Lived Experience Blog
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…
If Not for Everyone, Then for Whom?
Therapeutic Principles as a Way of Being “We do not owe everyone we encounter therapeutic principles.” That was a comment left on one of my blog posts by an accredited therapist and supervisor. It was even endorsed by others. I’ve been reflecting on what this means — not only for us as therapists,…
Working Man – A Song That Holds Our Story
The first time I heard Working Man by Celtic Thunder, originally written by Rita MacNeil, I felt as though someone had captured the echoes of my childhood and poured them into song. The words carried me back to the mining village where I grew up, to the men who worked underground and the families…
Beyond Labels: Why Name-Calling Harms More Than It Helps
In the run-up to public demonstrations or moments of collective expression, it’s common to see leaders, politicians, and media rushing to apply labels. Before a single banner is raised, the story is already framed: one side dismissed as extremist, the other portrayed as the sole voice of reason.…
Speechless
You know that feeling when a chunk of food gets stuck in your throat or when you swallow ice? When your tea is too hot. That throat infection you got as a kid when even juice hurt. That’s how talking felt. I didn’t speak for a while when I was a child. It wasn’t that I couldn’t physically, I didn’t…
Mushrooms in the Dark
There’s an old saying: “Treat people like mushrooms – feed them BS and keep them in the dark.” Never has that felt more relevant than today. Normally, I try not to get into politics. It’s not my world, and I prefer to focus on healing, growth, and the human spirit. But right now, it’s hard not…