BilaEmpower

15/09/2026

01/09/2026

BilaEmpower was created with a simple belief: culturally grounded wellbeing and First Nations economic empowerment should sit alongside each other.

Our national clinician collective includes First Nations counsellors, social workers, psychologists and psychotherapists, many of whom also run their own sovereign private practices.

Through BilaEmpower, organisations are not only accessing culturally grounded EAP and wellbeing support. They are also directing investment into First Nations-owned businesses and creating meaningful opportunities for First Nations professionals across Australia.

The majority of our service fees go directly to the clinicians and businesses delivering the work. That means every contract has the potential to create a wider ripple.

Supporting wellbeing.
Strengthening First Nations businesses.
Creating economic opportunity.
Keeping more value flowing through First Nations families and communities.

For us, this is what a genuinely First Nations-led model looks like in practice.

Meet the BilaEmpower clinicians:
https://www.halaxy.com/profile/bilaempower/location/1217271

01/09/2026

🌿 Welcoming Amanda Thornbury and Intrinsic Healing Space to BilaEmpower

We’re really pleased to welcome Amanda Thornbury, founder of Intrinsic Healing Space, as our newest First Nations Counselling collaborator.

Amanda is a proud First Nations woman, born on Bunurong/Boon Wurrung Country, with connections to Minang and Wotjobaluk Nations. A PACFA Registered Clinical Counsellor, supervisor and facilitator, Amanda brings warmth, curiosity and genuine human connection to the way she walks alongside people.

Deep listening sits at the heart of Amanda’s practice. Her approach is culturally grounded, relational and holistic, bringing together evidence-based counselling with Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. She supports people experiencing workplace stress, burnout, anxiety, trauma recovery, overwhelm, loss of confidence and life transitions.

Amanda is also a We Al-li facilitator in Dadirri (deep listening) and culturally informed, trauma-integrated programs, and provides group reflective practice and cultural supervision.

Through Intrinsic Healing Space, Amanda joins BilaEmpower’s growing national network of sovereign First Nations businesses delivering culturally grounded social and emotional wellbeing support.

We’re so happy to have Amanda and Intrinsic Healing Space walking alongside BilaEmpower, and to keep creating opportunities where First Nations clinicians and First Nations-owned businesses can grow, thrive and support our communities. 🌿

01/09/2026

🌿 Welcoming Tjunkaya Ken and Kulini to BilaEmpower

We’re really pleased to welcome Tjunkaya Ken, founder of Kulini, as our newest First Nations collaborator.

Tjunkaya is a Pitjantjatjara (Aṉangu) woman from the APY Lands, with strong family and cultural connections to Amata community. A qualified Social Worker and Narrative Therapist, she brings together cultural knowledge, lived experience and extensive professional practice across urban, rural and very remote communities.

Through Kulini, Tjunkaya joins BilaEmpower’s growing national network of sovereign First Nations businesses delivering culturally grounded social and emotional wellbeing support.

Her practice centres deep listening, culture, relationships and walking alongside people in ways that recognise their strengths, identity and right to make their own choices about healing and wellbeing.

We’re so happy to have Tjunkaya and Kulini walking alongside BilaEmpower, and to continue creating opportunities for First Nations clinicians and First Nations-owned businesses to grow, thrive and support our communities. 🌿

19/08/2026

Thank you Office of the Industry Advocate South Australia for the opportunity to speak at your Meet the Buyer event today.

It was so useful to hear what "good" government procurement actually looks like - from the perspective of industry.

Thank you to our panel who spoke on this topic at Meet the Buyer:

👉 Jonathan Fusco, Director of Fusco Constructions Pty Ltd
👉 Tim Angel, Founder of Cortex Interactive (LAAMP)
👉 Sally Caruana, Founder and CEO of Sheforce
👉 Bianca Stawiarski, Managing Director of Warida Wholistic Wellness and Co-Founder of BilaEmpower

Real outcomes, real progress, real perspectives on what's working - and what's next. 🙌

12/08/2026

While BilaEmpower didn’t win tonight, we were overjoyed at such a young organisation to be named as a finalist in Supply Nation’s Registered Supplier of the Year Awards.

Pictured here are co-Founders Bianca Stawiarski and Tod Stokes.

07/08/2026

October is Indigenous Business Month, and we can’t think of a better reason to come together, share a cuppa and strengthen the connections between our First Nations businesses.

BilaEmpower is excited to be hosting the Adelaide C*D Black Coffee Indigenous Business Networking event on Kaurna Country this October.

Black Coffee is about keeping networking simple and relational. A chance to meet other Indigenous business owners, have a yarn about what you’re working on, share ideas, make new connections and see where a conversation might lead.

For BilaEmpower, supporting First Nations economic empowerment is part of who we are. We actively create opportunities for sovereign First Nations businesses and professionals, because strong businesses create employment, leadership, choice and opportunities that ripple through families and communities.

☕ Friday 30 October 2026
🕚 11.00 am
📍 Level 2, 70 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide
💻 Can’t make it in person? You’re welcome to join us via Zoom.

Light refreshments and, of course, plenty of cuppas will be waiting.

Come along during Indigenous Business Month and connect with the people behind the businesses. You never quite know what might grow from one good yarn.

Please register for catering purposes via the QR code.

06/08/2026

BilaEmpower is on an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) trade stand today for one of our SA State Gov clients, SA Department of Health and Well-being.

If you are a DHW employee pop in and say hi.

30/07/2026

Today, Tod from Warru Counselling and Consultancy and Bianca from Warida Wholistic Wellness created and facilitated a culturally integrated workshop on managing workplace stress for the SA Department of Infrastructure and Transport’s SA Aboriginal staff forum.

Photos taken from the rooftop walk and talk section of the training.

BilaEmpower loves our sovereign First Nations collaborative and the changes we are facilitating in workplaces.