Simon Santosha
Simon Santosha
Speaker and Trainer

Recent Clients

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Simon delivers evidence-based, thought-provoking keynotes at conferences and forums. He conducts full day and half day workshops for allied health professionals, government and non-government agencies, schools, workplaces and community groups. Below is a selection of Simon’s work.

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Conferences

Keynote speaker

  • Annual South Australia Family Law Pathways Forum ‘Men and families in a family law context’.

  • ‘Help us Help Gold Coast Men’ inaugural public showcase of pro-social men’s groups on the Gold Coast to support their mental health and wellbeing.

  • Queensland Department of Education and Training’s South-East Region ‘Keys to unlocking learning and wellbeing’ conference.

  • Tamworth White Elephant Winter Ball to raise awareness of mental health in the community and raise money for youth mental health charity Batyr.

  • Occasional address at the 2017 Graduation Ceremony for the Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP).

Presenter

  • 2025 Gold Coast Perinatal & Infant Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN) - Supporting men’s mental health in the perinatal period: A guide for practitioners.

  • 2025 Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Gold Coast Practice Group Group - Engaging and working with vulnerable men. Essential tools for social work practice.

  • 2025 Presenter at the Men, Mates and Mentors public event designed to help Gold Coast men navigate challenges such as mental health, separation and life transitions.

  • 2024 10th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health - Two presentations: Using an integrated practice framework for effectively engaging and working with vulnerable men and Underneath the masculine mask: How to effectively engage and work with men and fathers experiencing depression.

  • 2024 Toowoomba and South West Queensland Family Law Pathways Conference - Using an integrated practice framework to effectively engage and work with separated fathers and men.

  • 2023 Family Relationship Services Australia (FRSA) National conference – An Integrated Framework to working with and engaging men.

  • 2020 Presenter/Panellist for a webinar with the Australian Child & Adolescent Trauma, Loss & Grief Network (ACATLGN) and UNICEF Australia Navigating the challenges of parenting in 2020. Included 3 x 2 hour online fathering groups.

  • 2019 Shepparton Bendigo Family Law Pathway Network Annual Forum - Working with and engaging separated fathers.

  • 2018 National Men’s Health Conference (Sydney) – Paper presentation on Reinventing the wheel - Engaging men in counselling services.

  • Guest speaker at Golf Course Superintendents Association of Queensland (GCSAQ) ‘Man Day’ 2018 in Brisbane about men’s mental health.

  • Guest speaker at Golf Course Superintendents Association of Queensland (GCSAQ) ‘Men’s Mental Health Day’ 2018 in Rockhampton.

  • BUSHkids Annual Conference 2017 (Brisbane)- Engaging Fathers.

  • Family Relationship Services Australia (FRSA) National conference – Good practice approaches to preventing separated instigated violence.

  • Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) State Conference – Underneath the masculine mask: How to effectively engage and work with fathers experiencing depression.

  • National Men’s Health Conference – Attachment, Neuroscience and Relationships: Why we are wired for difference and what we can do about it.

  • Childcare Qld and NSW State Conferences – Engaging dads in the early years.

  • Family Relationship Services Australia (FRSA) National conference – Underneath the masculine mask: How to effectively engage and work with fathers experiencing depression.

  • Queensland Department of Education and Training’s Management of Young Children Program Conference – Engaging Dad’s into the early year’s sector.

  • Queensland Health: Child Health Toowoomba Regional Conference – Engaging Dad’s in Child and Family Health Services.

Workshops

  • 2025 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane - 3 x one day workshops on Engaging and working with fathers: Advanced skills training’

  • 2024 Anglicare Western Australian (Perth) two day workshop - Engaging and working with separated fathers.

  • 2024 Albury/Wodonga Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) one day workshop - Engaging and working with separated fathers.

  • 2024 Tasmania Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) one day workshops in Hobart and Launceston - Engaging and working with separated fathers.

  • 2024 Middlemount CTM Links, Isaac Region Council and Anglo American mine - one day workshop ‘Men’s mental health: Insights into supporting the everyday bloke’ and community dinner ‘Men’s mental health: A conversation that matters’.

  • 2024 Middlemount CTM Links and Kestrel Coal Resources - one day workshop ‘Working effectively with adolescent boys’ for local service providers, evening parent talk ‘Raising teenage boys: Navigating challenges and building strong connections’.

  • 2023 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane - 3 x one day workshops on Engaging and working with fathers: Advanced skills training’2023 Gold Coast one day workshop - Engaging and working with men: Advanced Skills Training.

  • 2019 Department of Human Services Victoria (Service Centres) – Engaging men - Advanced Skills Training - 3 x one day workshops in Melbourne.

  • 2019 Relationships Australia Canberra Region - 2 day workshop on Engaging Separated Fathers delivered to family dispute resolution practitioners and family advisers.

  • 2018 Australian Government Department of Human Services (Social Work Dept) – Engaging men (Advanced Skills Training) - 5 x 4 hour workshops delivered via virtual classroom technology in 2018 to DHS sites across Australia and more than 100 Centrelink social workers.

  • 2018 Queensland Department of Housing and Public Works (Gold Coast Housing Service Centre) - Engaging and working with hard to reach men one day workshop on the Gold Coast.

  •  2018 Why do men hide and not seek? Insights to engaging the everyday bloke - one day workshop for Gold Coast practitioners.

  • 2018 Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Qld Branch Continuing Professional Development one day workshop - ‘Underneath the masculine mask: how to effectively engage and work with men experiencing depression’.

  • 2018 OZCARE Gold Coast Family Support Service - 1 day workshop - Engaging and working with men experiencing depression or presenting with 'difficult' behaviours.

  • 2018 Tamworth Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) 2 day workshop - Working with men who have difficulty regulating their emotions.

