This week, I had the honour of being featured by Suicide Prevention Australia in a national video spotlighting members of the National Lived and Living Experience Panel. It’s a short but powerful reflection piece, asking each of us: What are your hopes for the upcoming National Suicide Prevention Conference? It’s more than just a video. It’s a reminder that voices like ours - those who carry the pain, the memory, and the insight of lived experience - are not just being heard.

I’m deeply honoured to announce that I will be presenting at this year’s National Suicide Prevention Conference (NSPC25)  in Perth - Australia’s flagship gathering of lived experience leaders, researchers, policymakers, and frontline advocates. My presentation is titled: Building Bridges: Fostering Intergenerational Dialogue on Mental Health and Suicide in CaLD Families 📍 Poster Session 2 | Tuesday 20 May, 5:30 PM | Poster #159 This presentation is more than a professional m

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to trust that your story is powerful enough to build something real from. It was a true honour to join Natasha Siryj and Janine Defontaine on this Finding North panel, facilitated with heart (and some epic tech resilience!) by Hayley Harris. Together, we unpacked what it means to bring our whole selves into self-employment - the grief, the fire, the faith, and the freedom. In this session, I shared how my journey into lived experien

Today , I had the privilege of standing alongside 30 other people with lived and living experience of suicide to co-sign an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, calling for urgent suicide prevention funding in Australia . This moment was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when those with firsthand experience speak with clarity, courage, and collective intent. This letter is more than a statement - it is a plea. A plea from those who have los

What does it mean to start your own lived experience business ? For many of us, this decision is more than a professional shift - it’s a personal revolution. It's about reclaiming our stories, challenging systems that excluded us, and transforming pain into purpose. I’m proud to be joining Janine Defontaine and Natasha Siryj for an upcoming panel discussion titled "Starting Your Own Lived Experience Business" , part of the Rights in Action Webinar Series , hosted by Finding N

Childhood experiences shape our perceptions, behaviors, and emotional responses. When those experiences involve trauma, they can leave lasting imprints that influence our adult lives. However, healing from childhood trauma  is possible - and across Australia, more people are reclaiming their inner strength through compassionate, evidence-based support. Traumatic events in childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or loss, can lead to challenges like anxiety, trust issues, and emotio

Grief is a deeply personal experience that encompasses a range of emotions, from profound sadness to unexpected moments of peace. It’s not a linear process but rather a journey that unfolds uniquely for each individual. At Lived Experience Solutions (LEXs), we provide grief counselling in Australia  to help people navigate this journey with compassion, understanding, and evidence-informed care. Grief can manifest in various ways, including physical symptoms like fatigue, chan

I’m honoured to share that I’ll be speaking at Perspectives 2025 , a national Lived Experience e-Symposium hosted by the Finding North Network  in partnership with the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA) . My presentation will explore CaLD mental health transformation  through lived experience leadership and culturally grounded systems change. This event is a powerful annual gathering of lived experience leaders, truth-tellers, advocates, and allies from across the

Our earliest interactions with caregivers lay the foundation for our attachment styles in adult relationships , profoundly shaping how we connect with others later in life. Understanding these styles can offer valuable insight into relationship patterns and help foster healthier, more fulfilling connections. The Four Attachment Styles Secure Attachment:  Individuals with a secure attachment style are comfortable with intimacy and autonomy. They trust their partners, communica

Anger is a universal emotion, often misunderstood and hastily judged. While it can manifest explosively, leading to regrettable actions, it's essential to recognise that anger often serves as a protective mechanism, masking deeper, more vulnerable feelings. Through anger management therapy in Australia , people can explore the underlying emotions beneath their anger, gaining insight and building healthier, more authentic relationships. The Anger Iceberg: What's Beneath the Su

Addiction is often perceived merely as a series of poor choices or a lack of willpower. However, in my experience as a therapist, I’ve come to understand that addiction frequently serves as a coping mechanism for deeper, unresolved emotional pain. Through addiction therapy in Australia , people can explore these underlying emotions and pave the way for genuine healing and recovery. The Emotional Roots of Addiction Many individuals turn to substances or compulsive behaviours n

I’m incredibly humbled to share that I’ve been nominated for the Innovative Practice & Research LiFE Award  as part of the 2025 Western Australia LiFE Awards , hosted by Suicide Prevention Australia. This recognition means a great deal to me - not just professionally, but deeply personally. The LiFE Awards  (Living is For Everyone) honour individuals and organisations making impactful contributions to suicide prevention. To be acknowledged alongside so many dedicated advocate

Award-winning social worker and national advisor Michael Elwan is a finalist for the Mental Health Leadership Award 2025, recognising his impact on multicultural mental health in Australia and lived-experience leadership.

I’m honoured to share that I’ve been featured in UNE News  in an article titled Inspiring Change from the Ground Up , highlighting my journey from lived experience to leadership in mental health and suicide prevention. The story traces my early life in Alexandria, Egypt , where I became a caregiver at 14 after my father - a former Air Force General - was left blind by a stroke. Following his death, I cared for my mother, who lived with severe mental health challenges, until h

I am deeply honoured to share that I’ve been appointed to Suicide Prevention Australia’s National Lived Experience Panel . As the national peak body for suicide prevention, Suicide Prevention Australia’s commitment to embedding lived experience leadership is more than symbolic; it’s transformative. It recognises that those who have walked through loss, grief, and survival must have a voice in shaping the future of suicide prevention in Australia. This appointment is profoundl

Today, I stand humbled and honoured to share a moment that marks both a personal and professional milestone. My abstract, "Building Bridges: Fostering Intergenerational Dialogue on Mental Health and Suicide in CaLD Families" , has been accepted for presentation at the 2025 National Suicide Prevention Conference (NSPC) , right here in my beloved home city of Perth . This is more than an acceptance - it’s the culmination of a deeply personal journey. Mental health was rarely sp

I’m humbled and honoured to share that I’ve been appointed as an inaugural member of the Lived Experience Advisory Group (LEAG) , established by the Mental Health Commission of Western Australia . This appointment brings a unique opportunity to represent multicultural perspectives and advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities within Western Australia’s mental health, alcohol and other drug (AOD), and suicide prevention systems. As someone from an..