For Alison, the path to healing began in the wake of absolute devastation. Arriving at the Lismore Community Hub after the catastrophic 2022 floods, she was carrying not only the weight of a struggling community but also personal isolation as an overwhelmed single mother.
Lost, disconnected, and facing relationship trauma, she walked through our doors seeking a sense of worth and a new direction for her family.
“I came here just feeling like an empty shell, to be honest. Single mum, raising my kids. I needed some direction and I needed to feel some self-worth.”
“It was after the 2022 floods was when the community was struggling, and I needed some support. When I first started coming to Community Gateway, I felt really lost and overwhelmed as a single mother.
I had experienced some issues with relationships and was trying to redirect who I was as a mother, as a person, and feel worth within myself to pursue my identity and have a career.”
At Community Gateway, we recognise that healing from relationship trauma requires specialised emotional care.
Our trauma-informed counselling gives single parents a safe, non-judgmental space to process vulnerability and rebuild self-worth. By pairing clinical expertise with genuine warmth, we help individuals move from basic survival to fully reclaiming their purpose.
“I found Kristen [Intake Officer], she was really welcoming and supportive. It was really hard for me to ask for any help, so she made me feel extremely welcome.
Now, it’s been about three years, and it’s been an incredible experience. It’s a space that I look forward to coming to, to be honest.
It’s really welcoming, really supportive, and I see people from all walks of life coming through the doors.”
Resilience is built where trauma counselling meets personal growth. Our support acts as a grounding anchor through life’s hardest chapters, helping individuals process deep challenges and move forward with intention.
“Three years ago, after first visiting Community Gateway, it’s had a massive impact on my life. I think, just feeling supported within the community, feeling like it’s okay to ask for some support.
Over the last 12 months, 2025 has been the most difficult year of my life. I’ve had some really life-changing things happen, and to be able to overcome all of that, to now be in December, and just feel like I’ve actually achieved more in the last six months, in the most difficult period of my life, is incredible.”
“I couldn’t imagine being in a better place mentally. I’m a better mother, more self-aware, and driven.
I see the vision for my career and I know I’m worthy.
My advice for anyone that’s struggling as a single parent, or just feeling really lost in their direction, is to just have the courage to ask for help. It’s okay to be vulnerable, and there are services like Community Gateway—they’ve changed my life, and I’m so grateful.
I’ve now got direction in my career, studying my Diploma in Community Services, wanting to be a part of giving in a similar sort of setting, and wanting to use my own life experience to give back and support others who have been through similar things that I’ve been through.”
