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Articles by Cathy Kezelman
How GPs can support patients living with complex trauma - InSight+
Complex trauma is common, pervasive, and frequently invisible in primary care settings. Many patients present repeatedly with chronic, unexplained symptoms, dysregulated nervous systems, or fragmented help-seeking patterns without ever naming their trauma experiences. Recognising the patterns and responding sensitively can position medical practitioners as pivotal figures in a patient’s recovery journey.
Complex trauma and trauma-informed care over 30 years - InSight+
Over the last 30 years, there have been significant advances in our understanding of ‘complex trauma’ — repeated ongoing and often extreme interpersonal violence, abuse and neglect, occurring at any life stage or over multiple stages. People experiencing the impacts of complex trauma benefit from medical practice which is trauma-informed. Being trauma-informed means engaging with people in a way which acknowledges the possibility that they may have experiences of unresolved trauma.
Understanding the Impact of Complex Trauma on Men’s Health
As we approach International Men’s Health Week, it is critical to highlight the silent epidemic of complex trauma experienced by men and boys in our society, and its crippling cost. Complex trauma – repeated ongoing often extreme experiences of abuse, neglect and violence – is common and not only is it common, but its impacts are often very damaging. The research around complex trauma is current and compelling, and yet as a society, we repeatedly fail to act.
Opinion: How a near death experience led a migrant to care for outcast Australians
When I left Zimbabwe to come to Australia, I had greener pastures in mind. I wanted a different life for myself, more opportunities, and to start a family. I remember after being approved for my working Visa as a registered nurse, excitement overcame me; this was it, I was finally able to make the leap! When I arrived in Australia I had not traveled a great deal before and was shocked by the reaction to my skin.
Opinion: Investing in our women for our future generations
I’ve worked in the NGO sector for over 20 years and have always felt that the work I do has helped to fill the gap that the public sector couldn’t. A space where I could authentically support and empower women, and not just see them as another number or another statistic. I’ve always been motivated by my desire to nurture women to see them not only survive but thrive. Over the years I’ve realised this isn’t something that one individual can achieve.
Rising Above Complex Trauma this International Women's Day
As we dive into this year’s UN Women theme, “Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress,” it’s time to reflect and celebrate women’s achievements every day. It’s not just women who have achieved celebrity status that we need to celebrate but those who fly under the radar, and in their own inimitable way progress their worlds and ours. Women are often indomitable and don’t only shatter glass ceilings, but dismantle the barriers of the past.
For those dealing with complex trauma, the cost of living crisis is biting hard
Navigating the challenges of living with the impacts of complex trauma is a journey that extends far beyond the emotional, and the challenges are further amplified by the relentless rise in the cost of living we’re currently experiencing. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, living costs for employee households jumped by 2.0 per cent in the September 2023 quarter – that’s faster than the 1.5 per cent rise we saw in June.
Navigating the holidays with compassion in the face of complex trauma
Dr Cathy Kezelman, President of the Blue Knot Foundation, shares strategies for navigating the holiday season in the face of complex trauma. The festive season, typically associated with joy and celebration, can pose a significant challenge for those who have experienced repeated violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation – collectively termed as complex trauma.
Opinion: Leveraging Influencer Marketing for Social Good
Marketers and communications professionals working in the not-for-profit sector are always needing to think of inventive and cost-effective ways to spread the word about their charitable or social cause. Charities are under an enormous amount of pressure in an economic climate that is biting hard both for everyday consumers and for those in need.
Opinion: Making the most of our multiculturalism
Cath Scarth is Chief Executive Officer of AMES Australia, one of Australia’s leading migrant and refugee settlement agencies. She has worked in the settlement and humanitarian sector for more than 20 years in Australia and the UK designing, implementing and overseeing a wide range of innovative social programs and enterprises.
Opinion: Chronic Pain Attracts Federal Spotlight
Recently, I was fortunate enough to stand alongside the CEO of Painaustralia, Guilia Jones, at a thought-provoking rally, at the front of Parliament House, highlighting the significant impact of chronic pain on working women as part of the organisation’s Walk My Pain campaign. We garnered support from Senator Helen Polley Dr Mike Freelander MP Dr Nick Coatsworth Senator Anne Ruston David Pocock Larissa Waters Anne Webster MP, and we thank them for their commitment to the women of Australia.
Opinion: What needs to happen to address the child sexual abuse epidemic?
The Australian child maltreatment Study released earlier this year found that 28.5% of the population of 16-65 year olds were sexually abused as a child. The vast majority of this abuse was not institutional, but if our institutions can’t be made accountable, how do we as a society tackle the epidemic of child sexual abuse in our midst?
Cathy Kezelman: Delay in revoking Barry Cable’s AFL ‘legend’ status shows there’s far to go Original
Removing Barry Cable from the AFL Hall of Fame is too little, and far too late. The reality is that the crime of child sexual abuse demands zero tolerance from the community and swift action. The delay in Cable being stripped of “legend” status reveals an ongoing inherent lack of understanding around the gravity of the crime, the impacts of child sexual abuse and the importance of community compassion and understanding for healing.
Supporting survivors of complex trauma though self care
Opinion Mental Health covid-19 Stories nonprofit Latest News Blue Knot Day is an Australian national day established by Blue Knot Foundation, the National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma, to raise awareness around the more than 5 million Australian adults living with the impacts of complex trauma. It is a day on which Blue Knot asks all people to unite in support of survivors. This year’s Blue Knot Day will be taking place on October 27.
Opinion: Building a trauma-informed community
Why a trauma-informed community? Blue Knot Foundation is holding its second virtual Blue Knot Day; the theme this year is building a trauma-informed community. This is an apt and timely theme given our more recent experiences of trauma in our environment and the impacts of the pandemic. It has highlighted at a community and global level that experiencing trauma can happen to anyone.
Health practitioners on frontline of realities of sexual assault - InSight+
SEXUAL assault and child sexual assault are far more common than our community has been prepared to acknowledge, and it is critical that health practitioners are there to listen, hear, believe and validate the lived experiences of their patients. The 2016 Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey established that almost 2 million Australian adults had experienced at least one sexual assault since the age of 15 years.
Redress scheme's new class of have-nots
Trigger warning: sexual abuse, sexual assault, child abuse. The announcement of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse by the Gillard government; its extension by the Abbott government, supported by the Turnbull government; and the national apology delivered by Scott Morrison and reiterated by Bill Shorten, demonstrate that issues related to institutional child sexual abuse survivors are not only bipartisan, but at the core of our national identity.
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