FREE TO BE ME

Before you explore

Acknowledgement of Country

Sovereignty was never ceded. No treaty was ever signed. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which this work is made, and that does not become less true with time, legislation or silence.

FREE 2B ME acknowledges Elders past, present and emerging. This body of work exists because systems cause harm when they ask people to become easier to accommodate. No community in this country has been asked to do that more often, or for longer, than First Nations peoples.

We hold that as a matter of practice, not sentiment.

FREE TO BE ME phoenix by Tanya Hicks Book Tanya
Frameworks & Tools · Developing framework

Beyond Regulation: Nervous System Nourishment

Nervous System Nourishment is the collaborative creation and protection of sensory, relational, communication, movement, rest, environmental and practical conditions that support access while preserving choice, bodily integrity and self-determination.

Important

What it is not

Nervous System Nourishment is not:

  • a calming protocol;
  • a treatment for autism or ADHD;
  • compulsory body awareness;
  • forced mindfulness or breathwork;
  • a trauma-release treatment;
  • a replacement for counselling, Behaviour Support, medical care or allied-health care;
  • a validated standalone intervention at this stage.

This framework is being critically refined through supervised postgraduate work focused on neuroaffirming counselling and Behaviour Support practice.

Integration

How it draws on established practice

Counselling

Positive Behaviour Support

Trauma-informed care

Sensory and communication access

Yoga and mindfulness adaptations

EDS and hypermobility-aware safeguards

Predictive-processing research

Supervision and reflective practice