At 18, I sought help after seven sleepless nights, hoping for relief. Instead, I was misdiagnosed with “schizophrenia” and placed on two years of unnecessary ‘treatment’. Later, this diagnosis was revised to “stress-related breakdown” and eventually to “no mental illness.” If you’ve ever felt misunderstood or dismissed while seeking help, you’re not alone—I know how isolating and disheartening it can feel.

This experience taught me that ‘healing’ begins when we’re truly seen and understood—not reduced to labels or symptoms. Through subsequent research, I discovered that many psychiatric diagnoses aren’t based on solid science but are created through committee decisions. This realization was life-changing: while all human experiences have biological aspects, not all suffering is a medical illness. People are not simply patients with illnesses but individuals experiencing problems that are understandable within our unique contexts. While the diagnostic mindset can be helpful for accessing certain benefits in a system underpinned by the biomedical model of distress, it often limits the richness of human experience and reduces people to their ‘symptoms’, which are actually problems in thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

These lessons now guide my work. I am committed to prevent harm and optimise your experiences of benefit. Together, we create spaces where your full story is honored, your struggles are understood, and your path forward feels authentic to you.