The key feature of Intentional Peer Support (IPS), is the understanding that we all have our own unique worldviews. Our worldview is how we perceive and experience things, how we think and feel. We all see through our own lenses, which affects the advice we give and what we think might be "best" for the person we are giving support or advice to.

IPS is about suspending our idea of what we think is "best", or what we think we know, moving away from trying to "fix" or "problem solve" - instead we come from a place of curiosity; learning, listening, understanding.

It moves away from the hierarchy of therapist vs patient, towards being mutual - we are just two people exploring in a safe space.

However, it is more than just listening and sharing - my training in IPS uses frameworks that allow me to guide you towards hope and possibility. It is an intuitive approach, and the frameworks allow for things to flow naturally as opposed to tool-based therapy.

IPS is built on three core principles:

1. Connection – Building authentic, trusting relationships based on mutual respect and shared humanity, not diagnosis or hierarchy.
2. Mutuality – Avoiding one-way "fixing" and instead creating a give-and-take dynamic where both people explore in a more natural way.
3. Moving Towards – Focusing on hope, new possibilities, and creating the life one wants, rather than only trying to reduce problems or manage symptoms.

I recall meeting a guy in the psychiatric hospital, a fellow patient, who told me he found talking to the other patients there was more therapeutic than the therapy itself. While I am not against therapy and use it myself, I too found the interactions with other peers to be more profound, as there was less hierarchy, and therefore more room to just listen and learn about each other, and understand one another.

I am a strong believer that in today's society, we dish out unsolicited advice too casually - it comes from a good intention but there is no way we can understand another person's worldview, or what works for them, without first suspending our own. Oftentimes, advice is given through a lens of one's own experience, what worked for them, which may not work for you.

I believe that we have lost the art of exploring our own inner voice, and of hearing it: often because many times when we try to share our voice, we are invalidated, unheard, misunderstood, or judged. I have found validation and understanding to be some of the most powerful tools for healing and empowerment.

I offer a safe space where we can explore what works for YOU, how YOU tick, what YOU feel. Reflecting with others is a powerful and organic way for us to grow, and certain hierarchical structures in the mental health industry have made us lose this art and this powerful way of connecting.

I feel that IPS helps us find meaning in our suffering, by not looking at ourselves as broken or unworthy, but by realising that what we are suffering from, and what has happened to us, means we are running a different race, carrying harder burdens, and therefore can be easier on ourselves to realize that there is nothing wrong with where we are, and we can still get to where we want to go.

Oftentimes we judge ourselves so much that we have shackles upon us that hinder us from self-love and self-acceptance, which in turn cripples us from moving towards hope and possibility. When we feel bad, we are lost, and hopelessness begins to overwhelm us, but when we feel better, we begin to see options.

To me, hope and possibility is like brainstorming. As a creative director, if I shot down every idea as they came up, nothing would form. All ideas begin with something small that is not usually fleshed out. But a brainstorm allows those partaking to have a safe space for all ideas to be put down, so that they can flourish, so that we can see connections we didn't see before when looking at each idea individually. No idea is a bad one, as all ideas can lead to good ones. Oftentimes we can't see the big picture, and we cut ourselves short from it before it happens.

I do believe that mutuality can be, and often is, asymmetric - what I mean by that is: this is like counselling where the focus is on you and what you're dealing with, as opposed to friendship where give-and-take can be difficult to manage. As an Autistic, and especially when I've felt depressed, I haven't had capacity to balance being there for others, and so I want to make it clear that my IPS sessions I offer are about you, we focus on you and your difficulties - I only share my personal experiences with permission and when it helps you feel you're not alone in something you're struggling with.

My goal as a practitioner is to offer a space where you can talk, be heard, and hopefully feel understood. I trust the framework of IPS because it is a safety net that allows me to understand people better and suspend what I think I know might be best for others. If I do offer my own wisdom and experience from my life, it is only as a form of mutual reflection and if it works for you. We are just two humans exploring possibilities - but within the framework I am giving validation, support, shared experience and a safe space to reflect.