Life Changing Choices

Nick says his involvement in a serious motorbike accident was the best and the worst thing to happen to him. Left with an horrific string of injuries, and a slow and painful recovery, Nick knew he was lucky to survive. But he says it also gave him a new perspective on where he’d been going wrong in the past and how, given this second chance, he’d be the husband and father he truly wanted to be. Th...

Family violence is an all too prevalent issue in Australia. It’s often a lot more complicated and nuanced than our images of bruised victims, and coercive control is increasingly being recognised in our courts as an offence. This episode's guest shares her own personal experience with family violence. She tells of how her relationship started, what she endured, what she tolerated, and how she fina...

In this episode, Janelle shares the story of how she lost almost 80kg in 12 months. Burdened with postnatal health issues, Janelle quickly saw her weight increase, leading to constant pain and poor mobility. Popular weight loss injections and surgery were expensive and difficult to access, so armed with nothing but a Bluetooth speaker and a dogged determination, Janelle went about changing it all....

Around 8% of babies in Australia are born premature. Chloe spent a total of 115 days in the neo-natal intensive care unit with all three of her precious children. The experience left her with PTSD, a greater appreciation for nurses, and a desire to establish a new career path centred on caring for children. From becoming a young mum of twins, to managing a family of five while studying and establi...

In this episode, Nooria shares her journey of fleeing Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return in 2021, which led to the death of her husband. A law graduate and mother of two, Nooria recounts the threats her family faced, the challenges of resettling in Greece and then Australia, and the support she found through The Salvation Army’s Parent Pathways program. She reflects on rebuilding her life as a...

We first met Trish six years ago, when she was enrolled in our parenting program (now known as Parent Pathways). At the time, the mother of seven had just walked away from a toxic relationship, and with the support of her Employment Plus mentor, had created her own business. With her children by her, Trish wasn’t just standing on her own two feet, she was soaring. When we last spoke to her, life w...

In this episode, we sit down with Caz, who became a mother at a young age and learned how being tethered to the wrong person can dramatically shape your life. This smart woman eventually became a university graduate, and started working for the first time in her late thirties. Join us as Caz shares her inspiring journey of determination as she fought against all that life threw at her. In a time w...

Within Craig’s voice you can hear the generational trauma he has carried across the country in his quest for both freedom from addiction and negative influences. In this episode, we hear how he faced his own mortality, made brave, gutsy calls to go it alone and create a brand-new life for himself. Pleasingly, Craig’s discovered how his search for work has also provided him with a renewed sense of...

We sat down with Jo, a remarkable and energetic woman who has overcome an emotionally abusive childhood, ongoing challenges in to adulthood, a marriage breakdown, a brush with cancer and is now carving out a new career in her early 60s. Join us as we hear Jo's inspiring journey to finding a job and proving that it’s never too late to find a life you truly love. In a time where older women in Austr...

The fear of bomb threats and terrorism were a reality during the childhood of Iranian-born Maryam who reminds us just what a lucky country Australia really is. In this episode, we talk to this highly skilled migrant who fled war-torn Tehran to seek peace and a place to raise children without the traumas that she faced. She has now made Australia home, has embraced the local lifestyle and shares so...

Meet Brandon, an articulate and reflective young man who, through a lack of guidance, spent his teenage years embroiled in truancy and eventually crime, which landed him in correctional facilities. Years on, the young father who’s faced the challenges of addiction, grief and self-acceptance tells us how he’s turned his life around, has created a beautiful family unit and is on the path to finding...

There are more than 621,000 unemployed people in Australia. Each one has a story to tell against the backdrop of the many struggles we're facing in society. The word ‘unemployed’ conjures up many stereotypes. But in Life Changing Choices, you will meet a group of people who are keen to prove that they are anything but. They are the very definition of resilience and hope. In this new audio series,...