South Australian counsellor, psychotherapist and martial arts expert, Vickie Simos, partnered up with The Black Dog Institute on Thursday, August 11 at the Sydney Parliament House to raise awareness and much-needed funds for mental health.
The free event, which was held in the Jubilee Room and hosted by Member for Canterbury Sophie Cotsis MP, featured a three-person panel made up of Vickie, the founding director of the BeCause Movement, Noula Diamantopoulos, and Terry Mitropoulos, who completed an inspirational walk from Adelaide to Melbourne after 13 brain surgeries to treat cancer.
They all address the audience and provided key messages about mental health, as well as information on current statistics around suicides by gender for Australia and globally.
In her speech, Noula stressed the benefits to our mental and emotional wellbeing of “working with the expressive and creative arts.”
“The way we dance the zembekiko is a form of self expression that allows us to release our grief, our anxiety or worries and concerns with the support of music movement and community to express what words cannot do deeply enough,” she added.
“This is an example of the benefits of the expressive arts.”
For their part, Vickie encouraged everyone to become “the best version of oneself,” whilst Terry was all about motivating, inspiring and empowering oneself and others.
READ MORE: “Finding the Boxer Within”: Vickie Simos on fighting mental health issues with Martial Arts.
