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The Hair Therapist
Early Intervention Changes Futures For Children
Season 1, Ep. 125
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Some stories are stitched together across countries, cultures, and seasons of life and Ruth Cleminson’s is one of them. Before she became a yoga teacher, Pilates instructor, somatic therapist, and co‑founder of Flourish Community Solutions and Flourish Academy, Ruth was a young woman moving around the world, raising her children in different countries while supporting her husband’s military career. Those years shaped her, not just through the challenges of constant change, but through the deep resilience, adaptability, and compassion that come from building a home wherever you land.
Ruth often says her family gave her foundation. Her mother, in particular, showed her what it meant to be a strong woman - steady, capable, and anchored in care. That strength became the thread that carried Ruth through decades of community work, social services, and wellbeing education. With more than 20 years in the social work and community sector, and eight years building Flourish Community Solutions, Ruth has walked alongside families, educators, carers, and children navigating stress, trauma, emotional overwhelm, and the complexities of modern parenting.
Her training in yoga, somatic therapy, movement, and body‑based healing didn’t just enrich her professional toolkit, it transformed her understanding of what people truly need. She saw, again and again, that healing isn’t only cognitive. It’s relational. It’s nervous‑system deep. It’s found in safety, connection, and the gentle practices that help people feel understood rather than judged.
That insight is what led to the creation of Flourish Community Solutions and Flourish Academy - spaces built on compassion, evidence‑informed education, trauma‑aware practice, and the belief that families and communities thrive when adults feel supported, capable, and connected. Today, Ruth’s work spans parenting programs, professional training, wellbeing workshops, and child‑centred emotional development, all designed to help people flourish emotionally, physically, and relationally.
In this conversation, Ruth opens up about her early life, her global journey as a military spouse, the evolution of her career, and the heart behind Flourish. She shares how movement, mindfulness, and somatic awareness shaped her approach to community care and why she believes every child, parent, and practitioner deserves access to support that feels human, hopeful, and practical.
The community is grateful for people like Ruth, people who turn lived experience into service, who build safer futures for families, and who remind us that flourishing is not a destination, but a deeply relational process.
Settle in. This is a story of strength, compassion, and the quiet leadership that changes lives.
Home - Flourish Community Solutions
Home - Flourish Academy
On behalf of the Hair Therapist we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced.
The topics in this podcast are of general nature, we are not licensed professionals, so if any of the content brings up anything for you, please turn it off and reach out for support:
Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.
13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
Home | 1800RESPECT National Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselling Service
Kids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800
Ask Izzy Search over 450,000 support services
CREDITS:
Host: Melissa Alsemgeest
Guest: Ruth Cleminson
Editor: Robert Alsemgeest
GET IN TOUCH:
https://linktr.ee/InfectiousBehaviour
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128. A Life Changed in Seconds Part 2
51:28||Season 1, Ep. 128In this week’s episode Mel sits down with Dominic Beirne for a raw, courageous and deeply reflective conversation. Dom’s life has been shaped by experiences that would break many - adoption, childhood sexual abuse, grief, addiction, domestic and family violence, profound loss, and a catastrophic motorcycle accident that left him a paraplegic at 47. And just when he thought he had survived the worst, Dom faced cancer of the tongue, major surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. But this episode isn’t just about trauma. It’s about accountability, healing, and the moment a person decides they can no longer outrun their past. Dom speaks openly about the anger and verbal abuse that once shaped his relationships, acknowledging the harm caused and the responsibility required to change. He shares how addiction became a way of silencing pain he didn’t know how to face, and how sobriety forced him to confront the little boy who never understood why those things happened to him. We explore the day his life changed in seconds, one corner, one motorcycle, one moment and the reality of living every day in a body that now requires a completely different level of care. From pressure injuries and infections to accessibility challenges and the emotional toll of disability, Dom offers an honest look at what most people never see. And yet, woven through every chapter is resilience. Dom drives. He competes in para bobsleigh. He advocates for spinal cord research. He continues to rebuild a life shaped not by what he’s lost, but by what he still hopes is possible. This conversation asks a powerful question: When does understanding what happened to us become taking responsibility for what we’re doing to others? Dom’s answer and the chapter he names as the hardest to survive may surprise you. This is a story of trauma, accountability, forgiveness, identity, disability, hope and the moment life forces you to finally look at everything you’ve been carrying. On behalf of the Hair Therapist we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced. The topics in this podcast are of general nature, we are not licensed professionals, so if any of the content brings up anything for you, please turn it off and reach out for support: Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Home | 1800RESPECT National Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselling ServiceKids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800Ask Izzy Search over 450,000 support services CREDITS:Host: Melissa AlsemgeestGuest: Dominic BeirneEditor: Robert Alsemgeest GET IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/InfectiousBehaviour127. A Life Changed in Seconds Part 1
