About me
Me
I grew up in Sydney. I'm Greek by background and by appearance.
Some personal things about me: My favourite movie is It's a Wonderful Life. I'm also a Sydney Roosters tragic.
My mental health journey
My journey began when I turned 18. Unexpectedly, and with no common factors such as genetic disposition, drug use, sleep deprivation etc. I had an acute episode of psychosis. The rapid nature of the acute onset was a blessing for me as it meant I was in professional care within 24 hours of first feeling different. I was straight away put on anti-psychotic medication and came out of my psychosis after about a month. I took this medication for a year or so as a preventative. 6 months later the same thing happened again. Using the same support network I then took the same medication for 2 years.
My advocacy work
After recovering and coming off my medication I really wanted to give back in a way that would help people. I found out about batyr and they helped me to share my story at schools and universities. I then became an advocate for SANE Australia and have been an ambassador for both of these organisations for about 10 years. I've been on TV, radio and online media advocating for mental health education and stigma reduction.
My approach to workplace training
My approach to workplace training stems from two places:
- my mental health advocacy
- working in corporates
I realised that mental health and wellbeing initiatives were lacking in the workplace and were at best peripheral - Mental health isn't directly addressed. Corporates tend to take a more holistic wellbeing approach focusing on yoga, wellness and maybe having some cupcakes on RUOKDAY. Surprisingly some of these corporates actually have a robust EAP and strong supports but don't actively advertise.
My training differs from others because it's not just for "mental health first aiders" but for everyone, because we all have mental health and we can all benefit from understanding how to better help ourselves and support others.
I focus on smaller, in-person workshops for around 10-30 people depending on team sizes. Mainly I do these workshops over 2 hours to maximise engagement and to not take up a whole or half a day.
My clients love my workshops for their engagement, authenticity and practical takeaways.
