Own My Life Pilots in Australia – A Transformational First Step
- OML Admin
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
We’re thrilled to share that the Own My Life course has officially landed in Australia, with a successful pilot recently completed in the state of Victoria!
Domestic abuse specialist Kelly Finch was so inspired by the potential of Own My Life for the Australian context that she joined our intensive 5-day facilitator training — all on her local time, attending sessions through the night. Her dedication paid off: she partnered with the Salvation Army in Victoria to deliver the very first Own My Life course to women in Australia, in person.
To ensure the course was relevant and meaningful, we worked closely with Kelly to tailor certain elements to reflect the Australian experience. For example, in Session 3, we developed a brand-new Australian Women’s Rights Timeline video and activity. In Session 7, we included a customised handout that aligned with the Australian MARAM framework (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Management).
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
According to the evaluation, the women described the course as transformational, saying it felt deeply relevant to their lives and experiences. The facilitators were praised for delivering the course in a way that honoured and respected the Australian context, while keeping the essence and impact of Own My Life intact.
The evaluation report highlighted that:
“All participants either reported improvements or indicated no change, revealing that the program was beneficial to participants in at least some areas of their life. No negative outcomes were reported.”
Women participants said of the course:
❤️🔥 “More than just helping me through the hard days, it’s empowered me to feel fully present and equipped to appreciate the good days too, knowing I’m prepared to protect myself when needed.” ❤️🔥
✊🏾 “It has changed my life for the better. Given me strength , knowledge, courage, confidence to keep growing.” ✊🏾
🤓 “In just these 12 weeks, I have learnt so much and can make sense of what’s happened.” 🤓
🤯 “The insights and knowledge it provided went far beyond anything I expected. This course truly guided me in ways I couldn’t have imagined – it’s helped me dig deep and confront things that once felt impossible to face.” 🤯
📚 “The education and resources are phenomenal and I’ve never seen the info before.” 📚
💖 “I don’t think a lot of the violence that has happened to me would of happened if I had gone to this course earlier so I definitely would recommend.” 💖
🏆 “It is the best thing you will ever participate in - the tools and knowledge set you up for a life you desire.” 🏆
🤩 “[Funding this course] is a no brainer! This course has helped me move forward in a matter of months. Without it, I think the journey would have been year +/ would have used services that I probably don’t need now. So, from a funding perspective, it's also a no brainer!” 🤩
🫂 “I am a new person after this and I feel less alone.” 🫂
🫶🏽 “I know that I have grown and worked through what I have been through. I'm in such a good space now, and while the journey continues, this course has given me enough tools in my toolkit to feel confident and trust in myself and my choices - for me.” 🫶🏽
These comments are a huge testament to each woman’s brilliance and to the facilitators’ skill and sensitivity. Kelly, who facilitated the course alongside her colleague Bethany, shared: “There is so much rich feedback which speaks to the powerful and transformative nature of Own My Life, which the women in Australia experienced, despite difference in context which may exist. Bethany and I reflected often on how the experience had also been transformative for us, and our practice, so thank you, Natalie, for allowing us to pilot the program in Australia. I hope we are able to roll the program out on a wider scale in future.”
We are absolutely delighted by the success of this pilot — not just in how the course was received, but most importantly, in what it meant for the women who participated. We are grateful for their courage and for theirs, Kelly’s, Bethany’s and the Salvation Army’s commitment to piloting Own My Life. The opportunity to support women in reclaiming ownership of their lives is what drives our work, and we’re so encouraged by this first step in Australia.
You can CLICK HERE to read the Salvation Army's Own My Life Evaluation Report.
If you’re an Australian organisation interested in partnering with us, or if you’re in another country and would like to pilot Own My Life in your context, we’d love to hear from you. Please reach out at info@ownmylifecourse.org.
Together, we can help more women own their lives.
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