On the northern edge of Australia, in the turquoise waters of Zenadth Kes, a powerful shift is underway. At the centre of it stands Shanna Mosby, a proud Torres Strait Islander woman from Masig and the Team Leader at Wakai Waian Healing, the region’s only 100% Torres Strait Islander-owned and led psychology, mental health and NDIS service. Through her leadership of the Four Anchor Program, Shanna is part of a ground-breaking movement to bring culturally embedded, community-led mental health care to the heart of island life.
“We are the lighthouse keepers,” says Shanna. “When life gets rough, our job is to help our people find their way safely back to themselves.”
As a Masig woman with ancestral ties to Ugar Sam-Sep, Mer, Girrimay and Kuku Yalanji peoples, Shanna embodies the strength and cultural authority needed to lead this work. Her nursing and mental health qualifications are matched by deep local knowledge and lived experience – an essential combination that defines Wakai Waian Healing’s model of culturally safe care.
A Culturally Safe Alternative to Western Systems
Mental health challenges in the Torres Strait are urgent. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are 2.4 times more likely to experience high levels of psychological distress, and suicide rates remain more than double those of non-Indigenous Australians. Youth are particularly at risk, and access to timely, culturally safe services remains limited – especially on the outer islands.
That’s where Wakai Waian Healing comes in.
Founded by clinical psychologist Ed Mosby, a Torres Strait man from Masig, Wakai Waian Healing was created to offer a truly local response to complex issues of trauma, grief, and disconnection. Under Ed’s clinical guidance and with Aunty Ivy Trevallion providing cultural governance, the Four Anchor Program was developed to bring healing back into community hands.
“The mainstream system is overloaded and often culturally unsafe,” says Ed. “Our people need services that reflect our stories, our kinship systems, our strengths. That’s what the Four Anchors does.”
In the Four Anchor Program, each Anchor is paired with a symbolic Wind, representing the cultural and emotional forces that can either unsettle or guide us. Belonging is anchored against Naigai, the South Wind, which carries the pull of ancestry and the threat of disconnection. Safety holds firm against Zey, the turbulent West Wind that brings chaos, trauma, and unpredictability. Purpose faces Kuki, the East Wind of new beginnings, helping navigate through aimlessness toward meaningful direction. And Empowerment stands strong against Sager, the North Wind that tests our strength and voice. Together, these Anchors and Winds create a culturally grounded framework for navigating healing, identity, and resilience.
Each anchor is a cultural tool — not just for healing individuals, but for restoring relational strength across families and communities. The Four Anchor Program combines clinical methods with cultural protocols, yarning circles, family mapping, and trauma-informed counselling. It’s local, scalable, and has already made an impact across Thursday Island and neighbouring communities.
“Healing doesn’t just happen in clinics,” Shanna says. “It happens in kitchens, on verandahs, under mango trees and outside on country. Our program meets people where they are, with respect, listening, and cultural truth.”
We Are the Solution
In a time when government Closing the Gap reports show limited progress on mental health, Wakai Waian Healing is doing what big systems haven’t: placing community in control.
Their staff are all Torres Strait Islander people — trained, supported, and working on Country. They’re not just delivering services; they’re changing the conversation about what healing looks like.
“We don’t need outside fixes,” says Shanna. “We already have the solutions for our own people. We just need to be trusted, resourced, and backed to do it properly.”
Her call is echoed across the region, where demand for Wakai Waian Healing’s culturally safe services continues to grow. But sustained support is still needed to keep programs like the Four Anchors expanding — into schools, outer islands, and regional partnerships.
“We’re here for the long haul,” says Shanna. “But to keep our fire burning, we need the right fuel: funding, trust, and recognition.”
A Lighthouse for the Future
Looking ahead, Shanna envisions Wakai Waian Healing becoming a true beacon of hope across the Torres Strait. With the Four Anchor Program lighting the path, and with leaders like Shanna, Ed, and Aunty Ivy at the helm, the model is clear: healing that is rooted in culture, led by community, and powered by love.
“This is our home, our responsibility, and our future. When people are lost at sea, they look for the light. That’s who we are — the lighthouse keepers of mental health in the Torres Strait.”
