Blog

Finding Belonging Away From Home

I’ve been reflecting on what it really means to belong — not just to live somewhere, but to feel that deep exhale of “this is home.” Is it possible to truly belong to a place you weren’t born or raised in? Is belonging something we’re invited into through acceptance — or something that grows…


RAS-A-Mataz! Your Brain’s Sixth Sense in Action

Ever walked into a room and felt something was off before anyone said a word? That’s not imagination — it’s your Reticular Activating System (RAS) at work. The RAS sits deep in the brainstem and acts like your inner filter. It decides what information reaches your awareness and what fades into the…


When Care Becomes Control: A Trauma-Informed View on Technology and Mental Health

With so much talk in the media lately about Digital ID — and the growing public concern around surveillance, privacy, and data control — I’ve found myself reflecting on how easily good intentions can blur into overreach. While technology continues to promise safety, convenience, and efficiency,…


When People Try to Turn Others Against You

It’s something we see everywhere — from gutter media & politics to workplace bully's, even within families, so called friendships and community groups. Someone hears something they don’t like or disagrees with your truth, and instead of having a respectful conversation, they try to influence…


How Far is “Farthest”? Rethinking the Language of Welfare and Worth

When the Department for Work and Pensions classifies someone as “furthest from the labour market,” it might sound like neutral language — a simple policy term. But for the person it describes, already living in a state of survival, it can feel like a final verdict. “Farthest” sounds unreachable.…


4 Years

Convicted of a less serious offence” “Cleared of more serious charges” “Prostitution related offences” “Is now a mentor and advocate….his six-week business course that he's been teaching fellow inmates, "Mr. Combs can reach so many more on the outside than he can on the inside." “Transported male…


The Streets of…

“Let me take you by the hand..  And lead you through the streets of London Show you something to make you change your mind” Lyrics from a well known song by Ralph McTell, released in 1969. I wish the world I knew could be shown to those who don’t see it. That I could take them by the hand, lead…


17 Years of A Positive Start: From Rock Bottom to Rising Strong

Seventeen years ago today, I began a journey that I called A Positive Start. At the time, I’d been working on myself for a while, trying to make sense of why I kept ending up back at square one. The thing about dysregulation and survival mode is that while you’re living in it, you don’t see it —…


The Experience of Incongruence: When Words and Energy Don’t Match

There’s a moment we’ve all felt but can’t always explain — when something feels off. The words sound calm, kind, even loving, yet something inside contracts. Your stomach tightens, your breath shortens, and your body whispers, something isn’t right. That moment is the experience of incongruence —…


Powerhouse

Do I want to set the world on fire? Not really, can you imagine the mess. But I do want to shine a light. Some of us use our position to do so, our knowledge and experience, certificates and status. Some of us use our wisdom, insights and truth. Some use the arts, creativity shaping our vision.…