01:10:52||Season 1, Ep. 127Over the next two weeks (Part 1 and 2) Mel sits down with Dominic Beirne for a raw, courageous and deeply reflective conversation. Dom’s life has been shaped by experiences that would break many - adoption, childhood sexual abuse, grief, addiction, domestic and family violence, profound loss, and a catastrophic motorcycle accident that left him a paraplegic at 47. And just when he thought he had survived the worst, Dom faced cancer of the tongue, major surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. But this episode isn’t just about trauma. It’s about accountability, healing, and the moment a person decides they can no longer outrun their past. Dom speaks openly about the anger and verbal abuse that once shaped his relationships, acknowledging the harm caused and the responsibility required to change. He shares how addiction became a way of silencing pain he didn’t know how to face, and how sobriety forced him to confront the little boy who never understood why those things happened to him. We explore the day his life changed in seconds, one corner, one motorcycle, one moment and the reality of living every day in a body that now requires a completely different level of care. From pressure injuries and infections to accessibility challenges and the emotional toll of disability, Dom offers an honest look at what most people never see. And yet, woven through every chapter is resilience. Dom drives. He competes in para bobsleigh. He advocates for spinal cord research. He continues to rebuild a life shaped not by what he’s lost, but by what he still hopes is possible. This conversation asks a powerful question:When does understanding what happened to us become taking responsibility for what we’re doing to others? Dom’s answer and the chapter he names as the hardest to survive may surprise you. This is a story of trauma, accountability, forgiveness, identity, disability, hope and the moment life forces you to finally look at everything you’ve been carrying. On behalf of the Hair Therapist we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced. The topics in this podcast are of general nature, we are not licensed professionals, so if any of the content brings up anything for you, please turn it off and reach out for support: Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Home | 1800RESPECT National Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselling ServiceKids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800Ask Izzy Search over 450,000 support services CREDITS:Host: Melissa AlsemgeestGuest: Dominic BeirneEditor: Robert Alsemgeest GET IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/InfectiousBehaviour126. Where Shouldn’t Limit Where You Study
37:33||Season 1, Ep. 126There are places that don’t just support learning - they ignite it. And after spending time with Lorna and Alyce from Country Universities Centre Southern Downs, it’s impossible not to feel fired up about what’s happening in their corner of the region. They haven’t just opened a study space. They’ve built a launchpad.A hub where regional students walk in carrying big dreams… and walk out believing they’re possible. A centre buzzing with focus, connection, and the kind of encouragement that makes you want to push a little harder. Reliable internet, academic support, quiet rooms, shared energy - it’s all there, wrapped in genuine community spirit. This is what regional study can look like: A place that feels safe. A place that feels motivating. A place that feels like yours. And here’s the magic - sometimes all it takes is one conversation, one tag, one share to help someone discover a resource that could completely change their study journey. Because the next chapter someone’s been waiting for might already exist… They just need someone to point them toward the door.CUC Southern Downs | Regional Study Hub (@cuc_southern_downs) • Instagram photos and videosCUC Southern Downs | Degrees Closer(20+) Facebook CUC Southern Downs On behalf of the Hair Therapist we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced. The topics in this podcast are of general nature, we are not licensed professionals, so if any of the content brings up anything for you, please turn it off and reach out for support: Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Home | 1800RESPECT National Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselling ServiceKids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800Ask Izzy Search over 450,000 support services CREDITS:Host: Melissa AlsemgeestGuest: Alyce Lotz & Lorna MooreEditor: Robert Alsemgeest GET IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/InfectiousBehaviour124. Invisible Disabilities, Fierce Resilience
51:17||Season 1, Ep. 124Some people spend a lifetime trying to understand who they are. Others are forced to learn early, through experiences that reshape their bodies, their identities, and the way they move through the world. In this episode, Mel sits down with Bec Gill, a woman whose story is equal parts courage, complexity, and quiet, persistent strength. Born with a congenital heart condition, Bec’s childhood was marked by hospitals, uncertainty, and the kind of resilience most children should never have to develop. As she grew older, she discovered that her challenges were far from over: Bec now lives with more than 40 chronic health conditions, each one adding another layer to the daily battles she fights, often silently, often unseen. And yet, these experiences didn’t break her. They built her. Today, Bec channels her lived experience into her work across psychosocial recovery, mental health support, disability advocacy, and ethical caring - roles she has shaped through years in the mental health and disability sectors. Her professional life is grounded in a simple but powerful truth: behind every face is a story, and behind many stories are invisible challenges, hidden disabilities, and battles that deserve