Celebrating Canberra-region women in business
The Canberra region has some amazing women who run their own businesses and give so much back to their communities. Over the coming months, I’ll be profiling some of these small business owners and illustrating their stories with my images.
First up, meet Shara Jenkins! She’s a creative therapist and artist who supports neurodivergent people through her business. She is also a neurodivergent woman herself, and proud of her identity and her achievements.
Shara is based in Bungendore in NSW, but travels around the Canberra region to see clients. She also offers online individual counselling and group therapy.
Shara is passionate, creative, and incredibly inspiring. Let’s get to know Shara a little better and understand what drives her passion to support others.
About Create Your Space With Shara
Shara’s business – Create Your Space With Shara – offers creative therapies and counselling to children, teens, and adults who are neurodivergent. Neurodivergence describes people whose brains function differently from what is considered typical, such as those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or dyspraxia.
Shara knows what it’s like to be neurodivergent, as she has autism and ADHD herself. She also brings her passion for art, music, movement, and storytelling to her therapy and counselling sessions to support her clients.
“Everyone has a unique way of expressing themselves and communicating their needs, feelings, and thoughts,” says Shara. “Creative therapies allow people to explore their inner world and connect with others in a safe and non-judgmental space.”
In the next year, Shara plans to expand her services to provide support and expertise to businesses looking to improve the workplace for neurodivergent staff and clients. She will also aim to present to larger groups.
Shara’s journey
Shara originally planned to be a psychologist or a music therapist, but life took her in a different direction. She worked in the public service for many years, until she was medically retired in 2020 at 47 due to physical and mental health challenges.
During her career, she completed training and education courses that helped her focus on supporting people around her, such as Organisational Change Management, Meditation and Mindfulness Coaching, and Mental Health First Aid. But after spending many years engaging with a range of therapists, Shara realised the therapies she could easily access weren’t quite the right fit for her, and she wasn’t alone.
“I saw friends and family members struggle with neuronormative* therapies that didn’t give satisfaction or healing. For some, they even caused trauma,” Shara says. “I wanted to be able to provide something that would cater to the diverse needs and preferences of neurodivergent people, to celebrate their strengths and abilities.”
After leaving the public service, she completed training as a Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapist. Shara is currently working towards recognition as a Developmental Educator.
How Shara works with her clients
Shara’s business philosophy, values and approach to her business and clients is all wrapped up in the name of her business: Create Your Space With Shara.
“’Create’ is obviously because I am a creative therapist, and there are so many ways to create. ‘Create Your Space’ is about helping people to find tools, methods and techniques that work for them to live their best life, in their own way,” Shara explains.
“‘With Shara’ is because I work with you. I am not here to fix you. I am here to share my expertise, skill and knowledge with you. To support, encourage and explore. To listen and to hold space for you.
“My services are tailored to the individual. My clients bring their goals, issues, and concerns and I bring opportunities to explore. Sensory issues, physical and emotional challenges, biological and developmental age are all taken into consideration. We work on building skills in areas such as understanding self, emotional and behavioural regulation, and executive function, without enforcing neuronormative standards.
“Every client is more than welcome to stim/fidget, to look at whatever they want to (not at my eyes). To move around and explore the space, or to ask to change what we are doing at that time. We can sit and talk with a drink and a biscuit, we can paint or draw, or we can blow bubbles.
“Safety, security, trust and comfort in the environment are important in building any type of therapeutic relationship. As a therapist, I am neuro-affirming, sex-positive and queer-friendly. I work with people of varying cultures, genders, religions/spiritual practices, socio-economic groups, and physical and intellectual abilities. I am happy to spend time with each person to make sure I’m the right therapist for them.”
Shara says her clients might describe her as a bit strange, funny, compassionate, creative, quirky, a bit scattered and messy, but lots of fun.
“Seeing my clients feel comfortable enough with me to let down their guard is a great feeling. I love witnessing their progress and achievements, especially when they have an ‘a-ha’ moment around something they’ve been struggling with.”
Shara says she’s received some beautiful feedback from clients and their families, which makes her smile.
“The family of one client has told me their kids generally lose interest in what they are doing (like sports or activities) and have had issues with previous counsellors and therapists. But now, the only times the kids don’t want to come to see me are when they’re sick,” Shara says.
Shaped by life experience
Shara is more than just a creative therapist and an artist. She is also a person with disability, a published author, a retired public servant, a mother, grandmother, wife, sibling, daughter, relative, and friend. She is a survivor who is creating the life she chooses.
As a therapist, she brings her lived experience to her work, backed up by her education and expertise.
Shara’s proud of her business and its positive impact on her clients and the community. She hopes to inspire other women in business, especially those who are neurodivergent, to pursue their dreams and passions.
“Being a woman in business is not easy, and being a neurodivergent woman in business is even harder,” Shara says. “But it is also rewarding and fulfilling. I love what I do, and I love helping others find their voice and their place in the world.
“I also want to challenge the stigma and discrimination that neurodivergent people face, and to promote the positive aspects of neurodiversity, such as creativity, innovation, and diversity of thought. Awareness is not enough – we need to be working for acceptance and real inclusion.”
To learn more about Shara and her business, visit her website, follow her on social media, or contact her directly. She would love to hear from you and work with you to create your own space.
Directory link: https://stan.store/CreateYourSpace
If you’d like a photo profile of your Canberra-region business get in touch through my website or leave a message below.
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