Using lived experience to support others

Bridie’s role involves drawing on her own lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery to work alongside young people currently experiencing and recovering from mental health challenges.  

Within the CYMHS EDP family–led treatment approach, youth peer support workers such as Bridie play an important role advocating for young people experiencing eating disorders.  

“A youth peer support worker is someone who really gets it. They amplify a sense of hope for recovery in the team, within the service and within our community,” said Bridie.  

Bridie provides a range of support to young people and families affected by eating disorders. This includes early engagement with parents before treatment commences and lived experience consultation meetings with families and treating teams.  

She engages in one-to-one sessions with young people where they might go for a walk, do some craft or something else low-key where she can connect with them and talk about recovery and other topics such as work, study, or just general chats about life.  

The Youth Peer Support program, led by Jessica Anson, is making a big difference in young people’s recovery journeys. 

“… Jane* has always found the group sessions quite difficult, being the center of attention and sharing her thoughts in front of her parents and clinician (even though you and others have always been incredibly gentle and supportive). Today, with Bridie there, she felt as though she had someone else backing her and her experience, and also with Bridie sharing her experience, it relieved her from all the attention…For the first time after a group meeting, she was happy and said she found it very helpful.” – Parent  

Bridie finds a great deal of fulfillment in her work and is excited to continue to evolve in her role – especially as lived experience work grows and expands across AMAH. She’s also passionate about tackling the stigma around eating disorders and validating people’s experiences with them.  

For now, being a Youth Peer Support Worker at CYMHS is exactly where Bridie wants to be. She aspires to one day go back to university and explore her interest in social work. “I love working in this space” said Bridie.