Hello Bree and Mia - 3 min

BREEANNA:

We met about a year ago and we’ve been working together really closely ever since.

MIA:

I met Bree when I was in hospital and she came in and she was very loud and laughing and smiling and I kind of thought: “Why are you smiling in a hospital?” But it was good because I kind of felt more happy talking to her when I was sad so it was good.

BREEANNA:

You are kind of just two humans that are there together and you’ve got different experiences. One is an expert in themselves, then there’s another one who’s done some training and if you kind of come together it can really help them live the life they want to live

MIA:

I think she helps me by giving me a say in what goes on. So she helps me to kind of be independent and make my own decisions.

BREEANNA:

It’s really important to be curious and allow the person to tell things from their perspective.

MIA:

I think it’s important to have an open mind and not be judgemental because if you’re judgemental, I think you can kind of tell. Like I can kind of tell if someone is being judgemental and it makes you feel less comfortable to talk about things.

BREEANNA:

It’s very individualised and that’s kind of the creative part of mental health – what do I need to change about my approach to fit them. And so by forming a really consistent reliable relationship where you can be really open minded and curious. You really kind of become a team. I think empowering really comes from a collaborative approach.

MIA:

Being able to make my own decisions. Giving me a voice to kind of say how I want things to go and what I want to do and what I want to do in my recovery. I think it is one of the most helpful things someone can do is help someone who is going through a hard time.

BREEANNA:

Working in mental health is definitely something that will give you a lot of meaning in your life. By being able to see them improve…that is so rewarding.

Recovery looks different to different people and it’s really important to be driven by the consumer in terms of what their goals are.

MIA:

Recovery means I can do everyday things like without having to worry about what’s going on inside and outside my head.

Oh I have this theory on recovery. So recovery is kind of like a rainbow. It changes colours and sometimes it’s half a rainbow and sometimes it’s a full rainbow. And you’re kind of like on that journey of like getting to the end of the rainbow and then finding like a pot of gold, which may be happiness. I don’t know.