This episode acknowledges childhood trauma, and workplace bullying and harassment. There are no graphic details. Please listen in a way that feels right for you: pause, step away or return another time.

Episode Overview

What does it mean to have a voice and to actually use it? Not the voice that says yes when you mean no, or shrinks to keep the peace, but the one that is yours. Toni grew up on the beaches of Kepa Kurl (Esperance) and has come home with a story about exactly that. Speaking with Mia Lindgren, she describes joining a community choir, feeling deeply self-conscious, and booking one-on-one singing lessons she could barely open her eyes through. What she did not expect was that learning to sing would lead her to speak: about her past, about injustice at work, and about herself. This is a conversation about self-compassion, discomfort, community and the quiet power of taking up space.

In This Episode

Toni shares her journey from silence to speaking up. We explore:

• How singing lessons, taken to improve in a choir, unexpectedly opened the way to speaking about a childhood trauma

• Choosing discomfort on purpose: shaking through her first karaoke, and two years later singing Midnight Oil and Kate Bush with joy

• A self-compassion program that helped her understand her shame and stop being so critical of herself

• Using her voice in a harmful workplace, supporting a colleague to make a complaint, and seeing lasting change made

• The women and communities who held her up, and the welcome of making music with others

• Why change does not always begin in a therapy room, and how following what you love can lead somewhere you never planned

Quotable Moments

“The more that I could sing, the more I could speak.” – Toni

“I also felt a real responsibility because I had the voice now to use it.” – Toni

“Do the things you love, but take the steps in the uncomfortable places to do that. It's not easy, but it's worth it.” – Toni

Support Services

• 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732): national counselling for people affected by sexual, domestic or family violence

• Lifeline (13 11 14): 24/7 crisis support

• Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636): mental health support, available 24/7

• If you are in immediate danger, call 000

Connect With Us

• Follow She Speaks on Instagram: @shespeakswellbeingstrategies

• Visit our website: www.shespeakswellbeing.com

A Note on Wellbeing

She Speaks is dedicated to amplifying women's voices on self-care and wellbeing. While we share personal experiences, this podcast is not a substitute for professional support. If you're struggling, please reach out to a qualified practitioner or one of the services above.

She Speaks on Tour was produced by Professor Narelle Lemon and Mia Lindgren. She Speaks is proudly supported by the Western Australian Government and Department of Communities Women's Grants for a Stronger Future Grants Program.