Testimonials
See the difference that our courses have made to over 250 hundred women…
“Shine saved me. There’s no other way to put it. During a time when I could see no happiness in life, cried every time I had to go out in public, cried every day because my new parental world overwhelmed me, and the valiant efforts of various professional councillors seemed to have no effect; Shine was the one thing that made me happy.”
“Shine was a place of safety, I could be me and talk about how I was really feeling with no judgement, only support. ”
I always thought art therapy was bit airy fairy, not my thing, and definitely not something I would want to teach. But I have been truly amazed by the power it has. Mums are transformed over a session, anxious on arrival, calm and re-energised as they leave with their creations. Shine gives the mums accessible crafts, pride and a sense of achievement in the things they make. A gift that can be taken away and carried on at home. It is an incredible group.”
(Fiona Hays, Shine artist)
“I met the most wonderful and generous women I could of hoped for in that little group. We all just ‘got’ each other, and the group became our salvation away from all of the other seemingly ‘perfect’ mums out there, while we tried to remember who we really were too.”
“It was reassurance that it’s okay to not be okay, and that I can overcome this.”
(Shine mum)
“Reaching out to Lauraine and committing to the course was the single best thing I did for myself. Shine gave me a way of getting back in touch with my creative side and reminding me how important it is.”
(Grace, Shine mum)
“The sense of achievement really boosted my confidence and mood. I used the skills I had learned throughout the week at home to get me through some dark times.”
(Shine mum)
Shine is amazing and Lauraine is such an inspiration. Having two hours away from life every week was much-needed for me and has helped my whole family so much.”
(Tash, Shine volunteer)
“The peer support has been a real safety net for me and continues to this day. Having those precious couple of hours in a nurturing environment each week, while my daughter was in the care of the kind and caring creche staff was just so important in my recovery.
(Shona, Shine mum)
“Minutes after stepping through the door of my first Shine session I instantly felt I was no longer on my own. ”
“I’m not sure that it’s possible to put into words just how much Shine has saved me. After an awful week of feeling distressed and like everything was hopeless Shine seemed to be the remedy I needed to keep going.”
“I would have been entirely lost if it wasn’t for the support, focus and guidance I found at Shine. It was not only a space to talk about my depression and to find new friends who understood exactly what I was going through, as well as a chance to creatively explore my experience and start to understand it. It has continued to be a supportive and encouraging network over a year since I finished the course.”