If you’ve ever wondered why discovery college feels different from traditional mental health programs or classroom-style learning, this piece explores the heart of our approach: co-created learning, real conversations, and lived experience at the centre.
In this episode, Hayley shares her story of resilience, living through abuse, depression, and misdiagnosis. She reflects on what it means to re-write your story, and how nursing has become her tūrangawaewae — a place where she feels grounded and connected to something bigger than herself.
This conversation with Siswella explores what it was like to lose her memories after intensive ECT and begin again. They reflect on how they found meaning through peer work, the impact of genuine support, and the importance of trusting your intuition.
Justin shares a fresh way of looking at psychosis—not as something “broken,” but as a way the mind tries to survive tough experiences. Using the fable The North Wind and the Sun, it shows how real change doesn’t come from pressure, but from warmth, patience, and truly listening.
Katya shares what it’s like to live with an eating disorder, like having two brains: one that loves pasta and ice cream, and one that only wants control. She reflects on how it all began, the role social media played, and why recovery feels like trying to grow a seed in winter—until you find your garden.
Michelle shares her journey supporting two young people through extreme distress, from hospital stays to first responder callouts. She talks about the challenges with emergency services and the healthcare system, the power of being there for someone, instead of trying to fix them, and why she created Kaboose, a community app for neurodivergent people.
After her first daughter’s birth, Bek experienced intense postnatal panic. Misdiagnosed and overmedicated, she spent three years in and out of psychiatric hospitals. In this episode, she shares how she fought to get her life back and regain her agency.
Our guest shares their experience of psychosis and depression, overcoming adversity, finding purpose through reading 200 books in 2 years, and discovering a life worth fighting for.
This is a conversation with Jesse about suicide. Jesse shares his own experiences of suicidality and offers different ways we can have more compassionate conversations about it. We explore some of the misunderstandings around suicide, the importance of language and allowing people time and space to process and heal.
Mary O’Hagan shares snippets from her memoir “Madness Made Me” and speaks about how value and meaning can be derived from experiences of madness. We ponder what it could look like if communities looked after each other and created space for people in distress.
