Cultivating meaningful lives, creating kinder communities
Cultivating a mindful approach to life since 2013, Melita Caulfield (BPsychSc) has a particular interest in human behaviour, specifically shame resilience, vulnerability, connection and sincerity. Through her business, This One Too, Melita offers mindfulness, self-compassion and resilience programs for adults and parents/carers of children of any age.
Tell us about your career path. What led you to where you are now?
I was introduced to mindful self-compassion more than a decade ago and realised I was much harder on myself than I was on anyone else. I’ve always been fascinated with human behaviour, so understanding my own motivations, expectations and responses has been an important part of my formal study and my personal growth. This is a huge aspect of my work as I help others demystify their own experience.
What inspired you to start this business?
I created This One Too as a way to make positive change from the ground up. We have been conditioned to see our worth as conditional, in terms of how productive or successful we are, our appearance, our lifestyle, how others treat us. As a result, we meet our own difficulties with judgment and shame rather than the kindness we would instinctively offer to others. If I can offer kindness to others when they’re struggling, then I can offer it to this one, meaning myself, too.
What are your key strengths?
I am genuinely compassionate when people are struggling. It’s really important to me that others feel supported as they handle difficult experiences. The more supported we feel, the greater our confidence that we can do hard things.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
I feel most fulfilled when clients experience that ah-ha moment. Whether that’s understanding the biology behind a stress response, finding a strategy to keep parenting peaceful, or identifying an unmet need that’s driving a certain behaviour, it is always an honour to share that moment with them.
Who inspires you?
Anyone who dares to make or find meaning. I really value the work of Brené Brown and Glennon Doyle, who advocate for connection in such thoughtful, genuine ways. I also appreciate the team at The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion who constantly find new avenues to share research and learning opportunities.
How does your business contribute to your local community?
This One Too offers three separate mindfulness programs, as well as one-to-one sessions and corporate workshops. All services invite participants to cultivate meaningful lives using evidence-based strategies. This is an important part of the ethos at This One Too, because when our lives are aligned with our values and feel connected to ourselves and others, we build kinder, less reactive, communities.
Where to from here?
More community-based programs, but I may also consider personalised coaching sessions … and maybe even some post-grad study.
When you’re not at work, where can we find you?
Spending time with family or friends, vintage shopping or making jam.
Contact details
To find out what This One Too can do for you, visit www.thisonetoo.life or contact Melita Caulfield via [email protected] or 0481 281 176.
