Client stories

Cabrini Women’s Mental Health cares for women from all walks of life who are experiencing some form of mental health illness.

Our programs are designed to provide women with the necessary tools to heal and grow.

We equip our clients with new coping skills to ensure they can handle challenges in the future.

The four stories below are from women who have been referred to our service for help.

Maria, 28, teacher

I came to Australia when I was young. I always wanted to have a big family and to become a teacher. I wanted my family to be safe and full of love, but that’s not how life is. It is hard to protect them from what happens behind closed doors.

It (the abuse) was never physical, but my husband would never let me spend money on myself, or my boys, even though I was the only one working. He would say small things about me that made me feel worthless. I felt like I was letting my kids down and was not taking care of them.

This started to spill over into my work through COVID. I started to think I was worthless as a teacher and a mother, and that life for my kids would be easier if I was not around; like I was a burden to them and my husband.

How I was referred to Cabrini’s WMH facility

It took me too long to realise that I had a problem and needed help. I started seeing a psychologist through work, who then suggested I see a psychiatrist. My husband kept telling me that I was crazy and not fit to be a mother.

The private psychiatrist I was seeing thought I needed a break. She asked if she could put in a referral for me. When I received the call from Cabrini later that day I just broke down in tears. I did not realise that things had become so bad until I had to say them out loud during the intake process. The intake worker was so kind to me and made me feel like everything was going to be fine.

My stay at Cabrini WMH and ongoing recovery journey

It was scary at first. My husband came in with me and I was not sure what I could say. Afterwards, I sat down with a case coordinator and shared my story.

They let me know that social workers were available to help me if I wanted. It took a few days, but I said I was ready. They organised referrals and assessments, and together we developed a safety plan.

I went back home initially but was eventually able to leave. I am so grateful that I was able to get weekly support from the facilitators and my peers in the outpatient program, who helped me through this period.

How has the program helped me

I am back at work now. Things are still hard, having two young boys, but now I have some contacts if I ever need them. I know I can go back to the outpatient program if things start to fall apart again during the divorce.

Sarah, 42, senior legal executive

When I first came to Cabrini I was completely burnt out. My work was my entire world. I felt dragged down from working in a male-dominated environment and feeling like I did not fit in as a woman. It was exhausting, I was completely worn out. I felt like I was worthless and that I could not do my job, that I could not be a woman. I did not know how to keep going at this pace.

How I was referred to Cabrini’s WMH facility

I saw an ad about the Cabrini Women’s Mental Health service on LinkedIn. I know it sounds weird, but seeing that advertisement really struck a chord. It was the right time and right place. I do not know where I would be if I did not see it at that time.

I spoke to someone in the intake team, and with their support, I booked in an appointment with my GP to get a referral. That call with intake was one of the hardest I had to make because I had to admit I was spiralling out of control, but the intake coordinator was so supportive of me, and helped me with the steps to make my admission happen.

My stay at Cabrini WMH and ongoing recovery journey

I stayed at the Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre for about a week. Negotiating that time off was not easy because I felt like I could not leave my work, or my family. I spoke with intake a few times to help me figure out what I needed to prioritise and work out an admission time that suited me best. I am so grateful that they were able to be flexible and be there to hold my hand.

The ward and program itself were amazing. The staff were so warm, kind, and they were so accommodating when I asked about my dietary requirements. They really went above and beyond to make sure I was safe and cared for in every way.

How has the program helped me

It changed my whole life. I have been to other places before, but this was completely different. I had no faith in other services, and this is the first time I felt safe enough to access a service. I am finally able to put myself first and understand that there needs to be a balance between work and life.

I really enjoyed the CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy) programs and felt that they really helped me to reframe my self-worth.

An outstanding mental health wellness hospital. This model needs to be repeated throughout the world. If you arrive with the attitude to improve yourself with the assistance available, you will gain so much. All the staff were dedicated. - Anne

Sophie, 33, nurse

Working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as a nurse was awful. I just wanted to be strong for my colleagues; if they thought I was okay, then maybe it would help them feel like our shift would be okay, but I knew that I was not. Everything just became too hard, and I was so anxious going to work each day. I started to have anxiety attacks in the carpark, and sometimes I would not be able to make it from there.

I did not want to admit that I needed help, that my anxiety was getting too much. I felt like a failure as a nurse and did not know how I could reach out to anyone.

How I was referred to Cabrini’s WMH facility

One of my colleagues knew that something was not right when I started taking a lot of sick leave and was not going out socially with them. We started speaking a bit about how we were going with COVID-19, and I started to talk about how hard I was finding everything. They heard about the centre through a friend of a friend, however, it took a while for them to feel comfortable enough to suggest it to me.

My stay at Cabrini WMH and ongoing recovery journey

I was hesitant at first, because I know what the inpatient psych unit looks like some other hospitals, so I was really surprised at how warm and safe the environment was. It felt more like a home where I could be cared for and filled with hope, rather than a hospital where I would have been medicated, isolated and scared.

I was able to stay at the Lisa Thurin Women’s Health Centre for 10 days and engage in the group therapy program, which helped me to build my toolkit of coping skills and strategies to use at home and at work.

How has the program helped me

It was weird initially being cared for by other nurses and stepping into that patient role, but the Cabrini nurses and the whole team were so caring. They helped me work through some of my problems and start the journey back to being myself.

Laura, 26, police officer

I was an extremely motivated and happy newly qualified police officer with my whole career in front of me when I was assaulted at work. Although the injuries I sustained were not that bad, it was the compounding effect of months of verbal abuse from the public and the assault that slowed my return to work. Having severe anxiety and depression associated with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) from the assault has led me to a substance dependence. This in turn led me to lose my identity.

How I was referred to Cabrini’s WMH facility

I sought support from multiple health professionals; however, I was not engaged or well enough to follow through with the strategies. The medication I was on was not working, and I did not know what to do. I was not living, I was existing, but felt the need to show my colleagues I was strong and coping. I wanted them to think that at some point I would be returning to work, and that they did not need to worry about me and that our job was not that bad. I was not only lying to them but also to myself.

My stay at Cabrini WMH and ongoing recovery journey

My journey to say the least, was life–changing. Being cared for by a group of amazing mental health professionals and meeting women who were on the same arduous path was only the start. I learned so much about me and about acceptance, and mindfulness strategies along with commitment and behaviour change strategies to help me change the way I viewed the world.

How has the program helped me

The inpatient stay was very intensive and focused on empowering me to understand my trauma and providing me with the tools to cope and move on with my life. Getting back to work was the most important thing for me and the Cabrini Women’s Mental Health service got me on that road. My work was incredibly supportive when I transitioned to the day program, and as a result I was able to continue attending once a week for a few months until I was able to do it on my own.

From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank you enough for this experience. I was scared to come here but you all made me feel so welcome. Never have I felt so safe, respected, heard and cared for. Through my experience I have learnt that it is okay to open up and ask for help and support. I can't thank you enough for the genuine care and empathy you have all shown me. Thank you so much for everything. - Susan

No Page results for ‘’

No PDF results for ‘’

No News results for ‘’

Client stories

Maria, 28, teacher

Sarah, 42, senior legal executive

Sophie, 33, nurse

Laura, 26, police officer