National Sorry Day: A Call for Reflection, Dialogue, and Action
- Shane Warren
- May 25
- 2 min read
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26 May 2025
National Sorry Day: A Call for Reflection, Dialogue, and Action
Today, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) joins communities across the nation in solemn recognition of National Sorry Day, honouring the Stolen Generations and acknowledging the ongoing impact of colonisation on First Nations peoples.
National Sorry Day is not about blame. It is a call for empathy - a moment to lean into uncomfortable truths and to listen, learn, and grow.
In a series of reflective posts shared today, VMHPAA Chair Shane Warren - a practicing counsellor and long-time advocate for inclusive care - responded to public commentary with humility and clarity:
“No one is asking you to take personal responsibility for the past,” Warren wrote. “But rather to acknowledge that the legacy of that past still shapes the experiences of many Indigenous Australians today… It’s not about blame, it’s about empathy.”
He continued,
“Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is listen, learn, and lean into the discomfort of these conversations with openness rather than defensiveness.”
VMHPAA affirms that truth-telling, reconciliation, and healing are long journeys but they must be walked together.
As the only professional association dedicated to vocationally trained mental health practitioners, VMHPAA highlights the vital role of community-based counsellors, youth workers, family support officers, and lived experience practitioners, especially those working within and alongside First Nations communities.
“Vocationally trained mental health workers are often the ones at the grassroots level, walking alongside families, holding space for grief, and celebrating resilience,” said Warren.“Their work is practical, grounded, and deeply relational, and this is essential in the healing process.”
On National Sorry Day, VMHPAA calls for:
Investment in vocational training pathways for First Nations peoples to become mental health and community support professionals.
Greater cultural competency within all levels of mental health services.
Recognition of lived experience and traditional ways of knowing as valid and valuable in professional care settings.
Healing starts with acknowledgement. Progress continues through respectful dialogue. VMHPAA remains committed to empowering the practitioners who walk with communities - both Indigenous and non-Indigenous - towards justice, wellbeing, and wholeness.
About VMHPAA
The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) is the national voice for professionals with vocational qualifications working in mental health. Representing counsellors, psychotherapists, peer workers, family support practitioners, and others, VMHPAA promotes excellence, advocacy, and ethical standards across all mental health care environments.
Media Contact:
Shane Warren, Chair
VMHPAA
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