Relationships are essential for healing. We thrive and grow when we are loved, guided, and nurtured by others. For a long time, I didn’t fully understand the importance of this connection, but my own lived experience taught me how crucial it is. I grew up abused by 2 family members and absolutely no support from my own mother. I longed for security and understanding, often feeling disconnected from the support I desperately needed. The pain I carried made me believe that I had to face life on my own, that vulnerability was a weakness, and trust was a risk not worth taking.

But over time, I was fortunate to encounter people who helped shift this perspective. Whether it was a teacher who took the time to truly listen, or a friend who saw me for who I was, these relationships offered a lifeline. They became examples of what it meant to be loved and valued. Slowly, I began to understand that I didn’t have to carry everything alone. With guidance and support, I started to believe in myself.

This vital connection to growth was the key to learning how to stand on my own. As I developed resilience, belief, and a sense of worth, I realized that people need one another to heal and thrive. It’s through meaningful relationships that we find the strength to overcome, to rebuild, and to grow into our true selves. While independence is important, the foundation of that independence is built through connection.

No one heals in isolation. We need people in our lives who show us that we are worthy of love and that we are capable of rising above even the deepest pain.

This presentation offers audiences a compelling exploration of the transformative process behind the grassroots project 'Left Write Hook' that has now become a film, charity, and medical research project. This initiative is rooted in the lived experience of childhood trauma. As an academic and a survivor, Dr Lyon has navigated the intricate intersection of personal healing and professional development, utilising creative practices to redefine narratives and resist the enduring impacts of trauma.

Left Write Hook began as a modest seed funding grant and has grown into an industry-facing feature documentary and a survivor-led charity. This narrative showcases the power of writing and boxing as instruments of empowerment and recovery. Writing has been a means to articulate and process experiences, while boxing offers a physical outlet for releasing pent-up emotions and building resilience. Supported by a community of peers, these practices have been crucial in Lyon's journey toward overcoming trauma.

In her capacity as a creative practice researcher, Dr. Lyon has employed a mixed methods approach to maximise the impact of her work. By integrating film, video diaries, quantitative data, and psychological qualitative data and working with researchers across disciplines, including lived experience researchers, she has translated research into practical, impactful outcomes. This approach has enriched an academic understanding of trauma and recovery and is a powerful case study of community engagement and support.

Through this presentation, Dr. Lyon underscores the importance of creative practices in trauma recovery and their potential to foster resilience and empowerment. By sharing her personal journey and the evolution of Left Write Hook, she aims to inspire others to explore innovative approaches to trauma recovery and research. Ultimately, this work contributes to a more comprehensive and empathetic understanding of lived experiences, demonstrating how creative practices can pave the way for profound personal, academic and societal transformation.

As a lived experience survivor of child sexual abuse (CSA), I know the isolation that shame creates. CSA survivors are told not to speak of the trauma they have been subjected to, and when they do choose to disclose, they often still find themselves unable to speak openly about their experiences. 

This silence creates a unique echo chamber where their self-doubt, blame and lack of worthiness are heightened creating poor mental health outcomes and further isolation. 

When seeking support, CSA survivors are provided with clinical and therapeutic offerings, and though they help understand and process the trauma, they are often provided by professionals who do not have a lived experience understanding, creating a gap between the survivor and the practitioner. 

I believe this gap can be filled with the support of peers. Empathy and understanding occur when we spend time with others who have similar experiences to our own. We connect through a commonality but also bring our vast lived experiences accompanied by our lens of gender, ethnicity and stages of life. 

Peer support, defined as a form of social-emotional support, offered by an individual with a shared lived experience is an effective tool in positive mental health outcomes. Removing clinical elements and focusing on the parallel relationship dynamics of peers lowers the barrier to accessing these services when compared to traditional mental health services. 

At INSupport Community our peer support events and workshops are co-designed by CSA survivors for CSA survivors. In our online and in-person programs, we have begun to identify improved skills and mental health outcomes for members. Including increased decision-making and problem-solving abilities, reduction of stress and improved communication skills when seeking support. Most importantly members have noted significant reductions in feelings of isolation and disconnection, a key goal for all members.