FAMILY TALKS
Let's explore
Our story
We support older people and their families to come together to make decisions and plans about the future.
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Our purpose
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It's our mission to guide families through difficult conversations so that everyone feels heard and understood in order to:​
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preserve relationships
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reduce stress
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prevent conflict
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foster greater cooperation.
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Our values
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BRAVERY - whatever ugly truth someone wants to put down, we're here to pick it up
ACCEPTANCE - no judgement here, just honest and heartfelt conversations
ACTIVE LISTENING - respect, dignity and kindness in action
EXPLORATION - let's delve, wonder and question in order to really understand each other
OPENNESS - there's never only one right answer, action or decision; instead let's work together to create options.
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Our families
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We work with families. Not parties, not clients, not customers - families. Birth families, chosen families, work families, friend families.
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Whoever they are, however they are formed,
they are all families to us.
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Families bravely confronting the painful truth that the only way out is through.
Our founder
Siân Dyce
EMPATHY AND INSIGHT
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Siân was inspired to establish Family Talks following her own experiences with complex family dynamics around ageing parents, transition to aged care and estate administration.
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She has a graduate diploma in family dispute resolution, is an NMAS accredited mediator, certified family group conference facilitator and has undertaken specialist training in elder mediation.
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​Prior to training and working as a mediator, she spent fourteen years in the media. First as general manager at The Chaser and then as a TV news producer at the ABC for programs including The Drum, Planet America, One Plus One and Weekend Breakfast.
Earlier in her career she worked in community services and business administration in both urban and regional Australia, and the UK.
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Siân also trained as a crisis telephone counsellor for Lifeline and volunteered on the phones for three years.