AHOY 2025: AJ Williams-Tchen
AJ Williams-Tchen
AJ Williams-Tchen is a proud Aboriginal man of Wiradjuri and Wotjobulak backgrounds. He has spent over three decades weaving together mental health advocacy and reconciliation between First Nations Australians and the broader community. His journey exemplifies how deep commitment to cultural understanding and healing can create transformative change across a nation.
Qualified as a nurse, youth worker, social worker, community development worker, career counsellor, and Mental Health First Aid Instructor, AJ built a comprehensive toolkit to serve his life's mission. But beyond formal qualifications, he carried a profound vision of a society where mental illness would no longer carry shame, where Aboriginal people can feel culturally safe seeking professional help, and where cultural bridges could be built through understanding, yarning and mutual respect.
In 2008, AJ established Girraway Ganyi Consultancy, creating more than just a business - it became a vehicle for transformation. The Aboriginal-owned consultancy was designed to inspire individuals, communities, businesses and organisations to work more effectively within the Indigenous space while increasing cultural safety and mental health literacy for all Australians. Through this platform, AJ began breaking down barriers between First Nations communities and mainstream Australia, one conversation at a time.
AJ's approach to reconciliation is deeply practical. As a mental health accredited social worker, and as a newly appointed Fellow of the Australian Association of Social Workers, he recognises that healing can not happen in isolation from cultural understanding. His work provides awareness of mental illness within Aboriginal communities while simultaneously educating non-Indigenous Australians about cultural competency. This dual approach acknowledges that true reconciliation requires effort from all sides.
The breadth of AJ's influence extends across numerous organisations where he serves as cultural consultant, including Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, Independent Schools Victoria, the Australian Association of Social Workers, and schools Scotch College. He has been instrumental in developing professionally endorsed national Aboriginal Cultural Awareness programs and helping mainstream organisations develop Reconciliation Action Plans and Indigenous Employment Strategies that advance opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
One notable example of AJ's bridge-building work is his role as an advisor to Humanists Australia in developing our First Nations position statement, demonstrating his ability to work across ideological and cultural boundaries to foster understanding and respect. This collaboration exemplifies his belief that reconciliation requires engagement across all sectors of society, including secular organisations, to create truly inclusive spaces for First Nations peoples.
AJ's contributions have been recognised through numerous prestigious awards, including being a nominee for the 2024 Victorian Australian of the Year. He was awarded the inaugural Aboriginal Social Worker of the Year Award, and the Allied Health Awards Social Worker of the Year, acknowledging his innovative social work practice in cultural awareness and trauma-informed approaches underpinned by his commitment to reconciliation. Victoria University honoured him with both the Professional Achievement Alumni Award and the Spirit of Victoria University Alumni People's Choice Award, while Swinburne University presented him with their George and Ethel Swinburne Social Impact Alumni Award. The Victorian Aboriginal community has also recognised AJ’s work through appointing him as Emerging Leader with the Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership, and through awarding him the NAIDOC Community Award in appreciation of showcasing cultural pride and community spirit.
What sets AJ apart is his understanding that reconciliation and mental health are inextricably linked. He recognizes that historical trauma, ongoing discrimination, and cultural disconnection all contribute to mental health challenges within Aboriginal communities. His work addresses these issues holistically, creating pathways for healing that honor traditional Aboriginal approaches to wellbeing while integrating contemporary mental health practices.
AJ describes himself as a Leader of Thought Change, Cultural Mentor, Podcaster and Mental Health First Aid Master Instructor - titles reflecting the multifaceted ways he connects with communities. Through formal training programs, social media (including his podcast series YarninBlak) and personal mentoring, he reaches diverse audiences with messages of hope, understanding, and practical support.
His vision remains clear: a community unafraid of recognising mental illness as common and treatable, equipped with skills to support loved ones without fear, and First Nations people feeling safe to seek professional help from culturally competent services. After more than 30 years of dedicated service, AJ Williams-Tchen continues to be a transformative force, proving that one person's dedication to reconciliation and mental health can change the landscape of a nation.
