Lived Experience Blog
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.…
From Dysregulation to Evil: When Fear Becomes Power and Systems Lose Humanity
Understanding How Disconnection Shapes Behaviour, Narcissism, and Harm When we begin to recognise dysregulation in ourselves, we start to see it everywhere — in others, in relationships, in workplaces, and within the very systems that shape society. What begins as an individual survival response —…
Through the Windows of the Nervous System
How Our Inner State Shapes the Way We See the World In the same room, three people stand side by side — yet each looks out of a different window. One sees harmony. Another sees chaos. The third sees hell. These three windows represent how we experience life through our nervous system. Each window…
What It Really Means to Be Trauma-Informed and Person-Centred
The terms trauma-informed and person-centred are often used in today’s conversations about wellbeing, education, and social care — but rarely do they capture the depth of what these approaches truly mean. Being trauma-informed is not about excusing poor behaviour or avoiding accountability. It’s…
TRUTH: The Anchor for Healing and Mental Wellbeing
At A Positive Start CIC, we speak often about T.R.U.S.T., because without trust, there is no safety — and without safety, healing cannot happen. Our T.R.U.S.T. framework reminds us that: ✨ T – Trigger recognition ✨ R – Reassurance ✨ U – Understanding ✨ S – Safety ✨ T – Truth Truth is more than a…
The Value of Life in a Culture of Convenience
I shouldn’t have to say this, but I will: this isn’t about looking left or right. Sadly, we’ve become so polarised as a society that not making that clear can create hostility and resentment for simply sharing thoughts and opinions. My intention here is not to argue politics, but to stand back,…
When Humanity Loses Its Way
Recently, I witnessed people rejoicing in the death of a young father. Equally as shocking was that a violent and disturbing video of his murder was shared and reshared online and witnessed by millions — including children. To me, this notion is abhorrent. I cannot align myself with any ideology…
Self-Abandonment, Boundaries, and the Balance of Rights
Self-abandonment often begins quietly. It’s the small moments where we silence our truth to keep the peace, where we say “yes” when every part of us longs to say “no.” It can look like: Allowing others to decide for us, even when we feel uneasy. Walking away from relationships, not because they’re…
Compulsion, Relief, and the Possibility of Change
Lately I’ve been reflecting on the nature of compulsion — how the body can drive us toward destructive relief, even when the cost is high. This post is not written as a statement of fact, nor as a denial of anyone’s lived experience. It is an exploration. I’m asking questions shaped by my own…