About

Imaginif Pty Ltd is a home based self development and life coaching business in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

This is who Megan Bayliss is:

(BSW, Dip SOC, MAASW), Director of Imaginif, mother of four and grand mother to one. Married to Paul Martin, accountant and fantastic coffee maker.

I am the director of Imaginif PTY LTD and the creative writer who designed the BITSS (protective behaviours) resources, writes the books and tutorials, answers the phone, emails, queries, looks after the web sites and offers our amazing home based business opportunity to any who respond to our advertising.

I have worked in both Australia and the UK, across all levels of government, in the community sector and in private industry. A solution focused therapist (specialised in counselling kids), I have held senior social work positions within government and been coordinator at two sexual assault centers (adults and children). I have also done sessional teaching in counselling skills and professional development at James Cook University, Cairns campus. My absolute passion area is protecting children from sexual abuse and I am published in that area and continue to do voluntary work to help protect all children.

Despite my flourishing career as a professional counsellor and child protection advocate, nowadays I only work part time in my home based self development and life coaching business. I am happier than I ever was in senior, full time, positions. While I have retained my passion for and involvement in protecting children, my work now concentrates on helping other people, people like you, develop their own home based self development business.

And Imaginif? Great, yet strange, name.

Imaginif was born of a simple conversation in 2005. For months, Paul and Megan had been discussing a name for Megan’s protective behaviour consultancy. Nothing fitted well. Paul sat back in the arm chair and said, “Imagine if this was easy.”

That was it! Imaginif stuck as a catch cry for, “Imaginif there was a world without child abuse.” Megan had a name for her counselling business and a name that she believed would stick in people’s minds – Imaginif it did!

But, what is Megan’s fascination with child abuse and protective behaviours? A rather strange topic to be passionate about isn’t it?

Megan grew up in Papua New Guinea and saw dreadful atrocities perpetrated against women and children. It was the formation of her social justice streak. At university, Megan studied Social Work and went on to specialise in child sexual assault therapy. Particularly interested in protection, Megan developed an interest in protective behaviours: right down to developing the BITSS model of Protective Behaviours.

Megan says:

BITSS is an acronym for:
Body Ownership
Intuition
Touch
Say No
Support Network

BITSS began in 1998. My youngest child was at day care. I arrived to pick him up one afternoon and walked into a fight between several little boys.

“It’s a cock,” said one.

“It’s a willy,” said another.

“It’s a trouser snake,” laughed another little boy as he slapped his partners in crime on the back.

“It’s a penis,” said my three year old as he stomped his frustrated little foot. “It’s a penis, it’s a penis, it’s a penis!”

Oh, oh. The director invited us into her room. We were in trouble because young son said, “penis”.

As I listened to the directors explanation for our potential suspension (”you can’t say penis or vagina, it’s rude”), it dawned on me that my expectations of early educators and protective behaviour knowledge was too high. If we were relying on early educators to impart correct protective behaviour skills to our children, then we were in trouble. Just like other people, some early educators are terrified about protective behaviour talking. Also, if early educators are a representative group of the community, then one in three early educators would also have their own sexual assault issues. Undealt with personal issues makes it difficult to deal with similar social issues. It’s too hard so people stay away from it or use old myths taught to them as children (never mention those parts of the body; stranger danger, etc)

After facing suspension from day care for using inappropriate language, MY child (yes, sir, my child, not the other children who actually were using inappropriate words for the male private part) and I went home: he unhappy and angry because I got him into trouble (I told him his penis was a penis), me motivated to produce an easy model of protective behaviours that did not rely on early childhood educators training our children. A model that parents could use in their own homes to teach their own children. It had to be easy and it had to be fun.

BITSS was born after much research, consultation with parents and professionals and grouping of the five major protective concepts together: body ownership, intuition, touch, say no and support network – these are the BITSS that will help to keep your child safe from sexual assault.

The BITSS model uses protective play and teachable moments: activities and games that can be gently woven into everyday life. Research suggests that protective behaviours taught in school once every six months are insufficient to help children remember what to do in potentially dangerous personal situations. Reminders in the home, in the child’s every day life are the best way to keep your children safe.

If you’re wondering how to make sure your kids remember important safety rules about safety, use the BITSS model of protective play.

Imaginif BITSS of play kept our children safe.

And nowadays, Megan does all of her protective behaviour stuff for free. Because of Megan’s amazingly successful home based business in self development, she works 2o hours a week and volunteers her time to her area of expertise and passion.

Let Megan and the extended business team around the world help train and coach you to self development success. If you are interested in developing a home based business beyond your income dreams then this may be the business for you. No previous experience or education needed (must be 18 or older).