_coaching and learn more about working with Caroline here. We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung people of the Kulin Nation where this podcast was taped, and pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, past, present, and emerging across Australia. This podcast is brought to you by On Track Studio.www.ontrackstudio.com.au@on.track.studio For advertising opportunities, please email: hello@ontrackstudio.com.au  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Morrissey, Electrician and owner of Melbourne Jerky. Handcrafted beef jerky which started here in Melbourne. Mike is a Gamilaroi (northern NSW) man from The Pines, Frankston.Notorious for many reasons, Mike unpacks growing up in that environment and never taking much notice.Business minded as a kid, Mike was always thinking of ways to get ahead. Combine that with a hard work ethic, a trade and becoming a young father and home owner. Mike's responsibilities grew, as well as his passion for new ventures.This is a seriously encouraging listen. One thing I gained from listening to Mike, “setting your own boundaries of success” whatever that may be at this time of your life.Enjoy!

Tony Armstrong felt like a failure when his AFL career ended. But he found his feet again, falling upwards into a different life, calling footy matches, hosting live television, and now writing a children's book. This is why Tony isn't scared of failing anymore

Gamilaroi elder Aunty Beryl van Oploo, Australians from migrant communities among 737 honored in King's Birthday list - The federal coalition says it's committed to the Paris Agreement but will scrap Australian climate targets - And in A-F-L, Carlton Coach Michael Voss says his team deserves their second-place spot on ladder.

Tony Armstrong is a proud Gamilaroi man and former AFL player, turned TV presenter, podcaster and two time Logie winner. With his moustache and cheeky smile all over our screens as the sports presenter on ABCTV News Breakfast and a regular on the project, Tony seems to have it all. In this chat with Tom Tilley, Tony unpacks his relationship with Adam Goodes, how he feels since the Voice referendum and why hard work doesn't always pay off. Send us your Weekend Briefing suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recommended for ages 9+Karlie Noon is a Gamilaroi astronomer and science communicator. For the last ten years she has been working in promoting Indigenous astronomical knowledge systems and advocating for women in STEM. During this insightful conversation, Karlie shares her story and explains some of the principles of Indigenous Astronomy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate's joined by the wonderful Brooke Boney, entertainment reporter for the TODAY show in Australia. Brooke is a Gamilaroi woman, a proud auntie, and a devoted pug fan. She began her career as a political journalist and now she gets up so early in the morning to be on breakfast telly. She had two perfect pugs, called Reuben and Jimmy. May they both be eating as much cheese as they like, forevermore. They recorded this episode on Gadigal land in 2022; specifically from Kate's niece's nursery. Since this episode, Brooke has interviewed Vin Diesel in Rome, swapped fitness tips with Michael B Jordan and met a few Backstreet Boys at a Harry Styles concert. You can find Brooke on Instagram and on Channel 9 every weekday morning. You can find Kate on kateleaver.com. Her book, Good Dog, is published by Harper Collins in Australia, the US and the UK. Who's A Good Dog? is a Stripped Media podcast, produced by Arlie Adlington. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Indigenous artist Krystal Dallinger joins us on this bonus episode to talk about her experience designing the Giants' Super Netball First Nations Round dress for the last six years and this season – for the first time – the official competition artwork ‘Gather as One' that was printed on all the netballs used over the last two weeks for game play.As a Gamilaroi woman, Dallinger explains how her painting style has evolved since she first picked up a paintbrush at age 16, how a sentimental gift she made for a Super Netball great has changed her life, which dresses feature her all-time favourite designs and the cultural journey she has been on to learn more about her family's history.

As we jump into the AFL's Sir Doug Nicholls round and the NRL's Indigenous round, Australia's major footy codes are putting their considerable weight behind the Indigenous Voice to parliament. Today, Patrick Stack speaks with Gamilaroi and Dunghutti woman Marlee Silva about how sport might shape the conversation. Featured: Marlee Silva, ABC Sport.  Subscribe to the ABC Sport Newsletter

