Dr Gordon, who specialises in disaster recovery, visited the shire on Wednesday, July 8, for a series of recovery events.
He spoke with council staff, emergency services and volunteer organisations, before joining residents impacted by the fire for a community dinner at the Boosey Creek Tavern in Katamatite.
Dr Gordon said many people experienced one of the most challenging stages of recovery about six months after a disaster, when the initial shock begins to fade and the emotional impact starts to catch up with them.
He said that while rebuilding homes and properties naturally became the priority after a disaster, people also needed to focus on rebuilding themselves.
“I have noticed that there's a risk if people don't take care of themselves and neglect their personal wellbeing during this time, (there’s) all sorts of things that can go wrong in their lives a year or two after they've got their house fixed,” Dr Gordon said.
He encouraged people to establish simple daily routines to support both their physical and emotional wellbeing.
"I think the best way to do that is to develop routines people can do without thinking — exercise, diet, sleep, social life,” Dr Gordon said.
The advice for family members, friends and volunteers supporting those affected was to be patient and simply listen.
“You will notice those affected will often want to talk about it over and over again,” Dr Gordon said.
"We know that talking about your difficulties helps put them into perspective. For the helpers it can sometimes be frustrating, but what helps people most is not well-meaning advice — it's simply listening.
“You want to remember that expressed emotion is never the problem; it's the unexpressed emotion that gets locked away and causes us to have other problems.”
Moira Shire Council administrator Susan Benedyka said it was a privilege to have Dr Gordon visit and share his knowledge about recovering from disasters with the community.
“The road to recovery for those affected by January’s fire is a long and often difficult path,” she said.
“Events like this, where we can strengthen community connections and bring experts to speak to us, are important steps on that road.
“We heard about the importance of community connection and regular get-togethers from Dr Gordon.
“He emphasised that learning from and listening to each other, and sharing time together, builds resilience.”
