A Change Makers Guide to Welcoming Change and Cultivating Growth 

Change is an inevitable part of life. Whether it’s in our personal lives, workplace, organisation or society, change is a constant force that shapes our experiences. Yet, despite its inevitability, change is often met with resistance and discomfort. 

This was highlighted at our inaugural Change Maker Awards ceremony where the highest honour was awarded to Christina Pharazyn (Occupational Therapist, Team Lead and Therapy Mentor in Southern Perth WA). In her award acceptance speech, Christina discussed how embracing change, even when it is uncomfortable leads to the most growth.  

At Everyday Independence, we strive to “change the game” for Australians with disability. This change maker value drives our commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, enabling us to accelerate social change and transform how our communities view people with disability. It’s this vision that attracted Christina to become an Everyday Independence change maker.  

“I really love embodying our values in every decision and interaction I make. With my participants, my team and the wider community, in all my roles, the values are really what drew me to Everyday Independence in the first place.” 

Christina also described how she models vulnerability to her team, with an understanding that as change occurs it’s okay to not have all the answers. Change becomes far less overwhelming when teams work through it together. 

Through Christina’s leadership, she has developed a culture within her team whereby change is seen as the key to maintaining motivation, and not something to fear. 

“The mindsets of change and embracing change has been the biggest key to keeping my teams and participants motivated and to see change as not something that we fear but something that we embrace.” 

Christina’s leadership has demonstrated what it truly means to be a change maker. By embracing change wholeheartedly, she inspires those around her to do the same. Her ability together with her team to navigate challenges with resilience and vision empowers others to step forward with confidence, driving collective progress and innovation. 

Want to be a change maker like Christina, and help change the game for people with disability and the way society views disability? View our current opportunities at Everyday Independence.