Midlife Rebel

21/08/2026

There are different reasons we laugh when it’s not funny - to keep the peace, be polite, not make a fuss, lower the heat, stay safe.

Especially for women, that conditioning is real...and so is the safety piece behind it.

This is my different response built on years of practice and slowly building safety in my nervous system.💪

05/08/2026

I'm currently mid-air flying home from New Zealand (WiFi and wonders of modern aviation!).

For three days over the past weekend I was deep in my work, uncovering different aspects of myself in the company of 15 other women. It was challenging, sacred and beautiful...as transformative work often is.

I am grateful for every single person who staffed the weekend. Your passion and commitment to women's healing, empowerment and release humbles me. It was an international staff, with folks from NZ, Australia and USA all there to serve us and our growth.

It's time for a new world. The old one doesn't work, especially not for women and marginalised folks. I have witnessed, and been witnessed, in creating the change. I am here for it💪

H.E.R Weekend New Zealand
H.E.R. Weekend

(Plane selfies because I've got the time🤷🏻‍♀️)

15/07/2026

I don't know about you, but the world feels incredibly heavy right now😔
And knowing how little is within our control can feel scary, exhausting and overwhelming.

But there are things we can do to soften the blows. I wonder which ones you are using right now?

✨ Putting down the phone and picking up a book or cuppa or pet or paintbrush or blanket or...?

✨ Staying connected to who and what is important in your life. You know what I'm referring to.

✨ Silence. In my opinion, it's a completely underrated super healer in this world of constant input. Too hard to give up your favourite podcast? I recommend to experiment - start with one walk, commute or kitchen session in SILENCE. We all need time to process and churn all those big thoughts and feelings. Anything's better than 3am, right?

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𝟏:𝟏 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
Midlife Rebel Coaching Program - Currently fully booked. Next availability for applications is end of August.

Single Sessions - 2 appointments available this month.

More info - https://www.midliferebel.com.au/welcome

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐬
Next Courage in Midlife - 22nd August 2-5pm in Sunbury.

Book - https://www.midliferebel.com.au/welcome

10/07/2026

I love chai. I’ll drink a pot of it at my favourite cafe, just like I did the other day before a trip to Bendigo.

My bladder, on the other hand, tolerates chai. We’re good, but there’s limits.

Like don’t get stuck in standstill traffic for 45 minutes on your way to Bendigo. With no escape.

I know this pain and it sucks. You gotta go but you have to hang on.

Right don’t panic, I told myself. The windows are foggy...I started looking round for a makeshift solution.

I grabbed my water bottle - empty! - and a gift bag.

Could this be my solution?

I couldn’t think of anything else. Who knows how much longer we were stuck here.

Three times - three times! - I disembarked my jeans in preparation before chickening out.

Checking no one can see me.

I can wait, I just need to distract myself. I can do that. We’ll be moving soon. Look we just rolled a couple of metres.

S**t, were still not going anywhere.

But at least the truck in the lane next to you can no longer see in.

In fact no one can. There’s no one next to you and the windows are even foggier now. Good.

Would you do it?

I grabbed the water bottle and positioned it in the gift bag.

So I’m adding this to the list you’d rather not make as a woman.

Hello, my body and mother nature says, you can park your dignity *right here*. Jolly good.

Not forgetting all the damn times I’ve needed to go with the flow (pardon the pun😬)... because there’s just no fighting it.

So anyway, I’m now the ‘proud’ owner of a SheeWee and have the contact for a delightful car cleaning guy who comes at very short notice and asks no questions.

08/07/2026

I've made heaps of difficult decisions in my life that have taken me to the edge. Ending relationships that no longer served me, re-thinking (then ditching) jobs that left me drained, taking risks in love, prioritising my values over those foisted on me decades earlier.

All in the last 15 years or so.

And it's been bloody scary. All of it. None of this 'feel the fear and do it anyway' BS.
Gut wrenching, tears flowing, second guessing fear.

And yet...I keep going.

I keep making difficult decisions.

WHY?? Are we gluttons for punishment?

Because the alternative is unbearable. We can feel stuck and scared, not trusting ourselves or...

We take the babystep...Shirley Valentine captures it perfectly - a longing for the dreams, hopes, feelings that live deep within us. We don't want them to go unused, when we know there is so much more inside us.

Here we are, welcome to midlife.

Relationships end, hard conversations continue to happen, identity shifts, challenges keep showing themselves.

And the big questions keep coming...

How do we find our way back to ourselves when the ground is moving beneath us?

Who am I now?
What do I need?
What do I want?

The answers are there, trust me. I've lived it and continue to live it. It's ok to look fear in the face and say, I got you...you're safe...one babystep at at time.

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✨My books are nearly as full as my heart. But if you are craving support and guidance for the place you are in life right now, I'd love to hear from you. Book an initial session https://robynpatton.as.me/InitialSession

✨Join us for the next in person Courage in Midlife workshop on Aug 22nd in Sunbury. Tickets and more info > https://www.midliferebel.com.au/workshops

📸Credit to photographer from Matthew and Amy's wedding, Bali, June 2026.

01/07/2026

how are you feeling?

29/06/2026

School holidays can be tricky, and today I want to acknowledge teachers. I support a *lot* of teachers in my workplace-based counselling role and I see first hand the burnout, fatigue, overwhelm, stress...and on and on.

I hope you get a decent break these holidays, I really do. I know it's not easy to switch off. The system doesn't support switching off completely.

What you need and want gets lost in the noise.

Your wellbeing is important, for so many reasons, and what's important to you matters. You matter.

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Think you might benefit from additional support? I am an experienced counsellor and coach based in Gisborne offering in-person and telehealth. Book an Initial Session >

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the unceded lands where I work and live, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People and celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples and their ongoing cultures and connections to the lands and waters of Australia.

19/06/2026

Thinking of working with me? Here’s what you need to know

- if you offer to show me photos of your dog, I'll ask to see more (for online sessions, your dog is always welcome to attend🐶)

- Years of experience, skills and qualifications are important ✅ AND how comfortable do you feel? What would help you feel more comfortable and in control during our time together.

- Piggy tails? Why not.

- I don't like either of us to feel rushed so all my coaching program clients have the option of up to 90 minutes per session. Trust me, the time flies and it's the sweet spot for those who need to slow down.

- One of my favourite parts of the work is the privilege of working and walking alongside another human.

- When I say 'apology not accepted' I'm not being a smart arse. It's gentle awareness to the amount of times women apologize unnecessarily, challenging a lifetime habit.

- Baby steps for the win.

- Everyone starts with a 90 minute Initial Session. It's the best way I've found over the last 14+ years to get a sense of you, and hopefully you of me and how I work. It's the launching pad.

- I still don't really know what to call myself and by now I'm not so worried about it. Integrative practitioner? Therapeutic coach? Coachy counsellor? Dunno.

- I've learnt good boundaries over the years (I am fiercely protective of my well-being) and are clear on my values and my work reflects that. It doesn't look traditional cos I get to make it up! It's important work for women - values, boundaries and identity - and often comes up at some point.

- Women in midlife are my PASSION! Freedom! Authenticity! Alignment! Truth! Believe in yourself! Trust yourself! Yeah that's a bit rah rah but I've seen over many years that change is absolutely possible for women in midlife.

PS say hi to your dog for me👋

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July - book Initial Session via link in bio

https://www.midliferebel.com.au/welcome