Meet Cass Nable - lessons from the school of life
Gotcha4Life’s Cass Nable learnt about mental health at university. She’s learnt a lot more at the school of life. Her example is a lesson to all of us.
After growing up in a household where mental health was actively discussed and prioritised, it wasn’t surprising when Cass gravitated to educational psychology studies in her arts degree.
“A lot of subjects talked about mental health, particularly the youth segment. That really piqued my interest,” Cass says.
It became more than an interest - it’s a passion she’s carried through life.
“I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where there was very open discussion around mental health, looking after yourself and seeking the right help when it’s needed. That was a really positive discussion in my family growing up, and now we have the same philosophy in my household which includes 3 teenage kids.”
In a serendipitous twist, Cass discovered Gotcha4Life after her sons did a workshop at their school.
“I didn’t know who had delivered them, but my eldest came home and told me how good it was. He’d done a fairly big share and the facilitator empathised and really validated him. As much as we talk about it as a household, to get that validation elsewhere is important too.”
“That’s when I found out Gotcha4Life was funding these workshops in schools.
“I thought, this is something every teenager needs to do. Because if it had such an impact on my son - imagine the impact on a kid where it doesn’t get talked about at home.”
Same passion, new path
Cass doesn’t have to imagine the impact. Since joining Gotcha4Life in 2022 to take on marketing and fundraising roles, she sees it first hand everyday.
“I was at a phase in my life where I wanted to be giving back. I’ve done the corporate thing for over 20 years. Now I wanted to work in a space I’m passionate about.”
“I have been in tears in some of those workshops, seeing kids open up.”
One sticks in her mind.
“There was a young boy who sat away from the other kids. He didn’t want to be there.”
“The facilitator had a knack for reading the room. He just knew this kid had something to say, and slowly drew it out of him.
“He had been through a parent separation. His younger sibling had been very sick. Then he lost his grandfather, who was the person he was closest to in the world. Three huge events in his life - and in three years, he had not spoken to anyone about it.
“To see that being broken down. To see the relief he felt, and the reaction of the other boys who embraced him and talked about how brave and strong he was for sharing. Then to see other alpha males in the room sharing and crying and cuddling each other. I just thought, ‘I can’t believe it. This is like magic, what I’ve just witnessed here’.”
“That’s why I want to be part of an organisation that’s helping raise these issues and educating youth and parents and other adults.
Skills for life
“The thing about our programs is you’re not just telling them to do something. You are giving them the chance to practice so they can walk out of that room with the skills to not be afraid to ask the questions. It’s giving them skills to act on.
“Being able to see how important it is for my own children, I want other kids to have that same experience. If they’re not getting it from home, it can come through school or sports clubs.
“My dream would be that every child in Australia got to experience this - and the earlier the better.
“The earlier they can start talking with some real emotional literacy around mental fitness and mental health, the better they’re equipped for life.
