Who we are
Two people who believe a full life is for everyone.
Our Story
Grounded Living started with a realisation.
Between us we've spent years in personal training, youth services and disability support, watching what happens when someone is given real backing and a real goal. They get stronger. They get braver. They start asking for more.
We kept meeting people who were getting support, but only the maintaining kind. Someone to keep things ticking over. Nobody was asking what they actually wanted out of the year.
So we built the service we thought was missing. One that handles the practical stuff properly, and then keeps going.
What we believe
Everyone deserves the opportunity to live a fulfilling life, with the support, choice and opportunities to chase what matters most to them.
Our approach is grounded in healthy living, connection to nature, strong community relationships, and meaningful, goal-focused support that builds confidence, independence and wellbeing.
That word, grounded, does a lot of work for us. It means steady and reliable, the kind of support you can lean on. It means getting out of your home and being grounded by nature. And it means being honest with you: about what's realistic, about what's hard, and about what we think you could do if you had a crack at it.
Our vision
We want Gippsland to have a support service that treats people as capable.
That means participants who finish the year having done something. Walked further, cooked more, joined something, made a friend, learned a skill they'd written off.
It means families can stop worrying quite so much.
And it means a local community where people with disability are simply out in it, on the tracks, in the gardens, at the market, living to their full potential.
Meet Trudy
I'm first and foremost a mum to three incredible boys, one of whom is neurodivergent.
They've taught me so much about resilience, celebrating the little wins, and seeing the world through a different lens.
I love listening to people's stories, discovering what brings them joy, and helping them work towards dreams they may not have thought were possible.
When I'm not working you'll usually find me with a coffee in hand, singing far too loudly in the car, cooking delicious food for the people I love, getting up before sunrise to run with my groodle Gracie, or exploring new trails on weekends.
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Personal Trainer & Youth Services
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NDIS Worker Screening Check
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First Aid & CPR
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Working with Children Check
Meet Damien
I live a quiet life, grounded in nature. Running, riding my bike, good coffee, music, and a book most nights.
Six years in support work has taught me that the job is mostly about paying attention. Learning what somebody enjoys, getting to know their family and their friends, and working out what a good life looks like from where they're standing rather than where I am.
What I want is for the people I work with to feel completely safe with me. Seen, heard, cared for, and treated with the same respect as anybody else. And then to spend their time doing what they love, the things that fill their hearts and are good for their bodies too.
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Personal Trainer & Disability Support
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NDIS Worker Screening Check
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First Aid & CPR
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Working with Children Check
How we work
We'll come to you first, because it's easier to talk about what you want from your own kitchen table than from an office somewhere. And that's where we start, not with what your plan says you need, but with what you'd like your year to look like.
Wherever you're up to is the right place to begin. Some people know exactly what they want to work on, plenty have no real idea yet, and both are a good starting point. Once we've worked it out together, those goals go into your Grounded Passport, so you can see them written down and watch them get ticked off.
From there it comes down to consistency. You'll know which one of us is pulling into your driveway and roughly what time to expect us, and we'll keep coming back. Things get easier as we go, and one day you'll find yourself doing something you weren't sure you could. When that happens we'll make a proper fuss about it, and you'll get the stamp to prove it.
