Lived Experience Blog
Making the Bed
I have a plan. One concocted with a trusted soul, out of need, want and care. One with direction, expansion and peace at the core. I want to make my bed. I want to sleep in my bed. I’m over 50 years old. I live in a 2 bedroom house. There’s just me and my dog here. I have a double bed and a single…
In 2 places at once
I recently sat with someone, a relative stranger, someone offering to collaborate and connect in the joint purpose and pursuit of protection and awareness. We talked about my story, a few parts of my life experience, about grooming rings and the need for inquiries and greater understanding. I told…
Social Emotional Literacy: The Essential Life Skill That Shapes Our Future
Social Emotional Literacy (SEL) is not “soft.” It’s not optional. It’s not a luxury for some. SEL is the foundation of human connection, healthy relationships, emotional stability, community wellbeing and societal transformation. It is the essential life skill — shaping how we understand ourselves,…
The Journey Before The Journey
If you’d asked me where A Positive Start began when I first started this work, I would’ve confidently said: “It began because of the domestic violence.” At the time, that felt true. It felt obvious. The dramatic moment. The crisis. The breaking point. The event that almost ended my life. But what I…
The TRUST Framework: Creating Truly Safe, Trauma-Informed Spaces
This framework is free to use in community, education, care and support settings. Please credit Deborah J Crozier & A Positive Start CIC when sharing or delivering. © 2021–2025 Deborah J Crozier, A Positive Start CIC. All Rights Reserved. Many spaces say they are trauma-informed because they…
Empathy Will Save Humanity
Why Feeling Deeply Is Not a Weakness, but Our Greatest Intelligence “The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism.” — Hannah Arendt We are living through a time where empathy is being dismissed, numbed, and in places actively…
Why Mindfulness Can Be Triggering for Trauma Survivors
This is a personal theory supported by trauma research… Mindfulness, meditation and stillness practices are widely recommended for emotional well-being, anxiety, stress and mental health. They are used in therapy rooms, schools, GP practices, yoga studios and community programmes. And for many…
The Nervous System Isn’t Asking Your Permission
It is almost impossible to fully convey the impact of nervous system activation to someone who has never experienced it. What may look, from the outside, like being “over-sensitive,” “attention-seeking,” or “childish” is, on the inside, a state of terror. The person is not reacting to the present…
What Looked Like Nothing, Felt Like Everything
A reflection on trauma responses people don’t see Years ago, I had just started a new job — I’d only been there about a week. One day, I went off to a meeting elsewhere in the building. When I came back, the office I usually worked in was completely closed. The lights were off, the door was locked,…
Beyond Blame: Understanding Incel Identity Through Attachment, Not Outrage
There is a growing concern in education, safeguarding, and mental health fields about the influence of figures like Andrew Tate and others who appeal to boys and young men. It can feel easy — and even comforting — to say the problem starts with these influencers. But when we place the blame solely…