Meet Therese

Meet Therese: Therapy Through Art and a ‘Why Not’ Attitude

For Therese Beckmann, sewing isn’t just about fabric and stitches – it’s a way of telling stories, bringing people together and creating something meaningful. After 30 years of working in sewing, dressmaking and teaching, she realised she wanted to take her skills beyond the retail space and into the community. She had always felt drawn to the senior age group, especially after hearing students in her art classes say, “This is better than therapy.” Hearing it over and over made her realise just how powerful creativity could be in bringing people together and improving wellbeing.

Starting as an Involve facilitator in August 2023, Therese’s role quickly expanded. She now runs art classes, leads drumming sessions, and even drives the van for daytrips. “I just keep saying, ‘Yeah, I can do that, sure!’, and now my days are pretty full,” she laughs. One of her most meaningful projects is the storytelling quilt, a collaboration with Patsy, a participant who’s become a close friend. “From the moment I started, I knew I wanted to create a quilt with meaning,” she says. What began as an idea evolved into a community project, where each person contributes squares that capture a single happy moment – through words, images or symbols. “It doesn’t have to be a life story – just a moment that makes you happy.”

Therese embraces every challenge with enthusiasm, even when it pushes her outside her comfort zone. When she was asked to help at the CRCS Youth Centre, she jumped in, supporting young people for nearly a year before returning full-time to Involve. “I loved it, but I don’t think I could do it forever – my heart would hurt too much,” she admits. The same thing happened with drumming. “At first, I thought I’d just watch for a few weeks… that was a year ago,” she jokes. But seeing the impact keeps her going – especially when Patsy once told her, “You’ve brought me out of who I was. I wouldn’t speak up before, but now I do.”

Now, Therese encourages others to step outside their comfort zones too. Many participants tell her they “can’t” sew or create art, but once they start chatting and reflecting on happy memories, inspiration follows. “Sometimes, all it takes is a five-second conversation,” she says. She also keeps an eye out for participants who have been absent, making sure to check in and gently encourage them back. “The longer you stay home, the harder it is to come back out – but one phone call can make all the difference.”

Since joining CRCS, Therese has grown in ways she never expected. “I’ve become more patient and more aware of different cultures, genders and experiences,” she says. She’s also learned from the older generation she works with. “I hear people say, ‘I wake up every day and I’m just grateful to be here,’ and that has rubbed off on me.” Without the stress of running a business, she’s been able to slow down, be present and build deeper connections.

For Therese, CRCS isn’t just a workplace – it’s a community. “We all have big workloads, but management actually asks, ‘Are you okay?’” she says. She’s also formed unexpected friendships, including with participants she never thought she would connect with. Looking ahead, she hopes to involve more employees in the storytelling quilt and see it displayed across CRCS – in daycares, youth centre and offices.

“I never thought I’d be here,” she admits. “To me, aged care used to mean nursing homes, and I knew that wasn’t for me. But this? I love it. I love hanging out with them. I call them my ‘oldies,’ and they just laugh and call me a young whippersnapper.”

Through her creativity, warmth and “why not” attitude, Therese continues to bring people joy – one stitch, beat and shared story at a time.