CEED Healing
About Us
Meet the First Nations family whose cultural lineage informs CEED Healing's Aboriginal cultural education and healing programs.
The Three Sisters - Sue, Karen & Jennifer
Photographer: Cristina Bevilacqua
Our Lineage and Cultural Responsibility
Karen, Sue & Jennifer carry the lineage of Daarrba, Badjala, Djirrbal, and Western Yalanji peoples, born and raised on Gimuy (Cairns). CEED Healing is led by Karen and Sue, who continue this cultural responsibility through cultural education, healing, deep listening, and connection-to-Country experiences that support communities, organisations, and individuals. Their family's connection to Gimuy spans six generations, including their grandmothers, whose stories, strength, and presence continue to guide this work.
In the early 1900s, their great-grandparents were forcibly removed from their traditional lands and relocated to Yarrabah Mission. Through story, ceremony, and quiet strength, their families endured. Their presence on County today is not a return, but a continuation. A living thread of resilience, healing and truth.
Their work is deeply connected to their great-grandfather's Country, Daarrba Warra - part of the Guugu Yimithirr homelands north of Cooktown. This is where their family story began, and where their long-term dream leads them back to.
They honour the histories carried by their Ancestors, including the government records held under the Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897. These truths shape their commitment to cultural education, truth-telling, and creating spaces where people can understand the impact of these histories on families and communities.
Everything they do is grounded in this responsibility.
Karen Reys
I am a mother, grandmother, Elder, artist, healer, author, and cultural facilitator. My totem is the Wurrugu (eagle bird) in Guugu Yimithirr language.
I am the creator of Rainbow Songlines, a cultural learning and healing framework that weaves Indigenous ways of knowing, story, ceremony, and the Seven Colour Teachings. This work has grown from my own journey of reconnecting with culture, Country, and Spirit, and supports others to deepen their connection to self, community, and purpose.
Through cultural education, deep listening, ceremony, and healing experiences, I create culturally safe spaces where people can learn, reflect, reconnect, and grow. My work spans individuals, communities, schools, government, health, and organisational settings, helping to build understanding, wellbeing, and connection.
My personal and spiritual journey, expressed through my art practice and through CEED Healing, has shaped my commitment to healing, cultural education, and social change. I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts (CU), a Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Healing Arts (CU), and bring more than twenty years of experience in Indigenous and cross-cultural education, including work as an Associate Lecturer.
My vision is to create shared spaces where people can learn, heal, and grow through Indigenous ways of knowing, while fostering self-worth, unity, and connection to Country. I teach Indigenous knowledge and wisdom as a commitment to our Ancestors, to Mother Earth, and to keeping the Dreaming alive.
Women of the World Festival 2022
Photographer Cristina Bevilacqua
Sue Reys
Susan Reys is an Elder, artist, educator, and Founder of Kgari 3 Sisters. Her Aboriginal name is Dulin, meaning Owl, and her totems are the Dolphin and White Cockatoo.
Susan holds a Bachelor of Teaching (QUT) and brings extensive experience in tertiary education, Indigenous health and wellbeing, Indigenous art, and community development. She is committed to building strong relationships through culturally responsive teaching, effective communication, and creating supportive learning environments.
Through her work, Susan contributes to the design and delivery of culturally grounded programs that strengthen understanding, wellbeing, connection, and community. Her knowledge, creativity, and commitment to education support CEED Healing's vision of cultural learning, healing, and connection to Country.
Susan Reys
Photographer Cristina Bevilacqua
Hendrick Fourmile
Henry Fourmile is a Gimuy Walubara Yidinji Elder who is deeply committed to sharing the stories, knowledge, and cultural traditions of his people and Country.
A gifted artist and storyteller, Henry shares cultural knowledge through Welcome to Country ceremonies, cultural education, and storytelling, helping people deepen their understanding of place and connection to Country.
Henry carries extensive knowledge of Gimuy (Cairns), including stories held within the land and waters and passed down through generations. His teachings offer insight into the enduring cultural presence of Yidinji people and the relationships that connect people, Country, and community.
Henry Fourmile
Photographer Cristina Bevilacqua
"There is a difference between a 'good' person and being a good Ancestor. A good Ancestor carries a responsibility, not just of living but to think deeply what legacy will be left in that 'living'." - Allison Whittaker, Gomeroi Woman
