In a world where the past can cast long shadows over our lives, my story stands as a testament to the incredible power of healing and resilience. From the depths of family estrangement, C-PTSD and addiction, as a knock on affect from the trauma suffered from family domestic abuse from a young age, I embarked on a transformative journey spanning a decade, ultimately leading me to a place of healing and self-discovery.

I refused to let my past define my future, so with unwavering determination, I chose to embark down a road many rather avoid, a road that required immense courage and vulnerability. Through therapy, self-reflection, and an unwavering commitment to self-care, I confronted my demons head-on, exploring the darkest corners of my mind, facing painful memories and emotions that I had long suppressed.

My healing journey was not without its challenges. There were moments of doubt and despair when I questioned whether I had the strength to continue. However, I drew strength from the progress I was making, no matter how small. Step by step, I learnt to rebuild my sense of self-worth and self-love.

Over the course of the last decade, my efforts began to yield remarkable results. As I gradually shed the layers of pain and trauma, I discovered my own resilience and inner strength and now stand as a beacon of inspiration for anyone who has experienced the profound impact of family estrangement, addiction, c-ptsd and the trauma that occurs from family domestic abuse.

My journey is a reminder that healing is not linear—it's a complex, winding path that requires patience and dedication. My triumphant journey illustrates that healing is possible, even from the most profound wounds. My commitment to self-growth, coupled with my determination to overcome adversity, allowed me to transform my life, and now serves as a living testament to the remarkable power of the human spirit and its capacity to heal, grow, and flourish against all odds.

In 2022 I begun a Lived Experience Speaker course with Western Australian Association for Mental Health (WAAMH). This was the first course ever delivered by WAAMH, a project aimed to provide an opportunity for people with lived experience to explore what they had been through and obtain some guidance and support to assist them in speaking in a way where they felt empowered and in control of sharing their story. The training was designed to make participants feel confident to talk about their experience without re-traumatizing them.

People who identify as having lived experience have generally been through quite a lot. For people who survive abuse or addiction, there is usually a lot more to the experience than just ‘one issue’. Therefore, having support and guidance is necessary for constructing a clear, coherent, slightly linear story that doesn’t go too deep into the terrible times but rather focuses on the impact the experiences had on the person and how they found their way through.

I was in my early twenties when I first sought help for addiction and I remember so clearly walking out of my first therapy appointment saying that one day I would tell my story and it would be some ones survival guide so when I came across this opportunity I knew it was for me. My submission was selected and I commenced the course shortly after. Over 5 months I had to dig deep, rehashing some of the most painful experiences from my past and piecing together "My Story". It was challenging but it was also some of the most important work I have had to do internally, and from that work, I was propelled into some amazing opportunities.

Shortly after the course ended, all 30 participants were invited to apply to step into a paid, professional leadership role within WWAMH as a Lived Experience Speaker. I spent a considerably amount of time putting together my final submission and presented it to the WAAMH staff. It was well received and I was offered a position immediately and began presenting at WAAMH Mental Health Training workshops both internally and externally.

It has been such a highlight of my journey, and I feel privileged to have contributed in a way I so long desired too, however due to the nature of my trauma I made the decision in late 2023 to step down as speaker. Even though I am now in a position to speak about my traumas and addictions, doing so on a regular basis keeps me stuck in that old loop and I have simply reached a point in my life where I am sick of giving it airtime. One thing I learnt whilst recovering from alcohol addiction was that if I kept talking about the addiction, I was igniting the same neurological pathways tied to that addiction, so making changes would be difficult. I had to create new pathways, provide my brain with new data so as to experience long lasting change. The same applies with where I am at now in regards to Family Estrangement and how that has been holding me back physically and mentally. Telling my story over and over, even in a inspiring way, reignites all the past connections to trauma, abuse, pain, abandonment etc and it just seems counter intuitive to keep doing the work, only to go back and repeat the same stories. I have been stuck in a loop cycle and very much over it.

The feeling of freedom that washed over me when I told WAAMH was profound, and in that moment I knew it was finally time to let go of the past completely. Family Estrangement is a deeply complex and painful experience, where rifts can form due to a myriad of reasons. Unless you have experienced it you cannot possibly understand that sometimes wounds run so deep that they are often beyond repair, and all the individual can do is prioritize their own well-being, and that of their families, and seek closure however best one can, knowing that some people are simply incapable of even acknowledging the part they play, and that certain relationships may never be restored.

I have reached a point where I am ok with that. In fact I feel stronger than ever with who I am, with my values and beliefs, and with what I feel is acceptable behavior towards others, in relationships and in dysfunctional family systems. I am not afraid to be alone if being alone is the price to pay for protecting myself, and those who are not able to protect themselves. I believe we all come in to this life with soul contracts and it seems some of my contracts were only temporary. I choose to move forward and see the positive from those contracts, for they gave me the strength to find myself again, to find the fight within and now I get to show others how to do the same.

I look forward now to a successful future , thriving in a world where I can be of service to others from this new way of thinking. My focus now is to finish writing my book "Triumph over Trauma" which I am hoping to release in the near future. This book will be my final presentation of my journey thus far, but will mainly act as a survival guide for anyone in need. On top of that I decided to do a full 360 turn and go back to my roots, breathing life in to Down Under Discoveries one again. My belief in the transformative power of nature has led me to create immersive nature based experiences that not only enrich your life but also deepen your understanding of the natural wonders around you.

From the untamed wilderness to the serene heartland of Mandurah, this is a special invitation to reclaim your wild side.

Your adventure begins here.