Perspective

07/01/2026

Starting my healing journey at 25 years old, I realised that I needed some tools for my mental and emotional wellbeing.

My experiences and suffering were described and diagnosed as illness and disorders. I came home from an event one day and because my anxiety, low mood, self esteem and inability to find a place where someone really understood, I took healing mostly into my own hands. I was desperate and I had enough. I had to get to know myself and what I needed.

I created tools for life, ones that I now share at Perspective. Things slowly started getting better and I have never made an attempt on my life since.

That day was like a theophany, a clarity arrived that bought me to study for nearly eight years in Theology, media and counselling. Then by accident, I found training for Peer support in 2011 and never looked back. It was the path for me.

That day at the age of 25, I learnt how to feel emotions and feel them with non judgement. I stayed out of my head and trained my brain to zip it! It took work! I used to say, Elaine "get out of your head and into your body"! It was a complex program of pattern seeking and unbecoming of everything that kept me stuck.

The modality at Perspective is peer support.....lived experience. 🫶 I was also a person who needed tools for my mental and emotional wellbeing. That's just who I am! To get back in control, I needed a daily plan of intentional practices.

At Perspective, there are intentional practices recorded for each individual.

Learning how to feel emotions rather than think them was the start of an amazing 25 year journey! 🫶 And walking into a room full of people with lived experience was another level of healing. My suffering was not a waste but began to be a great source of wisdom and hope.

May this year be your year. 🫶😘

Elaine.

31/12/2025

Happy New Year Everyone! 🫶✨️

To clients, peers, students, the medical professionals who refer in, my colleagues and friends and family. 🫶✨️

To all whom have trusted in Perspective and to all we will meet this year. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your life. 🫶✨️

All of my lived experience you have made so worthy as we have journeyed big roads together. 🫶✨️

The midnight calls, the anxious texts, the scared moments. The bullying voices, the brutal overthinking. The self hatred, the stigma, the self stigma. With lived experience, you learnt to overcome. 🫶✨️

Everyone who had attended Perspective is alive today. I am a su***de survivor and with lived experience, peers have saved 23 people this year and 64 people in total. 🫶✨️

Peer support at Perspective has also acted as a crisis intervention centre, preventing 7 people from attending acute mental health units, allowing people to be at home. Thus preventing more trauma and reducing more healing time. 🫶✨️

Perspective works with families, opening up the understanding and dialogue and the connection needed for healing. 🫶✨️

To you all. If someone said to me 25 years ago that I would be alive today, it would be a massive "ya noooo!" I was suffering so badly with my mental health for about 16 years. Until one day I found hope, hope that I could live in my skin again and the realisation that we approach mental health wrong by naming it as illness. 🫶✨️

So be sick of me again for another year saying, "get out of your head and into your body" and "connect if you need".....and the endless voice recordings and the daily check in's
.... it is because I have dearly loved you and I am united with you in it all. 🫶✨️

Hope is the sprinkle of feeling I want for everyone in 2026. 🫶✨️

Lots of Love. 🥰

Elaine. X### 🥰

25/12/2025

Wishing you all good health and happiness this Christmas. ✨️

It's been a big year at Perspective as beautiful people work through big and painful human responses to life events.

Thank you for not quitting on yourself or giving up on the joy this life can bring. It has been a pleasure to meet you. 🫶

For all of you who came in crisis, we did it! We achieved together and thank you for trusting the space Perspective provides. 🫶

All who suffer or are overcoming hold a big place in my heart today. May you be well and may you feel peace and find compassion for your struggle.

Thank you to my placement student peer support worker and counsellors for the great work. 🫶

Elaine. Xx

06/11/2025

What a brilliant 5 weeks. I loved being back doing group again and to watch the growth of each child on the Building Brave programme. What energy and fun. Well done all.

05/10/2025

When was the last time someone really listened to what you had to say?

Meet Paul Jenkinson, a 71-year-old retired social worker who is spending a year travelling across the country with two foldable chairs and a sign that’s says, “You are not alone! I will listen”.

He sets up in parks or public spaces and just waits for anyone who may feel the need to just talk. He wants people to know that they are seen and that no matter what they are going through, good or bad, there’s always someone to listen.

After spending a few hours with him I was amazed at how many strangers would see the sign and stop to chat.

He opened up that when he lost his daughter, he struggled a bit to feel comfortable sharing with people what he was going through because he worried that he wouldn’t be heard or that people would try to find words when no words would be enough.

If you see Paul in your town or city, pull up a chair and say hi.

And remember, you are not alone.

05/10/2025

Thank you! Always hated the words school refusal...

Kieran Rose discusses why we need to be critical of the concpets of EBSA and School Refusal; especially in relation to our autistic children.

29/09/2025

Thinking about all my people I am meeting today, as I always do. I go through a process of what we are doing and how far we have travelled on this road together.

Looking at my diary today, all but one has been referred by a doctor. After 6 years of practice, I explained my role in community and I understand, it was hard for people to get their heads around it.

Today, doctors refer people to Perspective.

Lived experience and evidence based practice keeps people out of hospitals and helps people live a full life. Lived experience is the start of hope.

24/09/2025

Very scary review in this week's Sunday Times.

Connection is needed for anyone in crisis. I am a survivor and grateful that I am.

Reach out if you need support.

***deprevention

24/09/2025

Questioning the shortcoming of diagnosis as it separates the person from their world and detaches their pain from their circumstances.

21/09/2025

Perspective has so many applications for students annually. And I am pleased to introduce to you my students for this year.

They will be training and supervised at Perspective, along with having external supervision, external studies and academic supervision. It's a busy year for them.

Anna Raba, qualified Peer Support Specialist. Anna is returning this year to and is specialising in Trauma Informed Practice and a compassionate approach to trauma.

Noel Cosgrove. Noel is studying
BA (Hons) in Holistic Counselling & Psychotherapy
ICPPD Galway.

Tracy Stein. Tracy is studying with DCU and has a wealth of experience in person centered roles.

Shona Doyle. Shona is also studying with Dublin City University and brings experience to Perspective of care roles.

All of my students bring their personal lived experiences, values and wisdom to Perspective, creating the safest of environments for people who need support.

If you need to avail of their support, please contact me on 085 7297451.

19/09/2025

Biology grinds for any Leaving Certs this year. Done with a H1 student.

Welcome to Best at Biology — the easiest way to feel confident and prepared for your Leaving Cert Biology exam. Imagine walking into the exam hall knowing you’ve covered everything, the right way, and can focus on doing your very best.

18/09/2025

This is a free event happening for parents, tonight on zoom at 7pm. All welcome.

Zoom link in the QR code or contact . Hope to see you there.