Thinking differently for mental health

Founder and director Karyn Moyle’s lived experience has been the foundation for programs tackling suicide prevention, mental health awareness, and domestic violence. In August 2025, both Waterlily Healing and its sister business, Perfectly Imperfect Consulting, were recognised in the Barbara Hocking Memorial Awards (Community category) – a milestone achievement in just 4 years. 

But Karyn is quick to point out, ‘This is just the beginning.’ Her vision is to train and mentor facilitators so communities themselves can deliver long-lasting, locally relevant programs. 

The value of lived experience 

Karyn’s story is one of survival and transformation. ‘I was pretty much born into domestic violence. I didn’t realise it then, it was normalised to me,’ she reflects. From childhood anxiety to the struggles of trauma, addiction, and recovery, her journey has shaped her life’s purpose.

Through years of working within government systems, she witnessed the shortcomings of mainstream services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ‘Non-Indigenous organisations were getting funding to deliver Aboriginal programs, but then outsourcing to someone else. This is not right. We need our mob leading our own healing.’

This conviction led Karyn to establish Perfectly Imperfect Consulting and later, Waterlily Healing Indigenous Corporation, determined to create programs led by Faith, culture, community, and lived experience. 

Localising healing programs 

For Karyn, sustainability means locally led solutions. ‘I want our people to drive these programs themselves. If people fly in and out, the program ends when they leave. But if our people lead the programs themselves in their communities, it stays.’

Waterlily Healing tailors programs to each community’s goals, needs, and strengths. The next step is training local facilitators – people who speak the language, carry cultural knowledge, and know the lived realities of their community.

‘Eventually, I want to train trainers in the communities to deliver the programs in their own language. They can own it, get paid for it, and adapt it to meet their people's needs. Waterlily Healing will continue to mentor them as they go.’ 

Making mental health engaging

Waterlily Healing delivers mental health education in ways that connect – not through death by PowerPoint, Karyn laughs. Instead, activities like painting, art, yarning circles, and storytelling help young people, especially those with FASD, ADHD, trauma, or limited English, engage without literacy being a barrier.

For adults, Waterlily has even brought mental health into familiar community spaces, like trivia nights, making conversations casual, safe, and stigma-free. 

Lifting voices that were once silenced

Waterlily’s work is still mostly voluntary as Karyn builds visibility and funding. ‘Right now, I deliver where I can. My goal is to secure funding so I can pay our people to deliver programs.’

Support is growing. Her son, a filmmaker, helps share powerful lived-experience stories from across the Top End, amplifying voices that connect deeply with young people. Waterlily also co-hosts the Unbreakable Voices podcast, where survivors, professionals, and even perpetrators share real stories of trauma, recovery, and change.

These platforms are breaking silences, reducing stigma, and showing young people that healing is possible. 

Recognition and the road ahead

Waterlily Healing’s impact has already been recognised with the Barbara Hocking Memorial Award and all five categories of the NT LIFE Awards. But for Karyn, awards are not the end goal – they are a step toward building safe, sustainable, community-led programs.

‘As we move forward, I want to make sure mental health and healing are promoted, accessible, and led by those who know their community best,’ she says. ‘We don’t need outside solutions forced on us. We need to build our own for the next generations.’

If you or anyone you know needs support:

• Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
• Lifeline – 13 11 14
• 13YARN (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis line) – 13 92 76
• Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800
• Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636
• Headspace – 1800 650 890