Shanina
How following her heart's desire—to nurture her son and friends through cooking—helped one young mum overcome her anxiety and depression.
Initially, Shanina was shy and withdrawn at our Community Day events. With encouragement from her FPW and NHV, she began to engage with other women, babies and staff. Her baby Ozaias was born 13 weeks prematurely and presented with a variety of developmental and parenting challenges. Inspired by our weekly creative art adventures and the nutritious lunches we had organised, Shanina confided to the team she would love to cook one of her special dishes as a lunch time treat. Her HNV and FPW understood the importance of her request.
This was a client-centred, strength-based, solution-focused activity, promoting Shanina's capacity to identify and work through strategies to achieve her goals. Shanina identified and organised the resources for her culinary debut at our next Community Day. She arrived barely recognisable; looking powerful and confident, immaculate hair and makeup and a stunning outfit. She took full control of the kitchen, insisting on cleaning up as she went, her delivery was professional and well organised. Her food was delicious and nutritious.
Inspired by the positive feedback from staff and clients, Shanina was motivated to set herself other goals connected to her passion for cooking. She has support from our psychologist and our dietitian to scaffold her therapeutic journey as she moves into the last year of the program. A dramatic improvement in her toddler's capacity to self-regulate and be soothed was apparent as her motivation and confidence has developed. Her HNV and FPW will continue to support her empowerment by structuring her cooking involvement to alternate with other creative activities; including PIPE activities that specifically promote bonding and attachment with her toddler and emotional refuelling. Her current goals involve opportunities to teach and inspire other clients to cook.
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CONTACT US
ANFPP National Support Service
Molly Wardaguga Research Centre | Charles Darwin University
Molly Wardaguga Research Centre | Charles Darwin University
Level 11, 410 Ann St | Brisbane QLD | 4000 Australia
email: info@anfpp.com.au
phone: +61 7 3169 4283 or 0448 570 503
phone: +61 7 3169 4283 or 0448 570 503
The Australian Nurse-Family Partnership Program (ANFPP) National Support Service (NSS) acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which we live and work. We pay respect to elders past and present. We further acknowledge that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and communities are diverse and dynamic and continue to evolve and develop in response to historical and present social, economic, cultural and political circumstances.
Diversity includes gender, age, languages, backgrounds, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, family responsibilities, marriage status, life and work experiences, personality and educational levels (Commonwealth of Australia, 2013)