My career background is sales and marketing, and in 2019, having worked in a range of senior corporate roles, I hit the wall with career burnout, resulting in a terrifying mental health crisis. I was mute and suicidal for weeks and scared to leave my house for fear of judgment for my declining state of mind.

After a slow slog of self-recovery both in and outside of clinical settings, I wanted to focus my professional energy on the wide and often murky world of mental health and recovery.

Being a lived experience practitioner means that my dark and traumatic crisis can stand for something good and meaningful.

A chance to stand alongside others to notice signs of distress and be able to say out loud what is scaring them the most without judgment or shame.

So, what does a lived experience practitioner do, and how is that support delivered?

This experience is one of many interventions offered through mental health teams. People who are referred for mental health support above what can be provided by the GP are discussed in a confidential weekly group meeting. It is then determined by the team what surface and pathway would offer the best support, given past histories and previous interventions.

If lived experience is agreed to be suitable, then the lived experience practitioner is given clear guidance in the work they will undertake within the person's recovery journey.

This work, which is offered across up to six sessions, could be supported with self-esteem help to feel happier, conversations about self-compassion, talk of hope and mirroring that recovery is possible.

A typical day for me involves client work such as phone calls, video calls, face to face meetings, a walk in the park, a drink in a coffee shop or similar links with training supervision and attending locality meetings.