understanding rather than judgment. In this conversation, Bec and Mel explore what it means to show up when your own body and mind are fighting against you, how resilience is built in the quiet moments no one sees, and why purpose often emerges from the very experiences that once felt impossible to survive. Bec speaks openly about identity, advocacy, and the urgent need for society to recognise that inclusion isn’t just about ramps and policies - it’s about empathy, awareness, and seeing the whole human being. If you’ve ever felt unseen in your struggle, or wondered how someone continues to give so much when life has taken so much from them, Bec’s story will stay with you. On behalf of the Hair Therapist we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced. The topics in this podcast are of general nature, we are not licensed professionals, so if any of the content brings up anything for you, please turn it off and reach out for support: Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Home | 1800RESPECT National Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselling ServiceKids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800Ask Izzy Search over 450,000 support services CREDITS:Host: Melissa AlsemgeestGuest: Bec GillEditor: Robert Alsemgeest GET IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/InfectiousBehaviour123. The Ripple Effect of One Healed Life Part 2
42:00||Season 1, Ep. 123Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of child sexual abuse, family and domestic violence, alcoholism, childhood trauma, and cultural identity. We acknowledge that these topics may be triggering for our First Nations & Torres Strait Islander Peoples and for anyone with lived experience. If this brings up anything for you please turn this episode off. Some stories begin in places children should never have to navigate. In this conversation, Mel sits down with Kalka Mitchell - a trainer, mentor, and cultural healing practitioner whose life has been shaped by both profound hardship and extraordinary reclamation. Kalka opens up about growing up in a home defined by strict Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, an alcoholic and abusive father, and the emotional and spiritual confinement that came with that environment. He shares what it meant to be a young boy trying to make sense of violence, control, and a cultural identity that was deliberately kept from him. His path to healing didn’t arrive all at once - it emerged through movement. First through bodybuilding, then Muay Thai, where discipline, physical strength, and self‑respect began to take root. Those practices became stepping stones toward something deeper: a pull back to Country, to the Aboriginal culture he was disconnected from as a child. Kalka talks about the moment he realised he needed to return home, not just geographically, but spiritually. Through cultural learning, community connection, and modalities like Holographic Kinetics, he began to awaken parts of himself that had been silenced. What followed was a profound sense of belonging, identity, and purpose. Today, through initiatives like Deadly Trainers, Kalka channels his lived experience into empowering others, helping people reconnect with culture, strengthen their bodies, and heal their spirits. This episode is a raw, powerful exploration of survival, reclamation, and the deep transformation that occurs when a man finally finds his people, his story, and his place in the world.Kalka Mitchell (@switch_body_transformation) • Instagram photos and videosKalka Mitchell - switchbodytransformation.com.au | LinkedInHolographic Kinetics | Official Site | Clearing Trauma | Authorised Practitioners and Courses On behalf of the Hair Therapist we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced. The topics in this podcast are of general nature, we are not licensed professionals, so if any of the content brings up anything for you, please turn it off and reach out for support: Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Home | 1800RESPECT National Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselling ServiceKids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800Ask Izzy Search over 450,000 support services CREDITS:Host: Melissa AlsemgeestGuest: Kalka MitchellEditor: Robert Alsemgeest GET IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/InfectiousBehaviour122. The Ripple Effect of One Healed Life Part 1
48:59||Season 1, Ep. 122Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of child sexual abuse, family and domestic violence, alcoholism, childhood trauma, and cultural identity. We acknowledge that these topics may be triggering for our First Nations & Torres Strait Islander Peoples and for anyone with lived experience. If this brings up anything for you please turn this episode off. Some stories begin in places children should never have to navigate. In this conversation, Mel sits down with Kalka Mitchell - a trainer, mentor, and cultural healing practitioner whose life has been shaped by both profound hardship and extraordinary reclamation. Kalka opens up about growing up in a home defined by strict Jehovah’s Witness beliefs, an alcoholic and abusive father, and the emotional and spiritual confinement that came with that environment. He shares what it meant to be a young boy trying to make sense of violence, control, and a cultural identity that was deliberately kept from him. His path to healing didn’t arrive all at once - it emerged through movement. First through bodybuilding, then Muay Thai, where discipline, physical strength, and self‑respect began to take root. Those practices became stepping stones toward something deeper: a pull back to Country, to the Aboriginal culture he was disconnected from as a child. Kalka talks about the moment he realised he needed to return home, not just geographically, but spiritually. Through cultural learning, community connection, and modalities like Holographic Kinetics, he began to awaken parts of himself that had been silenced. What followed was a profound sense of belonging, identity, and purpose. Today, through initiatives like Deadly Trainers, Kalka channels his lived experience into empowering others, helping people reconnect