Coaching with Care: Holding Safe Spaces for Our Mob in the Workplace
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve walked into a workplace and found our mob sitting in silence — holding more than just their job.
They're holding the culture of the whole organisation on their back.
They're the ones everyone turns to when there’s a NAIDOC event to organise.
They're carrying pain that the system doesn’t even see.
And yet, they keep turning up.
Over the past year, I’ve been running Safe Space Coaching with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff across government departments, corporates, and Aboriginal organisations. This isn’t performance management. It’s not leadership KPIs. It’s not checking boxes.
This is about creating space — proper space — for our mob to breathe, reflect, and lead in a way that doesn’t cost them their identity.
Where This Comes From
Safe Space Coaching came from lived experience — mine, and the many people I’ve walked with. It’s grounded in our SAFE Method here at Buneen. It’s not clinical, and it’s not about compliance. It’s cultural.
It’s about:
Sitting with grief and harm that’s never been acknowledged
Helping people reconnect with who they are and why they matter
Giving them tools to lead, not by pretending — but by being exactly who they are
Sometimes it’s quiet work.
Sometimes it’s emotional.
But every time, it’s powerful.
Why We Need This Work
Even in workplaces that are trying — that have a RAP or run cultural awareness — too many of our people still feel:
Like they’re the only one in the room who gets it
Like they can’t bring their whole self to work
Like they’re being watched more than they’re being heard
I’ve had mob say to me, “I don’t know how much longer I can do this.”
And I’ve seen the shift when they realise they don’t have to do it alone.
This coaching isn’t just about surviving the workplace. It’s about reclaiming strength. Sometimes they choose to stay — stronger. Sometimes they choose to leave — with clarity. But either way, it’s their decision. That’s agency. That’s cultural safety.
Why It Matters for Employers
When employers invest in Safe Space Coaching, they’re not just ticking a box — they’re choosing to shift the culture.
Because when our mob feel safe:
They speak up
They lead
They stay
And when that happens, the whole system changes — for the better.
Workplaces don’t shift from PowerPoint slides. They shift when people feel seen.
Let’s Walk Together
If you’ve got First Nations staff who are holding too much — or if you're serious about building a workplace that’s safe, not just aware — let’s talk.
This is the work we love. This is the work we’re here to do.
Written By Shawn Andrews Buneen Director
📩 info@buneen.au
🌐 www.buneen.au