We recently ran a survey on attitudes towards January 26. The overwhelming majority of respondents told us the public holiday should be changed or abolished. So, in the spirit of talking less and listening more, Gamilaroi man and IndigenousX CEO/ founder Luke Pearson joins us in today's deep dive. Luke shares his perspective on what this day means, and shares some history you might not know. Resources referenced in today's podcast: IndigenousXAIATSIS10 things you should know about January 267 more things you should know about invasion daySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we chat with Dr. Clinton Schultz. Dr. Clinton is a proud Gamilaroi man, a PhD registered psychologist, founder of his own practice Marumali Consultations. He was the overall Winner for Griffith University's Most Outstanding First Nations Alumnus Award in 2018. He's also the co-founder with his wife Lozen of the non-alcoholic craft beer company Sobah Beverages. We chat with Clinton about his journey with alcohol and drugs, the normality of being away from his family half of the week, partying with the boys. Family is a high priority in Clinton's life, and after a few wake up calls including a quick word from his son one Christmas morning prompted a change to put down the "silly drink" for good. With a culinary background as a chef and his love of beer, he explored and turned his creative passions to brewing non-alcoholic craft beer, the first of its kind in Australia. He discusses the purpose of Sobah and the importance of giving back and helping the community, and giving a real life experience approach to his psychology practice. We appreciate Dr. Clinton for his time and sharing some tasty non-alcoholic beverages for the podcast! Sobah Beverages' Links: https://sobah.com.au info@sobah.com.au Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sobahbeverages Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sobahbeverages Twitter: https://twitter.com/sobahbeverages Marumali Consultations: https://www.marumaliconsult.com info@marumaliconsult.com LAST DRINKS PODCAST LINKS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lastdrinkspodcast Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lastdrinkspodcast

Nakkiah Lui is an actor, writer and comedian. She is a Gamilaroi and Torres Strait Islander woman who is well known as a passionate, determined advocate for the rights and equality of First Nations people. She has an outstanding number of artistic achievements. You will recognise her from TV shows including Black Comedy, Preppers, Kiki and Kitty and Get Krackin or follow her witty, acerbic takes on Twitter.In this conversation Jamila Rizvi and Nakkiah Lui discuss everything from motherhood, diversity in the Australian media and the backlash of portraying fictional characters.    THE WEEKEND LIST: DO: ⚠️ BeReal App ⚠️ DO: Follow Instagram page - @pizza_night_ READ: The Real Story of the Birth of Fall Out Boy - Rolling Stone DO: BIG4 Holiday Park    Follow The Briefing: Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former Triple J newsreader reflects on her life, from growing up in regional NSW, to becoming one of the most prominent Indigenous personalities on commercial television.

Gamilaroi poet and musician Luke Patterson takes us on a walk through Sydney's inner-western suburb Redfern, built on Gadigal land. Redfern, seen as the heart of Indigenous activism in Sydney, is Luke's homebase. After we grabbed a quick coffee, Luke told me all about his experiences of living here – as well as in Kurnell, about his idea of Country, about the blending of city -and urban sounds in his creative work, and last but not least, about his engagement in community projects, such as Ngana Barangarai, publishing poetry by inmates in Junee Correctional Centre. You will hear our conversation, as well as the sounds of the city. At times, the city sounds take over – if you find this unpleasant to listen to, I invite you to either let it wash over you, or skip ahead a few seconds while we turn a corner. Thanks for listening to our experiment of a conversation between humans, city, and Country. Links for more information: • Luke's take on the opening night of the Sydney Writers' Festival 2022: https://www.swf.org.au/stories/luke-patterson-on-opening-night/ • “Illawarra Wandering” – Luke Patterson: https://rundog.art/projects/illawarra-wandering • “Authority of Creeks” – Luke Patterson: https://rundog.art/poetry/authority-of-creeks-luke-patterson/ • Sydney Writers' Festival: https://www.swf.org.au/ • Luke's review of Jazz Money's “How to Make a Basket”: https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/review/money-how-to-make-a-basket/ • About “Dreaming Inside”: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/new-document/13875030 • “Dreaming Inside” Volume 10 (incl. Luke's poem “Somewhere Under a Wiradjuri Sun”): https://southcoastwriters.org/shop/p/dreaming-inside-volume-10-f6t6c • https://www.seedmob.org.au/

Kathryn speaks with Daniel Mateo, the first Pasifika dancer to be invited to join Australia's Bangarra Dance Company, which has celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contempory dance for more than 30 years. Daniel is a descendent of the Gamilaroi people of north east New South Wales as well as the Tongan people. Daniel dances in a new work created specifically for people to watch not in person but on a digital platform. It'c called 'New Dawn' and has has premiered at the Pacific Dance Digital Festival.

