Helentherese Good

Empowering Students towards Personal Growth: Attitudes, Words, and Responses to create Acceptance and Safety in Teaching Spaces

It is no secret that playing a string instrument is hard! So it makes sense to ensure that the environment in which such learning is expected to take place should be free of mental stress, that is, it should be psychologically safe. Psychological safety means that it is safe to disclose opinions with others, to openly disagree, or to offer negative feedback upwards, without concern for future repercussions. This type of environment allows every participant to share creative ideas, to admit mistakes or vulnerability, or suggest ways for improvement without fear of personal judgement or disparagement. When psychological safety is present, any situation, whether it be a home teaching studio, a school, an eisteddfod, or an orchestra, becomes stronger, more innovative, and more powerfully instructive.

So how do we, as teachers and musical leaders, create such an environment? Primarily, it is through our use of language, our responses to actions and events, and the way we deliver information. This presentation will describe a practical framework of attitudes, words, and responses that foster acceptance and safety in teaching spaces, thus empowering students and offering them opportunities for transformative learning and personal growth.

About Helentherese Good

Helentherese Good is a violinist, researcher, and presenter from Brisbane. In 2015 she was awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship, enabling residencies with leading chamber orchestras in the US, UK and Europe. Having attained first class honours and a master’s degree from the Qld Conservatorium, Helentherese has previously been a core member and soloist of Camerata, founded the Christ Church Camerata in Newcastle, and played for the Qld Symphony and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras. She works for Musica Viva, assessing on the Artistic Review Panel, coaching regionally for the national school ensemble competition, writing program notes, and giving preconcert talks. With a lifelong love of learning, Helentherese recently gained a Master of Business majoring in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, and has received many awards, including the Dean’s Award for Excellence for outstanding academic results at the QUT Business School, the George Alexander Foundation Scholarship, an Australian Postgraduate Award, and a Griffith University Award for Academic Excellence.

Helentherese worked as the Community Development Officer for QYO, and as a research assistant to the QSO Artistic team before becoming the Artistic Operations Manager for the TSO in 2025. She loves hiking and open-water swimming, and is learning to cope with “less warm” water. Helentherese appears courtesy of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.