headspace First Nations Youth Advisory Council

First Nations Youth Advisory Council FNYAC is made up of a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people from around Australia.

The group provides operational and strategic advice to help guide and advance First Nations Wellbeing and Engagement strategic priorities. Members provide diverse cultural and youth perspectives on issues they are facing, headspace service delivery and within our governance and strategic direction.
headspace honours the self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. We acknowledge each are experts in their own lives and have the right to control their futures, including the right to be actively engaged in the issues that affect them. We have made a firm strategic commitment to ensuring the headspace model of care is safe and appropriate for First Nations young people and their families. Central to informing this strategic commitment is the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
Please meet the current members.

Tyler Kennedy (He/Him)

Gadigal Country, NSW

Tyler is in his third and final year of a Bachelor of Design and Management degree at the University Sydney. He’s deeply passionate about youth mental health, particular after growing up in rural NSW where he saw the impact a lack of mental health services had on his friends and community.
He has a strong desire to create change, also motivated by his own mental health journey, and saw joining FNYAC as an opportunity to work with other like-minded First Nations youth.

Tyler has his sights set on a career that involves giving back to community and experiencing a variety of cultures. His advice to others is not to focus on a singular goal at the expense of appreciating what happens along the way. His advice is, “It's not the pursuit of happiness, but it's the happiness in the pursuit".

Kadijah McPherson-Jabateh, (They/Them)

Kaurna Country, SA

Kadijah is a proud queer Aboriginal and Indigenous West African person. They work as an artist and venue administrator for an open access arts festival.

As a young person with a lived experience of mental health, it’s important to Kadijah to create change and work to decolonise mental health systems so the younger generation of mob have better access to culturally safe care.

After seeking support from headspace services as a child, Kadijah recognised ways the service could be improved, particularly with regards to cultural safety, and brings this knowledge and experience to their role with FNYAC.

Kadijah enjoys being around their close friends, their partner and their family. They love being around others but sometimes need to be alone (or with their cat, puddles). They also enjoy drag shows and k-pop content

Overall, their goal is to make their family proud. They aspire to create a space for mob, by mob, where First Nations people can come together, from all backgrounds and communities, and access cultural safe care.

Their message to First Nations young people is that “no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you’re doing a good job”.

“In a system that was built against us, we’re still here, we’re still fighting and we’re not going anywhere.”

Ley Laupama (She/They)

Cabrogal, NSW

Ley aspires to become a counsellor in the future, working with Queer First Nations people, and to work in ocean conservation.
They love to read books of any type – mostly like mental health and psychology books, as well as anime and manga – and they find peace in going on Country and being a part of nature.

The help Ley received in their own mental health journey has driven them to want to give back and help others to receive the same support. Ley has also always wanted to help mob in any way they can, and joining FNYAC is helping them to achieve this goal.
Their advice is that “there is always a part of the community that will be there for you and support you throughout your hard times”.

Joshua Sherwood (He/Him)

Whadjuk Noongar Boodja, WA

Joshua is studying a Bachelor of Arts (Psychological and Behavioural Sciences, Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage) at the University of Western Australia.

His own mental health journey, and those of his community members, have led him to feel passionately about empowering and strengthening young people, especially those from a First Nations background. He believes the tools for healing are embedded in and learnt from history, community narrative, and individual identity.

Joshua is also passionate about helping to translate and amplify the voices of communities, in spaces where they aren’t always heard. At headspace he has seen how powerful culturally informed psychological practices can be when both First Nations thought and evidence-backed sciences are interwoven.

Joshua’s message to young people is that if you’re struggling, you are not alone. “Your experience gives you the expertise that only you have, and that is so special.”

Reede Adams-Beckett (He/Him)

Tyerrenotepanner - Lands of the Stoney Creek Nation, TAS

Reede works in youth advocacy and is the current UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador for Tasmania. He is a Board Director at the Youth Network of Tasmania, and holds roles within the Tasmanian Government working on the Youth Jobs Strategy and with the Department of Premier and Cabinet. He also advises the Australian Federal Government as a Creative Industries Youth Advisory Group Member. In 2025, he was also named in the inaugural 40 under 40 for Northern Tasmania and was a finalist for Young Australian at the 2026 Australian of the year awards for Tasmania.

Reede’s passion for youth mental health stems from his own lived experience and his understanding of the unique struggles young people in Australia live with, particularly First Nations young people.

He believes young First Nations people should have opportunities to work in areas that relate to them, to be a real part of decision-making and to have a voice at the table regarding policy-making that impacts their futures.