We're having a Littler Yarn with singer and fellow Gamilaroi girl Loren Ryan! She's going to share some language with us and her Gamilaraay version of 'I Can Sing a Rainbow'.

When Kath Ruska's dad told her white people would never recognise Aboriginal culture, she hoped he was wrong. She became a famous poet, using her pen as a weapon to fight for Indigenous rights. Her words took her all the way to Parliament House, where she demanded the Prime Minister do more to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. But she still had an English name, so she changed it to Aboriginal language -Oodgeroo, meaning paper bark, and Noonuccal, the name of her tribe. Oodgeroo moved back to her island home — Minjerribah — and figured out the best way to make sure her culture was always remembered: she taught it to children, black and white. Narrated by Gamilaroi and Dunghutti writer and podcast maker, Marlee Silva. Extra narration by Peggy Webber.

When Kath Ruska's dad told her white people would never recognise Aboriginal culture, she hoped he was wrong. She became a famous poet, using her pen as a weapon to fight for Indigenous rights. Her words took her all the way to Parliament House, where she demanded the Prime Minister do more to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. But she still had an English name, so she changed it to Aboriginal language -Oodgeroo, meaning paper bark, and Noonuccal, the name of her tribe. Oodgeroo moved back to her island home — Minjerribah — and figured out the best way to make sure her culture was always remembered: she taught it to children, black and white. Narrated by Gamilaroi and Dunghutti writer and podcast maker, Marlee Silva. Extra narration by Peggy Webber.

Australia's new Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, began his election night victory speech by acknowledging the land's traditional owners. In his very next breath, he committed the Australian Labor Party “in full” to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. So, what is the Uluru Statement from the Heart? What does it mean for Labor to commit to it "in full"? And what level of optimism is appropriate that a new era has begun which will improve the every day lives of Indigenous Australians? Joining host Jessica Irvine on Please Explain today to discuss is indigenous affairs reporter and Gamilaroi man, Cameron Gooley. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's new Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, began his election night victory speech by acknowledging the land's traditional owners. In his very next breath, he committed the Australian Labor Party “in full” to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. So, what is the Uluru Statement from the Heart? What does it mean for Labor to commit to it "in full"? And what level of optimism is appropriate that a new era has begun which will improve the every day lives of Indigenous Australians? Joining host Jessica Irvine on Please Explain today to discuss is indigenous affairs reporter and Gamilaroi man, Cameron Gooley. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australians fired the prime minister on Saturday, and did some significant rearranging of the furniture in Canberra while they were at it. We take a look at what happened on election night - from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's path to victory, carnage in the Coalition, and the enormous support for the Greens, minor parties, and independent candidates. What role did young people have in delivering the country our most diverse parliament yet? And what does the election of 'Teal' independents mean for climate action over the next few years? Plus, now that Labor will be running the show - what did they promise to do, again? Live guests: Labor MP Anne Aly Former Liberal candidate and Gamilaroi man Geoffrey Winters

Gamilaroi man Corey Tutt is CEO of Deadly Science, a … Continued

While you wait for new Imagine This, take a listen to Little Yarns! Hosted by Gamilaroi girl, Rudi Bremer, Little Yarns is a podcast that takes your ears on Country to share some of Australia's First languages and have a little yarn! New episodes are out every Monday.

While you wait for new Imagine This, take a listen to Little Yarns! Hosted by Gamilaroi girl, Rudi Bremer, Little Yarns is a podcast that takes your ears on Country to share some of Australia's First languages and have a little yarn! New episodes are out every Monday.

Corey Tutt, proud Gamilaroi man and founder of non-profit ‘Deadly Science' shares how a LinkedIn message led to Daniel Riccardo racing in the Australian Grand Prix this weekend with his logo printed on his car. We also chat about Cyril Rioli's relationship with Hawthorn and preview the AFLW and NRLW grand finals.

Corey Tutt, proud Gamilaroi man and founder of non-profit ‘Deadly Science' shares how a LinkedIn message led to Daniel Riccardo racing in the Australian Grand Prix this weekend with his logo printed on his car. We also chat about Cyril Rioli's relationship with Hawthorn and preview the AFLW and NRLW grand finals.

While you wait for new eps of Noisy by Nature, take a listen to Little Yarns! Hosted by Gamilaroi girl and friend of the show, Rudi, Little Yarns takes your ears on Country to learn a first word in language. New episodes are out every Monday!

