Let’s Talk TACTICS: Moving from Awareness to Action in Communication
Tracks
Jacaranda
| Wednesday, November 4, 2026 |
| 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM |
Overview
Malinda Guest, Boundless Psychology
Three Key Learnings
1. Practical application of the TACTICS communication framework to confidently initiate and navigate difficult conversations about mental health, stress, and wellbeing in rural contexts.
2. How to recognise early signs of distress and respond with practical, timely actions that encourage help-seeking and reduce escalation.
3. Strategies to build mental health-capable communities by developing shared language, confidence, and everyday skills across individuals, workplaces, and local networks.
Presenter
Ms Malinda Guest
Director And Principal Clinical Psychologist
Boundless Psychology
Let’s Talk TACTICS: Moving from Awareness to Action in Communication.
Presentation Overview
Rural communities face a unique combination of social, economic, and geographic pressures that can make conversations about mental health, financial stress, family dynamics, and succession planning particularly challenging (AIHW, 2024). Geographic isolation, limited access to services, financial volatility in agriculture, and strong cultural values of independence can delay help seeking, often meaning concerns escalate before support is accessed (Fuller et al., 2021). These pressures are reflected in higher rates of mental health conditions, hospitalisations, and suicide among rural Australians compared to metropolitan populations, highlighting the need to strengthen early intervention and community-based support pathways (AIHW, 2023).
While awareness of mental health challenges is high, translating this awareness into practical, everyday action remains a key gap (Gulliver et al., 2018; Reavley & Jorm, 2019). Building mental health-capable communities requires equipping individuals, communities, workplaces, and organisations with the skills and confidence to respond early and effectively.
Let’s Talk TACTICS is a structured communication framework designed to support this shift. It provides an evidence-informed approach to initiating and navigating difficult conversations, equipping individuals, community members, employers, and employees with practical skills to start conversations, manage emotional responses, listen effectively, and support informed, practical next steps. These strategies are particularly relevant during periods of stress and recovery following natural disasters.
TACTICS has been implemented across diverse contexts, including the Rural Financial Counselling Service and Telstra as part of a national team development session. Evaluation and participant feedback indicate increased confidence in initiating conversations, improved microskills, and a greater willingness to seek and offer support.
This interactive workshop will introduce the TACTICS framework through practical, skill-based demonstrations. Participants will develop confidence in applying communication strategies and explore how these can be adapted across communities, workplaces, and local networks. This session supports rural communities to move beyond awareness and build sustainable, mental health-capable environments.
While awareness of mental health challenges is high, translating this awareness into practical, everyday action remains a key gap (Gulliver et al., 2018; Reavley & Jorm, 2019). Building mental health-capable communities requires equipping individuals, communities, workplaces, and organisations with the skills and confidence to respond early and effectively.
Let’s Talk TACTICS is a structured communication framework designed to support this shift. It provides an evidence-informed approach to initiating and navigating difficult conversations, equipping individuals, community members, employers, and employees with practical skills to start conversations, manage emotional responses, listen effectively, and support informed, practical next steps. These strategies are particularly relevant during periods of stress and recovery following natural disasters.
TACTICS has been implemented across diverse contexts, including the Rural Financial Counselling Service and Telstra as part of a national team development session. Evaluation and participant feedback indicate increased confidence in initiating conversations, improved microskills, and a greater willingness to seek and offer support.
This interactive workshop will introduce the TACTICS framework through practical, skill-based demonstrations. Participants will develop confidence in applying communication strategies and explore how these can be adapted across communities, workplaces, and local networks. This session supports rural communities to move beyond awareness and build sustainable, mental health-capable environments.
Biography
Malinda is a Clinical Psychologist and Director of Boundless Psychology, with a strong focus on delivering practical education and skills to support mental health in rural communities. Her work centres on strengthening communication, relationships, and help-seeking in rural and remote settings.
She is the creator of Let’s Talk TACTICS, a framework designed to give people the skills, knowledge, and confidence to have meaningful conversations and improve communication. Her approach combines evidence-based practice with lived experience, offering practical, relatable tools.
Malinda is a Board Director of ACPA and a board-approved supervisor, supporting early career psychologists, particularly in rural and remote areas.