  • 2017 Australian Government Department of Human Services (Social Work Dept) – Engaging and working with men (separated fathers, men experiencing depression or presenting with 'difficult behaviours') - 7 x 3 hour workshops delivered via videoconference to 20 DHS sites across Australia and more than 100 Centrelink social workers.

  • 2017 Cairns Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) 1 day workshop - Hearing the untold stories of men: Engaging separated fathers.

  • 2017 Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP) Alumni - Engaging men into counselling and support services.

  • 2016 Darwin/Top End Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) – Engaging and working with separated fathers.

  • 2016 Alice Springs Family Law Pathways Network (FLNP) – Engaging and working with separated fathers.

  • 2016 Mental Health Providers Network Webinar – Working Collaboratively to Support the Mental Health of Men Experiencing Difficulties Regulating their Emotions.

  • 2015 Logan Family Relationship Centre (FRC) – Engaging separated fathers.

  • 2015 Sunshine Coast Uniting Community Care (UCC) – Co-parenting after separation.

  • 2015 Sunshine Coast Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) – Engaging separated fathers.

  • 2015 Toowoomba Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) – Engaging separated fathers.

  • 2015 Townsville Centacare and Family Law Pathways Network (FLPN) – Working with men that present as “difficult’ into community support services.

  • 2015 Tamworth Centacare – He said, She Said: Attachment, Neuroscience and Relationships. Why we are wired for difference and what we can do about it.

Workplaces - Men's mental health and wellbeing

  • Laing O'Rourke Hunter Valley - Men's Health and Wellbeing workshops

4 x 4 hour workshops delivered over two days to blue collar workers and office staff. The interactive workshops were designed to raise awareness about mental health and wellbeing, risk factors for mental health issues, looking after your mental health and wellbeing, supporting a workmate and promote early help-seeking/support.

  • Gold Coast City Council - Men's Health and Wellbeing toolbox talks

Series of talks for council outdoor workers and team leaders at various work sites about men's health and wellbeing.  The talks were designed to raise awareness about mental health and wellbeing, recognising the signs of common mental health issues, tips for looking after yourself and your mates, healthy relationships at work and at home and managing your emotions. 
 

 

Rural and regional community forums

  • 2022, 2023 and 2024 Middlemount Qld ‘Men’s Mental Health” activities in partnership with Capella Tieri Middlemount Community Support Network Inc (CTM Links), Anglo American and Issac Regional Council:

    • One day workshop on Engaging and working with Men to local service providers and support workers.

    • Speaker at community dinner on men’s mental health and supporting men.

    • Healthy masculinity talks at local schools.

    Tamworth “Weathering the Drought” Tour
    Partnership with Challenge Community Services to deliver community talks to the New England region as part of the Australian Government’s Drought Relief Initiative. The talks raised awareness about the importance of maintaining good mental health and positive relationships during periods of drought. Communities involved include:

    • Tamworth

    • Gunnedah

    • Barraba

    • Curlewis

    • Armidale

    • Pallamallawa

    • Mullaley

    • Nundle

    • Moree

    • Mungindi

    • Farrer Agricultural School

  • Far West NSW Roadshow Event
    Partnership with Centacare Wilcannia-Forbes to deliver community talks to the Broken Hill/Far West NSW region about how to build and maintain healthy relationships in rural and regional communities affected by drought. The talks raised awareness about common relationship issues, resolving conflict, respectful communication and tools to maintain healthy relationships. Community talks about fathering and engaging men into support services were also conducted. Communities involved include:

    • Bourke

    • Broken Hill

    • Tibooburra

    • Wanaaring

    • Perilya Mine

    • Dubbo

  • Mount Isa Healthy Relationships Community Talks
    Partnership with Centacare North Queensland to deliver community talks to the Mount Isa region about how to build and maintain healthy relationships. The talks raised awareness about common relationship issues, resolving conflict, respectful communication and how to maintain healthy relationships. Communities involved include:

    • Mount Isa

    • Cloncurry

  • Merriwa Farm Safety Week – student and community talks
    Partnership with NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in Scone NSW as part of their Interschool’s Farm Safety Initiative. Talks delivered on mental health and wellbeing and healthy relationships for:

    • Merriwa Agriculture students (boys)

    • Merriwa farmers

    • Singleton Beef and Land Management group

Schools

  • 2024 Healthy Masculinity talks - Year 7 to 12 Capella State High School.

  • 2022- 2024 Healthy Masculinity Talks - Year 7 to 12 Middlemount State High School.

  • Binge drinking - What's the harm?  - workshops for adolescent boys at The Southport School (TSS).

  • 2 x 2 hour workshops designed to explore the issue of binge drinking, what it means for adolescent boys and how they can make responsible drinking choices. The workshops are designed to be informative and interactive and involve:

- large and small group discussions

- real-life scenarios

- individual exercises.

Professional development workshop for teachers, principals, guidance officers and other school support staff:

  • 2025 Teacher wellbeing - 2 hour professional development workshop for 160 teachers and staff at Benowa State High School.

  • Peeling away the mask: Using relational-neuroscience in the class to improve social and emotional wellbeing. Schools recently involved include:

    • Currumbin State School

    • Robina State School

    • Park Lake State School

    • Peak Crossing State School

    • Helensvale High School

  • Healthy and Respectful Relationships presentations for adolescent boys
    Schools recently involved include:

    • Southport High School

    • Miami High School

    • Keebra Park High School

    • Helensvale High School

    • Varsity College

    • Merrimac High School

    • Palm Beach Currumbin

    • Stratton College

  • Parenting Talks - Negotiating the adolescent years’ presentations. Schools recently involved include:

    • Miami High School

    • Palm Beach Currumbin

    • Helensvale High School.