Wonky Lines Counselling was recently named the winner of the Konica Minolta Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Community Achievement Award.

The service provides culturally grounded Narrative Therapy and Social and Emotional Wellbeing support to individuals, families, workers and communities across the country.

Founded by proud Gamilaraay and Bigambul woman Tamara Young, Wonky Lines was built from years working across child protection, community wellbeing and workforce development.

Ms Young outlined how the work developed, noting that life isn't black and white.

"I've worked across child protection, community wellbeing and workforce development for many years," she said.

"The work I do now grew from what I witnessed in those spaces, the pressure Aboriginal people carry, the strength that often goes unseen, and the stories that shape how people see themselves.

"Wonky Lines came from the understanding that life isn't straight forward. It's layered. It's complex. Sometimes messy. But always meaningful."

Ms Young said the award is not about individual recognition but about the collective strength of those who trust the service with their stories.

"Winning the Konica Minolta Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Community Achievement Award feels deeply humbling," she said.

"This award feels less about me and more about community choosing to trust a private Aboriginal service with their stories.

"Wonky Lines would not exist without the people who pick up the phone, who walk through the door, who sit down and allow me to hold space while they unpack, question and re-author their lives."

For Ms Young, the award represents a vital need in Aboriginal-led approaches.

"To me, it represents acknowledgement that culturally grounded, Aboriginal-led approaches matter," she said.

"That narrative work matters. How we tell our stories matters. This recognition belongs to every person who has trusted me with their story along the way."

Ms Young added story remains central to the work and shapes how identity and wellbeing are understood.

"Every person is born into stories about who they are, what they're worth, what's possible for them," she said.

"Some of those stories build us up... others come from colonisation, deficit thinking, racism or systems that were never designed with us in mind.

"Healing through story isn't about ignoring the hard chapters.. it's about choosing how the next chapter is written with the strength gained from those hard chapters we survived."

Ms Young said the focus moving forward will remain on strengthening identity and creating space for reflection and growth.

"Wonky Lines will continue creating spaces where people feel safe to reflect, to question dominant narratives, and to strengthen identity," she said.

"More organisations will continue stepping beyond tick-box cultural awareness and into deeper reflection about power, history and impact and that shift matters... it creates workplaces grounded in honesty, accountability and growth.

"We are born into stories. But we are not confined by them. And once we understand that, we begin to write our future chapters with intention, strength and self-determination."

Those interested in reaching out to Ms Young, can do so via the Wonky Lines Counselling website.