Our Story

Illuminating Insights was born from the struggles our founder, Sara, experienced living in a world not always accessible to, inclusive of, or safe or set up for, her as a disabled person. Though she longed for it, Sara noticed a lack of formal peer support available in this area- that is professional support from others with a shared or similar lived/ living experience. Other people who understood her struggles not purely because of empathising with them, but because to some extent, they’d been there, they’d lived it too. Because sometimes, people who’ve been there too understand better than anyone else. Illuminating Insights provides the services Sara always wished she’d had.

The tightrope centred in our logo represents this feeling of being in-between- knowing your strengths and capabilities, but also existing in environments and systems that often require emphasis and focus on your weaknesses and limitations, not to mention living in a world that’s not always accessible to, inclusive of, or safe or set up for you- all things that can sometimes make us forget the strengths and capabilities we have. Tightropes are hard to walk, but with a little light (represented in our organisational values), it’s not necessarily impossible.

a blue outline of a flower, coloured in

Our Values

There is a rainbow made up of 7 bands in shades of bright purple, pale purple, pale blue and bright blue.

Experiential Expertise

  • We embrace, value and believe in the power of each individual’s experiential expertise, gained through their lived/ living experiences.

  • We respect and value the diversity of experience of those in our community and the value diversity of experience can bring.

  • we believe in the power of empathy to help bolster our connections with others whose experiences are different from our own

Why This Matters

I do the work I do because I’ve lived the moments where lived experience made all the difference- where someone finally felt understood, supported, and able to ask for what they needed because someone got it from having been there too. In systems that denied my own needs, I learned how powerful it is to create safety and agency for someone else simply because I’ve been there myself. Reclaiming the value of some of these experience taught me that lived/living experience isn’t just meaningful. It’s transformational. Illuminating Insights exists to make space for more of those moments, where lived and living experience become catalysts for understanding, empowerment, and change.

A lightbulb outlined in bright blue. The circular section of the lightbulb is coloured in pale blue. There are bright blue lines around the lightbulb.

Safety

  • We value the safety, both physical and psychological, of everyone in our community

  • we believe safety is something everyone has a right to, as well as a responsibility to ensure for others, as much as they can.

  • we prioritise establishing and ensuring safety first, because we know that safety is the vital base foundation for any kind of support to be possible and effective

Why This Matters

I focus on safety because lived and living experience is powerful, but it can also carry risk if shared without awareness. I want people to share their experience purposefully, with boundaries and support in place, so it empowers, connects, and creates change — while lessening the chances of retraumatisation or unnecessary harm. Safety doesn’t have to be a limit- it can be what makes the value of lived/living experience fully possible.

There is a larger sparkle coloured in bright purple. Around it are 6 other sparkles of varying sizes coloured in shades of bright purple and pale purple.

Curiosity

  • We believe in and encourage asking a lot of questions to avoid assumptions and bolster understanding of experiences different to our own

  • we value new learnings and believe in keeping our minds open to these

  • we value curiosity, because we believe being open and curious can lead to more understanding, acceptance and inclusion overall

Why This Matters

Curiosity matters to me because the opposite of curiosity, assumptions, close down understanding, and understanding is essential for safety, connection, and effective support to be possible. Curiosity is how we honour each other’s lived experience without presuming, projecting, or oversimplifying. It’s how I stay open, ask better questions, and create space for people to share what’s true for them. Curiosity makes connection possible, and it turns ‘I don’t understand’ into ‘tell me more.’

A two tiered flame. The smaller flame is coloured in pale purple. Outside it, the slight bigger flame is coloured in bright purple.

Celebration

  • we believe in recognising, honouring and celebrating every accomplishment, achievement and win, no matter how small or inconsequential it may seem- it’s all progress!

  • we believe in acknowledging, recognising and celebrating those who make a positive difference to others

  • we prioritise celebrating and highlighting the strengths and achievements of our community, because we believe celebration can help balance out the limitations and barriers often focused on

Why This Matters

To me, celebration doesn’t erase struggle, but serves to notices the goodness, strength, and progress that can exist alongside it. Celebration can be quiet and personal, yet still deeply validating, especially for people whose lived/living experiences have been underestimated or dismissed. I look to celebrate the small and meaningful moments along with the big, because they honour truth, restore worth, and recognise the resilience and humanity that systems often overlook. All of them- big and small- are important.

A firework in varying shades of pale purple, pale blue, bright purple and bright blue.

Courage

We recognise and respect the courage it takes;

  • those we serve to be vulnerable in reaching out for and engaging with support, and;

  • our team in their vulnerability of purposeful sharing, exposure to and empathic engagement with the struggles of others in providing support.

  • We value and honour our community’s courage in daring to be themselves, especially when the world may not always be accepting of this

Why This Matters

To me, courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s the choice to stay open, honest, or vulnerable even when fear or risk is present. Courage is only possible when people feel safe enough to take that step, which is why I honour it deeply but never expect or force it. In my work, courage isn’t something I ask people to ‘be’ — it’s something I do my best to create the conditions for, recognise, and support when it arises.

Two stars. The smaller star on the left is pale blue. The slightly larger star on the right is bright blue.

Connection

  • We value connection with a community of others with shared or similar lived/ living experience.

  • we value and believe in the power that can come from connecting with others with shared or similar lived/living experience, including the hope of possibility

  • we value and prioritise ongoing relationships and connection with everyone in our community, particularly those in our community whom our organisation serves and supports. What is important to our community is important to us.

Why This Matters

I know what it feels like to move through the world unseen or misunderstood, and how much of a difference it makes when someone truly gets you. Real connection can show us we’re not alone, offers proof that people with similar lived or living experience exist, and help soften the isolation that can cling to marginalised identities. When we feel seen and accepted for who we are, support lands differently. It can become more attuned, respectful, and actually helpful.

Questions? Let’s Connect!

Have questions or just want to connect? Get in touch- we’d love to hear from you!

get in touch

The support services offered by Illuminating Insights are delivered on stolen Aboriginal lands. We wish to acknowledge and pay respects to the traditional owners of the lands we work on and of the communities we serve across Australia and their continuing connection to country. Sovereignty was never ceded.

Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

The Australian Aboriginal flag has black across the top, a yellow circle in the centre and red across the bottom.
The Torres Strait Islander flag has green across the top and bottom, with a black line then blue in the middle. In the centre is a white headdress.
The Progress Pride flag features 5 chevrons on the left in white, pale pink, pale blue, brown and black. The right side has stripes in bright red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.