Jai Cornish-Martin (He/Him)

Camaraigal, NSW

Jai currently works as a senior consultant for Yamagigu Consulting, an Indigenous owned and led consulting firm that is a subsidiary of Deloitte. He is also undertaking a Graduate Diploma in Psychology Advanced at the University of Adelaide.
He has lived experience of mental health and is incredibly passionate about how First Nations social and emotional wellbeing should be integrated into the field of psychology, to make this world a safer and more inclusive and supportive place for First Nations people to access the support they need to thrive in their own way.

Jai loves everything to do with sport, particularly endurance sports such as running and triathlons. He loves salt water and the beach, reading, cooking and listening to music. He prefers quieter nature-based spaces and is most at peace when he is connecting to Country.
Jai hopes to one day be a registered organisational psychologist with a social and emotional wellbeing business focused on using healthy lifestyle and sports-based clinics in rural and remote communities to improve education of and understanding around Cultural psychology and First Nations Social and Emotional Wellbeing.

His advice to young people going through a tough time is, “I promise it gets better. Let the ones you love support and guide you through this time. It will be tough and it is never easy, but these tough times make the good times so much better, I'm living proof of that.”

Jeremiah Muller (He/Him)

Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country, VIC

Jeremiah is a project coordinator working in the arts sector. He’s passionate about films, reading, powerlifting, cars, sport, the arts, and spending time with friends.

He believes strongly in the importance of supporting the community we all share, and in showing care and solidarity for others. Joining FNYAC marks his first involvement with headspace, and he see it as a valuable opportunity to give back, contribute, and help strengthen his community.

Jeremiah’s advice to other young people is to embrace every opportunity that comes their way, and to always be bold, be proud, have fun.

Kendyn Brown (He/Him)

Boonwurrung Country - VIC

Kendyn is a VCE student in Melbourne and intends to study a Bachelor of Arts degree after graduating secondary school.

He enjoys listening to and playing music, being outdoors and connecting to land and talking to different people.

He’s driven by a desire to help others to find support and help for their mental health and wants to become the best that he can be, and help develop opportunities for the next generation and his community to do the same.

His advice to young people is to “let out the worries” by talking to anyone you trust.

Seraphina Close-Brown (She/Her)

Mob from Githabul, Widjabul, Seri and Saibai Island

Seraphina became an Aunty at the ripe age of seven, and very much prides herself as being the fun, annoying Aunty. Family is culture for Seraphina, and it is at the core of who she is, never straying far from her loved ones.

With lived experience of mental health, Seraphina often reflects on her own journey and how it could have been better, for her and her family, which has led her to headspace’s FNYAC team. Seraphina has a strong passion for practice and policy and wants to use both her passion and lived experience, to help build a new narrative for young people, their families and mental health across Australia.

Jasmine Pilling (She/Her)

Bundjalung Country, NSW

Jasmine, Widjabul Wia-bal people of the Bundjalung Nation.

Jasmine works with WellMob, a digital platform that brings together social and emotional wellbeing resources designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Her role involves supporting the curation and promotion of culturally safe, community-driven content that helps individuals and health workers access practical tools online.

Jasmine is passionate about youth mental health and First Nations social and emotional wellbeing and she knows firsthand how important it is to have support during challenging times. Her own journey of overcoming adversity taught her the value of resilience and the strength that comes from cultural identity and community connection. She wants to help ensure young people, especially First Nations youth, have access to culturally safe resources and feel empowered to seek help without shame.

Jasmine is the proud recipient of the 2025 Gayaa Dhuwi Proud Spirit Youth Inspiration Award, which recognised her resilience and commitment to inspiring others through advocacy and cultural connection. The Award reminded Jasmine how powerful it is to share stories and create spaces where young people feel heard and supported and can be proud of who they are. Joining FNYAC is an opportunity to continue that work, amplify First Nations voices, and help shape programs that reflect cultural values and lived experiences.

Outside of advocacy, Jasmine loves being active and spending time outdoors. Surfing and being at the beach are her favourite ways to relax and connect with Country.

Jasmine’s message to young people is: “you are not alone and your story matters”.

“It’s okay to ask for help, reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness. Stay connected to your culture, your community, and the things that make you feel proud of who you are. Even in the hardest times, there is hope and support out there. You have the power to overcome challenges and create a future you’re proud of.”

Latishamarie Francis (She/Her)

Kaurna Country - SA