Abigail or Abs, as she likes to be known, came from a hospitality background with a degree in psychology, into peer working, using her lived experience of eating disorder recovery to support others. She has worked at Penumbra for just over a year now. Her original post has ended, and she is now working for the Thrive Locality Team – Edinburgh Self-Harm Support Service.

Peer Training

Six months after she started in her original post, she took part in the Health in Minds Peer Community of Practice 5-week Peer training course. Going through the training helped remind Abs of her own recovery story, and the important parts within it which she could use to create connection. Highlights from the course included the unit on boundaries. Abs particularly found it useful to hear about other people’s examples of setting boundaries. The recently developed unit on trauma responsive practice, co-produced in collaboration with Edinburgh Council’s trauma lead, provided valuable tools such as the window of tolerance which Abs still uses today. She found this particularly helpful in explaining trauma reactions. Learning about CHIME, which explains and connects all the elements of recovery, helped a lot when supporting peers. The emphasis on self-care throughout the course has spilled over into her practice, now she regularly asks peers what they do to take care of themselves and shares ideas.

Professional Development Award in Mental Health Peer Support

Abs found going through the PDA useful for self-reflective practice. ‘it helped me to feel more confident in my role and shake the label of imposter syndrome’ she told us, a common feeling while starting out as a peer worker. The reflective process of the course work showed Abs how much of an impact she made in peoples lives. Some of the questions sparked ideas about how she could improve her practice and share her recovery story in the most optimal way. The questions on boundaries strengthened her resolve to say no when needed. ‘It helped me clearly see the difference between fixing someone and empowering them by becoming part of their journey’ she told us. She appreciated the informal approach and knew she could ask her supervisor any questions when needed. ‘the study groups were useful too’ she shared.