Not only because she’s studied but because she’s lived it.
Sure, she has a raft of qualifications in counselling, coaching and various other therapies, but she says her biggest asset to her work is her story.
She will share that tale of abuse and addiction, rehabilitation and recovery in Shepparton in November, with the purpose of helping others address their own suffering.
After growing up in a religious cult that she struggled to emancipate herself from and being abused by her grandfather, Ms Hutchison suffered low self-esteem and fell into addiction.
But they were not the addictions you might imagine.
Sharing the stage at her upcoming Living Free after Trauma, Abuse and Addiction event in Shepparton will be keynote speaker and former member of parliament Tania Maxwell, telling her own story of surviving trauma, and counsellor, personal trainer and mindset coach Tim Littlejohn.
Ms Hutchison said the event was the second in a series she planned to hold across Victoria.
“I just want to give people hope; I just want to tell people that it’s possible,” Ms Hutchison said.
“If someone comes to that event and they walk away and make a different choice, that’s a success.
“That’s what I’m about; giving people opportunities to live into what they really want to do, not just live the story that they’ve been told or they’ve been telling themselves.”
Ms Hutchison said addiction was a tricky thing to work with given the challenges caused by counterproductive long wait lists in the system for people who needed, or wanted, urgent help.
“What I know about addiction is that you’ve got a 24-hour gap where someone realises they need help and you never know when that cycle is going to come around,” she said.
“But if they can’t get help within that 24 hours, then they’re back using again.”
Ms Hutchison said detox wait times could be six weeks, while those who needed a government-funded service could wait up to six months.
She wants to educate people on the other immediate services they can access as well as help them with tools to help themselves in the interim, such as a free online community forum she’s established recently that has already attracted 150 people who actively support each other in the space.
Ms Hutchison said her first Living Free after Trauma, Abuse and Addiction event in October, held in Melbourne, where she’s based, garnered positive feedback.
She is now looking forward to seeing the response from the Shepparton crowd.
She visits Shepparton fortnightly to see her children who still live here, and volunteers at and works with clients at the town’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation residential facility, The Cottage.
Since COVID-19, coaching and counselling are able to be delivered remotely using apps such as Zoom, so locations for accessing such services are no longer the barrier they once were.
Tickets to attend Ms Hutchison’s event at the Parklake hotel on November 18 are $48 and include food, drinks and a signed copy of her 2019-released book, Facing Maria.
∎ To book: withfreedomcoaching.com.au/events
∎ If you’re struggling with addiction, call DirectLine 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 888 236.
∎ If you’ve been affected by abuse, call 1800RESPECT 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 888 236.
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