After earning her Bachelor of Nursing, Andy Fowler kick-started her career in the city and spent a year as a nurse in Scotland. However, the loss of her best friend at age 23 profoundly reshaped her professional path.
“At the time I was working in paediatrics, nursing children with cancer and after the death of my best friend to cancer, it became pretty difficult to continue that line of work,” Andy said. At the suggestion of her parents, Andy returned to the family farm to heal, which led her to work alongside her mum at a nearby rural community mental health service. “There was a position there they had been unable to fill for over six months, so they were willing to take on a junior clinician,” she said.
“Surrounded by a small, experienced team, very generous with their knowledge, I got my first real taste of working in mental health.” This initial three-month stint in mental health nursing set her on a new trajectory, focusing on supporting individuals with mental distress and substance abuse issues. “It became my area of interest,” she said.
Andy eventually moved to the Kimberley where she has worked for the past 13 years, spending 10 years as a community mental health nurse in the government system and more recently, working for a not-for-profit organisation in a counselling role.
The need for advanced mental health training
Mental health issues are a critical concern in the Kimberley region. Injury, including suicide and self-inflicted injuries, is the leading cause of burden of disease, followed by mental health issues. Seven per cent of the population has been diagnosed with anxiety, and eight per cent with depression, with 10 per cent scoring high or very high psychological distress using the Kessler 10 scale.
The Kimberley region’s high rates of suicide, self-harm, and psychological distress reflect deep-seated issues rooted in historical, social, and economic factors. Addressing these requires comprehensive, culturally sensitive approaches to mental health care.
Impact on the community
Against this backdrop, Andy recently completed training in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).
EMDR is an evidence-based psychotherapy approach found to alleviate distress associated with traumatic memories. It helps patients to process traumatic memories and can be life changing for people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and others with significant trauma. “The organisation that I work for has a generous annual personal development allowance which I had used up previously doing some preliminary training in EMDR. However, I realised there were limits to my knowledge when it came to people presenting with more extreme experiences of complex trauma which is common where I work.”
Andy accessed a grant through the Health Workforce Scholarship Program which enabled her to develop enhanced EMDR skills, a critical extension in a region where complex trauma is pervasive. “The most recent training I have completed was an Advanced Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) course on structural dissociation, led by EMDR pioneer Roger Solomon,” Andy said. “The training blew my mind, opening doors to a whole new area of learning and ways of working.”
“The knowledge gained from this course has significantly enhanced my ability to support people with severe trauma and dissociation, making my work more effective and impactful.”
Andy’s story highlights the critical need for more mental health training and resources in the Kimberley, which can help reduce the burden of disease, improve community well-being, and foster resilience in a region facing significant challenges. Despite the challenges of her work, Andy feels privileged to live and work in the region.
“Every day, I hear stories of strength, culture, courage, and resilience of the people of the Kimberley and those who have chosen to make it their home,” she said. “Living and working rurally, I have experienced a slowing down; life has gotten simpler and quieter which has allowed me to forge lifelong friendships with like-minded individuals and find solace and wonder in the bush.”
The Health Workforce Scholarship Program provides funding support for rural health professionals working in primary care to access additional training and development. Two funding rounds are held each year – typically in September and March.
For more information visit ruralhealthwest.com.au/programs/health-workforce-scholarship-program