My name is Paula Major, and I’m proud to be part of Wakai Waian Healing. Currently I live and work on Kabi Kabi and Jinibara country, a place that has taught me much about connection, community, and respect for the land. My experiences of working in Wales with Welsh language and in Winnipeg, Canada, working alongside First Nations communities, have reinforced in me the value of cultural identity, language, and healing. I have Celtic roots by bloodline and my mother passed on to me her love of storytelling and working creatively, so I enjoy weaving this into my sessions when the opportunity arises.
As a Psychologist, I’m driven by a deep belief in the power of compassion, connection, and strengthening. I see my role as offering a steady hand at the right time, helping people take their next step — whatever that might look like for them. I have worked with Queensland Health, supporting people facing complex medical challenges and medical interventions. This has included supporting homeless people, those from different cultures, First Nations peoples, people struggling with substance use, those having difficulty adjusting to significant life stressors, chronic conditions, emotional overwhelm, grief. I have also worked in private practices with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults, including First Nation peoples, helping them navigate challenges related to depression, anxiety, trauma, neurodivergence, mental health conditions. I work with a variety of evidence-based approaches, and as a strengths-based clinician, I believe each person seeking help brings with them invaluable strengths and resources; we work together, setting some goals, finding a way forward.
I am particularly passionate about trauma work and how healing often lies beyond words. Trauma can become stored in the body – in movements, tension, sensations. But when tapped into, the body can also be a rich resource of knowledge and wisdom. I am completing specialist training in an evidence-based somatic approach that works with the body to unlock trauma healing and discover strengths and resources. This approach feels strongly aligned with Indigenous ways of knowing, where the body, land, and spirit are deeply interconnected.
Today, I’m excited to bring my experience and passion to Wakai Waian Healing. I’m here to listen, to learn, and to walk alongside our community in ways that honour cultural knowledge, resilience, and the body’s innate wisdom. I look forward to meeting you.