While you wait for new eps of Noisy by Nature, take a listen to Little Yarns! Hosted by Gamilaroi girl and friend of the show, Rudi, Little Yarns takes your ears on Country to learn a first word in language. New episodes are out every Monday!

After a disastrous start to the year for the Prime Minister that has involved leaked text messages, a failed religious discrimination bill and intense scrutiny over the way the government has treated women, Scott Morrison has found himself in hot water again this week. In a speech delivered to mark 14 years since the Rudd government issued an apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples, Mr Morrison said, “sorry is not the hardest word to say, the hardest is I forgive you”. The speech prompted fury from Indigenous leaders around the country, including a statement from the First People's Assembly of Victoria which simply said, “Get in the bin”. While the Prime Minister didn't downplay the seriousness of the trauma inflicted upon the Stolen Generations, he has been criticised for the implication that survivors must give their forgiveness in order to heal. Today on Please Explain, Indigenous affairs reporter and Gamilaroi man Cameron Gooley joins Nathanael Cooper to explore why the Prime Minister's comments were so poorly received. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neenah shares three words from her father's language of Darumbal, including a word that has a very different meaning in her mother's Gamilaroi language.

This podcast has been brought to life as part of Charlotte Schuitenmaker's PhD Thesis on contemporary Indigenous musics in Australia, investigating the relations between activism, urbanism, and Indigeneity through music. Instead of using interviews for just her thesis, Charlotte wants to share the interviews with you. The stories are important, and this way they are more accessible. Please be advised that this podcast contains references to deceased persons. Gamilaroi and Wakka Wakka song man and didgeridoo player Gumaroy Newman and British-Australian flutist, pianist, and composer Keyna Wilkins talk about all things Yulugi; an ensemble they have set up about 3 years ago. From fuzzy Capricorn behaviour to the Scottish origins of the word “digeridoo,” to the Australian national anthem, we have talked about it all. Most importantly, we talked about how music of the “here and now” can celebrate humans in all our commonalities as well as our differences. Because in the end, we are all (going?) grey. This episode includes one of their songs at the end of our talk as well, make sure to stay tuned! Little spoiler alert: Jalal Mahamede is now a free man! He was released only a couple of weeks after we recorded this episode. Show script: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NWZM_5NvOlpCT7XoovqzM9N1oeSoGK7hDK8YBK1NLJk/edit?usp=sharing To find out more: https://www.yulugi.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yulugiensemble/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yulugi Links for more information: - About Ganga Giri: https://gangagiri.com/ - About the online streaming event hosting “Celestial Emu” composed by Keyna Wilkins and performed by Gumaroy Newman on Yidaki (Didgeridoo) and the Metropolitan Orchestra. The event was streamed on November 12 th , 2021, but this page contains a lot of info. Look for “Celestial Emu” under “Program Notes:” https://riversideparramatta.com.au/show/classicaldreamtime-watchparty/ - About Keyna's project together with Jalal: https://www.keynawilkins.com/set-me-free.html - About Jalal Mahamede: https://www.jalalmahamede.com/ - About the Recognition in Anthem Project: https://www.rap.org.au/ - About SeedMob: https://www.seedmob.org.au/

Our summer podcast series brings you some of the best conversations from our webinars in 2021. Everyone knows that children do best when they are supported, nurtured and loved. But across Australia, children as young as 10 can be arrested by police, charged with an offence, hauled before a court and locked away in a prison. This primarily affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Raise the Age is a campaign for the federal, state and territory governments to do what's right and change the laws to raise the age, so children aged 10 to 13 years are not sent to prison. Part of Australia Institute TV.This episode was recorded live on 8 September 2021 and things may have changed since recording.Host: Ebony Bennett, Deputy Director at the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Julie Williams, Gamilaroi woman and Mt Druitt Community Engagement Officer, Just Reinvest NSWMeena Singh,Yorta Yorta woman and PhD candidate, University of MelbourneSophie Trevitt, Executive Officer, Change the RecordDr Nick Fancourt, Paediatrician, Menzies School of Health ResearchThe Australia Institute // @theausinstituteProducer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermaceyTheme Music: Pulse and Thrum; additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

When Kath Ruska's dad told her white people would never recognise Aboriginal culture, she hoped he was wrong. She became a famous poet, using her pen as a weapon to fight for Indigenous rights. Her words took her all the way to Parliament House, where she demanded the Prime Minister do more to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. But she still had an English name, so she changed it to Aboriginal language -Oodgeroo, meaning paper bark, and Noonuccal, the name of her tribe. Oodgeroo moved back to her island home — Minjerribah — and figured out the best way to make sure her culture was always remembered: she taught it to children, black and white. Narrated by Gamilaroi and Dunghutti writer and podcast maker, Marlee Silva. Extra narration by Peggy Webber.

