Waves WA was created out of a deep passion to empower children, adolescents, and adults to live their best lives.
What sets Waves WA apart?
At Waves WA, we believe that connection, safety, and autonomy are fundamental to positive life outcomes. Our approach is strengths-based and humanistic, centred on understanding each individual as a whole person.
We prioritise relationships that are attuned and responsive, working alongside participants and families in a way that honours their experiences, preferences, and goals.
Our practice is informed by evidence-based research in neuroscience, attachment, and trauma. We do not use ABA and we do not target behaviours in isolation. Instead, we focus on improving quality of life, recognising that positive changes naturally lead to a reduction in behaviours of concern.
This approach ensures that the support we provide is respectful, practical, and meaningful — helping participants and their families create sustainable, positive outcomes.
Our Story
Navigating the journey to access support services for our own family left us feeling disheartened and confused. Too often, services focused on changing the person to fit society, rather than adapting the world around them to meet their needs.
We felt misunderstood and disempowered as parents — treated as if we were the problem, rather than being supported and guided.
From this experience, we asked ourselves: how could a service be different? One that advocates for the person, uses neurodiversity-affirming approaches, and empowers the people around them.
Waves WA was born out of this vision. We are driven by a deep passion to support children, adolescents, and adults to live their best lives, and to fill the gap for neurodiversity-affirming services with lived experience of disability.
Our support is adaptive, accommodating, and accessible, and we triage referrals so those in greatest need receive priority.
Through our work locally, we’ve noticed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members are often left without culturally responsive, trauma-informed support. We aim to walk alongside the people we support, listening and learning to ensure our services are meaningful, comfortable, and person-centred.
Waves WA is committed to ongoing training and development, ensuring our practice remains aligned with trauma-informed principles and culturally appropriate approaches. We actively collaborate with local communities and organisations to deliver support that meets their needs, continuously improving through listening and engagement.
Our Values
Equity and Advocacy
We are committed to promoting equity in all that we do, ensuring fair treatment and opportunities for everyone. We continuously advocate for positive outcomes, championing the rights and needs of those we support.
Authenticity and Kindness
We lead and serve from a place of vulnerability and authenticity, fostering genuine connections. Kindness is at the heart of everything we do, creating a supportive and compassionate environment.
Meeting People Where They Are At
We listen to understand each person’s unique circumstances and needs, respecting their individual journey and supporting them from where they are today.
Safety and Belonging
We prioritise safety in all aspects of our work and aim to foster a sense of connection and belonging, supporting the well-being of every person we work with.
Our Mission
We are dedicated to providing inclusive, person-centred services that improve lives through holistic, neuro-affirming, and culturally safe support. We continually strive for excellence, ensuring our practice meets the unique needs of each person we work with.
Our Goals
To provide a high-quality, locally-based, individualised, and holistic service that respects human rights and meets universal needs.
To actively engage with the local community, contributing to positive outcomes and meaningful change where we work.
Waves WA:
What's in a name?
Waves are a powerful metaphor in the mental health space, symbolising the natural ebb and flow of thoughts, emotions and behaviours.
Just as ocean waves are shaped by various factors such as the ocean floor, tides, and wind, humans' thoughts, emotions and behaviours are influenced by a myriad of elements including environment and experiences. The waves of the oceans also carry the stories and songs of the history that have occurred in and on it's waters. Waves represent the dynamic, everchanging nature of these influences, and our commitment is to navigate and support individuals through their unique journeys, much like understanding the ocean helps us predict and navigate its waves.
This concept aligns with many frameworks in the psychology and mental health space, including many mindfulness strategies and tools. The use of waves and the ocean is found in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), where thoughts and emotions are likened to waves that rise and fall, while the ocean represents our broader sense of self that contains the waves.
By embracing this metaphor, we emphasize our mission to provide holistic and adaptive support that is accepting and accommodating of the shifting currents of individual journeys and life stories.
At Waves WA, our name is more than a word — it’s a powerful metaphor for the mental health and behaviour support work we do. Waves symbolize the natural ebb and flow of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
Just as ocean waves are shaped by factors like tides, the ocean floor, and wind, our experiences, environments, and relationships influence our own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Waves also carry the stories of the past, reminding us that every person’s journey is unique and shaped by many influences.
This metaphor aligns with evidence-based frameworks in psychology and mental health, including mindfulness strategies and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which liken thoughts and emotions to waves rising and falling, while the ocean represents the broader self that contains them.
By embracing the concept of waves, we emphasise our commitment to providing holistic, adaptive, and accepting support, helping individuals navigate the shifting currents of their own lives with care, understanding, and guidance.