David Clark
27/03/2023
Many of you will have seen the slideshow of a collection of Carrolup-related photos I put together with the beautiful song about the Aboriginal child artists of Carrolup written by Dilip Parekh and performed by Dilip ‘n the Davs. On Friday night, John, my partner Linda and I went […]
13/03/2023
After nearly twenty years working as a neuroscientist, I closed down my university research laboratory at the beginning of the millennium. I no longer believe in the biomedical approach to helping people overcome addiction and mental health problems. I believe that long-term use of psychiatric drugs causes more […]
07/03/2023
The most common approach to ‘helping’ communities has involved focusing on the community’s needs, deficiencies, and problems. This depersonalising approach disempowers and often causes other forms of harm to community citizens. The alternative path to community development, Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), focuses on a community’s assets, capacities, and abilities. Significant community […]
28/02/2023
Here is the Forward of a book written by Perth Clinical Psychologist Bill Saunders, What Happened? What Mental Health is Really About. This is a really important book, essential reading for anyone interested in mental health or psychological wellbeing. I agree with all of Bill’s statements below about […]
16/02/2023
I’ve recently been posting on my Recovery Stories website about an inspirational woman and her fascinating recovery storytelling initiative. In 2009, Meghann Perry ‘was in jail, facing a 5-year prison sentence for selling crack, after decades of profound chaotic substance use and everything that comes with it.’ In […]
09/02/2023
I just love the film clip below from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health that involves Dr. Bruce Perry talking about mental health and trauma. Here are the three major things that Bruce points out: Trauma sharing is a way for storytellers, not experts, to lead the conversation. Storytellers […]
06/02/2023
In 2013, I posted 14 Addiction Recovery Stories on my Recovery Stories website. Some of these Stories were written by the person, whilst others I wrote after interviewing the person (or people) on a number of occasions. In these latter cases, stories went back and forth across the […]
02/02/2023
In yesterday’s blog post, I described the first two days of the visit of Florence Rutter and Vera Hack to Carrolup Native Settlement. Mrs Rutter’s words show clearly how highly she thought of the boys of Carrolup! ‘During the three days we spent at Carrolup we were able […]
01/02/2023
Seventy-three years ago yesterday, 71-year old Englishwoman Mrs Florence Rutter and her friend Vera Hack arrived for a two and a half day visit of Carrolup Native Settlement. This visit was not only special in its own right, but it triggered a series of important events that still resonate […]
23/01/2023
This blog post is an extract from the book Telling our stories in ways that make us stronger by Barb Wingard and Jane Lester (Dulwich Centre Publications, 2001). The original extract can be found here. [Please note that I broken up some of the long paragraphs in the original […]
16/01/2023
I just wanted to remind you of our YouTube channel which contains 41 short films related to the story of the Aboriginal child artists of Carrolup. The films include a series made by John Stanton relating to the initial return to Noongar Boodja in 2006 of some of […]
12/01/2023
I find it hard to believe that it is seven years since I first came across Mary Durack Miller’s collection of material at the Battye Library in Perth related to the Aboriginal child artists of Carrolup. At the time, Mike Liu and I were involved in a project […]
09/01/2023
I recently read an amazing story on the ABC website that I felt I had to publish on The Carrolup Story. The article ABC journalist Suzanne Dredge shares her story of overcoming adversity to become the first Head of Indigenous News focuses on a remarkable Wiradjuri woman, Suzanne Dredge. […]
29/12/2022
Last week, I posted a blog about the content John and I have posted in 2022 on The Carrolup Story blog relating to the story of the Aboriginal child artists of Carrolup. I’ve also been posting on our Healing blog, posts related to trauma, healing, addiction, and related […]
27/12/2022
Here’s an excellent article by the late Deron Drumm about the importance of Stories in helping people recover and change the mental health system which appeared on Mad in America in 2014. ‘”It’s important that we share our experiences with other people. Your story will heal you and your […]
23/12/2022
Then why not check out my eBook Connection: Aboriginal Child Artists Captivate Europe, written with John Stanton, which is available via Amazon, Apple or Kobo (price: £4.99, A$9.99, US$6.99, €5.99)? You, or a family member or friend, can read the book on a phone, other hand-held device or computer. […]
22/12/2022
I’d first like to wish readers a Merry Christmas, a restful vacation, and all the very best for 2023. John Stanton and I continue to work on our Carrolup project and post content to The Carrolup Story website. We continue to spread the word about the awesome Aboriginal […]
21/11/2022
A couple of months ago I came across an excellent article in the Guardian newspaper by UK clinical psychologist Sanah Ahsan entitled ‘I’m a psychologist – and I believe we’ve been told devastating lies about mental health’. The article is well worth reading. It is important to note […]