with culture, strengthen their bodies, and heal their spirits. This episode is a raw, powerful exploration of survival, reclamation, and the deep transformation that occurs when a man finally finds his people, his story, and his place in the world.Kalka Mitchell (@switch_body_transformation) • Instagram photos and videosKalka Mitchell - switchbodytransformation.com.au | LinkedInHolographic Kinetics | Official Site | Clearing Trauma | Authorised Practitioners and Courses On behalf of the Hair Therapist we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced. The topics in this podcast are of general nature, we are not licensed professionals, so if any of the content brings up anything for you, please turn it off and reach out for support: Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Home | 1800RESPECT National Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselling ServiceKids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800Ask Izzy Search over 450,000 support services CREDITS:Host: Melissa AlsemgeestGuest: Kalka MitchellEditor: Robert Alsemgeest GET IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/InfectiousBehaviour121. Cancer Survival Changed Everything Part 2
44:59||Season 1, Ep. 121A year ago, Elizabeth sat with us and shared the moment her world split in two - the diagnosis, the fear, the grief, and the fierce determination to survive. It was raw, it was honest, and it touched every person who has ever faced cancer or stood beside someone who has. Today, she’s back. Twelve months later. And this conversation is different - deeper, quieter, and shaped by the kind of truth that only comes after the dust settles. Because survival isn’t the end of the story. It’s the beginning of a whole new one. In this follow up episode, Elizabeth opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of life after breast cancer. The trauma that lingers long after treatment ends, the reality of living in a body forever changed by a double mastectomy, and the unexpected moments - a smell, a scar, a memory - that can pull her right back into the fight. She talks about the gratitude that keeps her grounded, the people who held her through the darkest days, and the quiet strength she’s had to rebuild piece by piece. And she shares the messages she wishes every survivor, supporter, and loved one could hear, the ones that make you feel seen, understood, and less alone. This conversation is for anyone navigating cancer, remission, or the long shadow it leaves behind. It’s for the friends and families who show up, even when they don’t know what to say. And it’s for every person learning how to live again after life has been turned inside out. Elizabeth’s story isn’t just about surviving. It’s about healing, remembering, and finding a way forward with tenderness, courage, and hope. Let’s step back in with her. On behalf of the Hair Therapist we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced. The topics in this podcast are of general nature, we are not licensed professionals, so if any of the content brings up anything for you, please turn it off and reach out for support: Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Home | 1800RESPECT National Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselling ServiceKids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800Ask Izzy Search over 450,000 support services CREDITS:Host: Melissa AlsemgeestGuest: Elizabeth SweetEditor: Robert Alsemgeest GET IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/InfectiousBehaviour120. More Than My Worst Decision
01:14:42||Season 1, Ep. 120Some stories arrive heavy, complicated, and almost impossible to imagine - yet they reveal the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit. Today, Mel sits down with Michael, a man whose life began with trauma no child should ever endure. His early years were marked by sexual abuse, leaving wounds that would follow him into adolescence and shape the choices he made as a young man. As he slipped into the world of alcohol and drugs, Michael found himself spiralling, disconnected, hurting, and searching for anything that might numb the pain. That spiral led to a tragic and life‑altering moment: the accidental killing of a man during an intoxicated, chaotic encounter. It was an event that shattered multiple lives, including his own, and placed him on a path through the justice system, public scrutiny, and years of deep personal reckoning. But this conversation isn’t just about the darkness. It’s about what came after - the long, gruelling climb toward accountability, healing, and change. It’s about the unexpected light that entered Michael’s life in the form of his daughter. Her presence became a turning point: a reason to fight, to rebuild, and to become the kind of man she deserved. Through court battles, mental health challenges, and the weight of his past, Michael found a way to transform himself. Today, he speaks with honesty about the mistakes that nearly destroyed him, the unconditional love that saved him, and the strength it took to reclaim his life. His story is confronting, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful - a testament to what can happen when someone chooses responsibility, chooses growth, and chooses love. This is Michael’s journey: from trauma to turmoil, from devastation to determination, and finally, to a life rebuilt with purpose. On behalf of the Hair Therapist we acknowledge the Turrbal and Jagera people, the traditional custodians of the land on which this podcast is produced. The topics in this podcast are of general nature, we are not licensed professionals, so if any of the content brings up anything for you, please turn it off and reach out for support: Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 - Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.13YARN - Call 13 92 76 | 24 /7 Crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Home | 1800RESPECT National Domestic and Sexual Violence Counselling ServiceKids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800Ask Izzy Search over 450,000 support services CREDITS:Host: Melissa AlsemgeestGuest: Michael McKnightEditor: Robert Alsemgeest GET IN TOUCH: https://linktr.ee/InfectiousBehaviour