In lieu of a sponsor this week, we have donated both the space and money associated to Cultural Choice Association to support their work in preventing Aboriginal youth suicide. This is an issue we've spoken about before on the podcast and is one I'll personally always make space to talk about, as it's one of the issues I am most passionate about. Unsurprisingly, this conversation also comes with a content warning as there are discussions of suicide and depression. … In 2017, the latest published statistics revealed suicide as the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people between 5 and 17 years old. And over the past five years, despite the fact that we only make up 2.8% of the youth population, one in every four Australian children who died by suicide was Indigenous. Prior to invasion, suicide was not a concept known nor seen in our communities, and a senate enquiry into this epidemic facing our young people today has revealed it is directly correlated to the intergenerational trauma, disconnect from culture and related disadvantage caused by colonisation. Each of these numbers represents a child. A name. An empty seat at the dinner table. A life full of opportunity, never to be fully realised. This issue is one of the hardest to discuss, because often, the deeper you go, the more questions you have rather than are answered. But it has to be talked about, and thankfully, like my guest on today's episode, there are incredible people out there committed to making a difference. Connor Watson, proud Gamilaroi man and Newcastle Knights player, was set on a few things from a young age - he was going to play in the NRL and no matter what, he was going to find a way to give back to our mob when he got there. Connor, alongside his amazing mum Jodie, dad Mark and younger brother Fletcher, have turned family tragedy into passion and hard work driven toward Aboriginal youth suicide prevention through their non-profit, Cultural Choice Association. I'm privileged to have seen the work the association does on the ground and the impact it has on our young ones, so I couldn't be more thrilled to be bringing you Connor's story and a glimpse into that work in today's chat. Throughout this discussion please remember, it is ok not to feel ok, but it isn't ok not do do something about it, if you need help call Lifeline on 13 11 14. . . . Thank you so much Connor for taking the time out to jump on and share your story today. If you want to support Cultural Choice Association please check out their Instagram, Facebook and website and consider donating whatever you can to their GoFundMe: https://gf.me/u/yf7p94 You can also help by sharing this episode and their page on your own socials or with friends/family too! . . . Always Was, Always Will Be Our Stories is Written, Hosted and Edited by Marlee Silva and now produced with help of Keely Silva, on the unceded lands of the Dharrawal people. We pay our deepest respects to those people and their Elders past and present, whose connection to this place has remained unbroken for over 60 thousand years. Follow us on Instagram @alwaysourstories . . . Theme Music: 'Run' by Tristan Barton Podcast Artwork: @wuruhi.auaha

Yaama, I'm Marlee Silva, a Gamilaroi and Dunghutti writer and the Co-Founder of Tiddas 4 Tiddas. In these frightening and uncertain times, it feels as though there's little left in life that has gone unchanged. Coming from the oldest, continuous surviving culture on Earth - that of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people - there is something my people do, that never has and never will falter. That is, our tradition of storytelling. For over 80 thousand years, we have exchanged stories as a means of connecting, learning and surviving and continuing this today, to me, seems more important than ever. That's why I'm bringing you my new podcast, ‘Always was, always will be our stories.' Where I sit down with inspiring Indigenous leaders from all walks of life, to hear their stories, learn from their experiences - and maybe even, just distract ourselves for a minute from the hazy and dark clouds that seem ever present in this world today, so we might connect and feel hopeful for the future. Subscribe now and be ready for episode 1, dropping on the 1st of June 2020! Follow us on Instagram or Facebook too to stay up date with the new guests coming your way every week: @alwaysourstories Theme Music: 'Run', Tristan Barton Podcast Artwork: Tia Mason This podcast was mostly recorded and edited from my home studio on Dharrawal Country. I pay my respects to the Dharrawal people and all my brothers and sisters ancestors across the continent. These lands and waterways always was and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our sovereignty has never been ceded and our strength and resilience will continue forward for time immemorial.