Born in the Air: When Rural Distress Is Context, Not Pathology
Tracks
Ballroom 1
| Tuesday, September 1, 2026 |
| 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM |
Overview
Rebecca Gilchrist, Rg Psychology
Three Key Learnings
1. Distress as context, not pathology
Using the lived experience of giving birth on an ambulance plane, participants will explore how distress can be a natural response to challenging environments rather than individual dysfunction.
2. Understanding rural risk factors
Participants will identify key pressures affecting rural women’s mental health, including isolation, limited service access, environmental uncertainty, and the emotional labour within farming and family systems.
3. ACT strategies for navigating uncertainty
Participants will learn five practical Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) strategies that build psychological flexibility and support values-based action in unpredictable rural contexts.
Speaker
Mrs Rebecca Gilchrist
Founder & Director
Rg Psychology
Born in the Air: When Rural Distress Is Context, Not Pathology
Abstract
Birthing at 13000ft - I didn’t expect to give birth on an ambulance plane & why context for distress is important, particularly for rural women!
Late in pregnancy, living on a 6th generation sheep/cattle station with limited maternity services, I went into labour and was evacuated by air. Somewhere between the bush and the nearest hospital, my daughter was born mid-flight. What followed was a powerful reminder that many experiences we label as “distress” are not signs of pathology at all—but natural responses to extraordinary circumstances.
For many women living in rural and remote communities, this experience of navigating uncertainty, limited services, and geographic isolation is not unusual. Rural women often carry multiple roles across family, farm, and community life while facing additional pressures including environmental unpredictability, financial strain, reduced access to healthcare, and the emotional labour of supporting others. Yet cultural expectations of resilience and self-reliance can mean that the distress arising from these contexts is often individualised or pathologised.
This presentation explores the concept of “distress as context rather than pathology,” using the lived experience of an unexpected birth mid-flight as an entry point to examine broader patterns in rural women’s mental health. Drawing on research in rural mental health and psychological flexibility, the presentation highlights how contextual stressors shape emotional responses and why recognising these environments is critical to effective psychological support.
The session introduces five practical strategies grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support psychological flexibility. These strategies help individuals relate differently to difficult thoughts and emotions, reconnect with personal values, and take meaningful action even in unpredictable or resource-limited environments.
By integrating lived experience, research, and practical tools, the presentation reframes distress as an understandable response to context—while offering strategies that support resilience and wellbeing in rural life.
Late in pregnancy, living on a 6th generation sheep/cattle station with limited maternity services, I went into labour and was evacuated by air. Somewhere between the bush and the nearest hospital, my daughter was born mid-flight. What followed was a powerful reminder that many experiences we label as “distress” are not signs of pathology at all—but natural responses to extraordinary circumstances.
For many women living in rural and remote communities, this experience of navigating uncertainty, limited services, and geographic isolation is not unusual. Rural women often carry multiple roles across family, farm, and community life while facing additional pressures including environmental unpredictability, financial strain, reduced access to healthcare, and the emotional labour of supporting others. Yet cultural expectations of resilience and self-reliance can mean that the distress arising from these contexts is often individualised or pathologised.
This presentation explores the concept of “distress as context rather than pathology,” using the lived experience of an unexpected birth mid-flight as an entry point to examine broader patterns in rural women’s mental health. Drawing on research in rural mental health and psychological flexibility, the presentation highlights how contextual stressors shape emotional responses and why recognising these environments is critical to effective psychological support.
The session introduces five practical strategies grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support psychological flexibility. These strategies help individuals relate differently to difficult thoughts and emotions, reconnect with personal values, and take meaningful action even in unpredictable or resource-limited environments.
By integrating lived experience, research, and practical tools, the presentation reframes distress as an understandable response to context—while offering strategies that support resilience and wellbeing in rural life.
Biography
Rebecca Gilchrist is a clinical psychologist working with rural and regional communities, supporting women, farming families, and individuals navigating stress, anxiety, and complex life transitions. Her work focuses on translating evidence-based psychological approaches into practical tools that reflect the realities of rural life. Rebecca has a particular interest in rural mental health equity and improving access to psychological care for regional Australians. Through clinical work, speaking, and advocacy, including work relating to Medicare access, she aims to bridge lived experience, research, and culturally relevant psychological strategies that strengthen wellbeing in rural communities.
