Yarn up

Yarn up is a safe space for First Nations young people to connect with community, hear from others, and access wellbeing resources and support.

Connect with Zig, Tuo and Wickie

Zig's story about family troubles

Zig shares how his mates and Nan help him stay deadly when his home life gets too much.

Check out Zig's story

Tuo's story about online bullying

Hear from Tuo about how they use cooking and their cousins to help them through tough times online.

Check out Tuo's story

Wickie's story about dealing with racism

Wickie shares how talking to her coach and dealing with her anger is the best way for her to deal with racism.

Check out Wickie's story

Connect with mob

Make time to have a yarn with someone you care about. You could get out your phone right now and text someone to say how important they are to you. It'll strengthen your connection and brighten both of your days.

illustration of parent and young aboriginal person

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film or audio recordings.

Support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

If you’re going through a tough time as an Indigenous person, here’s a list of places where you can talk to someone who will understand what you’re going through.

How to cope with shame job

It’s really common to feel shame job when bad stuff happens. Learn how to cope with these feelings and know that there’s no shame in looking after yourself.

Illustration of four Aboriginal men sitting around a campfire.

Why helping out mob makes us all feel deadly

Your mob is your family and community. Everybody needs a little help sometimes, and the more you help out the stronger mob will be.

group of indigenous teen girls posing together for selfie outdoors

Ways to connect with community if you’re a First Nations young person

Wondering how to connect with your community? Jacob shares his top tips for ways to get involved and learn more.

Connecting with your Aboriginal culture through dance

Wangkatha man Samuel (Wirrdapi) Stubbs shares how dance has helped him and his family connect to culture.

Alex Peisley sitting outside on a park bunch laughing

Deadly directions

A collection of resources for First Nations young people on navigating school, study, work and next steps. Get tips, find support and check out real yarns from young mob who’ve been there.

Close-up of an Aboriginal girl's hands as she is preparing threads for weaving baskets and bracelets.

Mob mindfulness: How to care for yourself while honouring your culture

Hear from Darug/Dharawal woman and mental health expert Jenny Holmes on how to practise mob mindfulness and strengthen your connection to Country.

Collage image of four First Nations men. The background features dot art and there is a title in the top left corner that reads 'How can mob stay strong?'.

How to stay strong

Four First Nations content creators share what staying strong means to them, and offer some tips for other mob on how to stay strong.

ben stubbs how to find your trusted person

How to find your trusted person when you need support

During tough times, it's important to have someone you can talk to. Wangkatha man Benjamin (Woobilie) Stubbs shares his tips on how you can find your trusted person.

aboriginal sistergirl with short hair stands in front of a brick wall

How Felicia Foxx learnt to deal with her body image issues

Felicia Foxx shares her body image struggles and how she has come to accept herself.

young woman with brown hair wearing glasses smiling

How Taliah pushed back against Indigenous stereotypes and statistics

Taliah shares how she chose to write her own story instead of falling into painful stereotypes, and how she took care of herself in the process.

Rugby League legend Joe Williams talks about ways to create a safe place for others to ask for help

Rugby League legend Joe Williams and Justin Tall share their story about how to get support in tough times.

Cartoon of four young First Nations people standing in pairs yarning with each other.

Why yarning matters

Yarning and storytelling has been supporting First Nations wellbeing for thousands of years. Hear from Phoebe about why it’s so important for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a yarn when they need it.

What to do if you're dealing with a racist teacher at school

Coping with racism at school or dealing with a racist teacher is really tough. Hear from Meissa Mason on how to look after yourself and report racist incidents.

Tools for coping with grief and loss with Allira Potter

Yorta Yorta woman Allira Potter shares how hard it was to lose her mum, and offers advice for those experiencing their own grief and loss.

How to cope with the highs and lows of family life

Gumbaynggir woman Tilly Langford shares her top tips for keeping family relationships healthy while growing up in a big Aboriginal family.

Image of four First Nations men against a background of red, black and yellow oval shapes.

How to cope when you feel like a spokesperson for mob

Four First Nations content creators share how they cope when they feel burdened by cultural load.

Allira Potter shares how to use a vision board to think about your future

Thinking about the future can be overwhelming. There’s a lot you can’t control, but making a vision board can help you to focus on all the exciting parts!

Sonboy yarns about his goals and role models

Aboriginal rapper Sonboy reflects on his childhood growing up in Redfern, 'The Block,' his role models and how he gained the confidence to focus on his music.

ReachOut PeerChat

Free, anonymous, online support

Talk to someone who understands. Chat for free with a trained peer worker about what's going on for you. Available to people in Australia aged 16-25.

Chat is offline – learn more

Available Mon-Thurs 3pm-8pm, Fri 1pm-5pm AEST

Acknowledgements

ReachOut developed these resources in partnership with the following Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations:

NGAKKAN NYAAGU
Jasmine Sarin, JS Koori Designs
Studio Gilay
Sancia Ridgeway

ReachOut also thanks the staff and students of Jarara Cultural Centre, Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese, Djarragun College and Narrabri High School for their input into the development of these resources.

About the artwork

Healing and Truth was created by Jasmine Sarin (JS Koori Designs), a proud Kamilaroi and Jerrinja woman from NSW.
Healing and Truth explores the importance of seeking help and being able to feel supported, connected and safe in our healing journey. Staying connected to our communities, country and culture helps us improve our social and emotional wellbeing and feel better.
The central circles represent ReachOut and the services they offer to help us on our journey of healing. As young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, we are often faced with compounding issues, and it might feel like others won't understand or simply 'don't get it'.
This is where ReachOut can help. Social and Emotional Wellbeing is important for everyone.