Peer Support for Survivors of Psychiatric Harm
Hi, I’m Cristine. I’m Your Peer Support at Unlock Psych, and I am so honored to be able to welcome you into this space today.
I want to share a little bit about why Unlock Psych exists. For twenty years, psychiatric systems have been a major part of my life. I spent years moving in and out of psychiatric hospitals, trying to survive experiences that often left me feeling unheard, misunderstood, and disconnected from myself.
If you are here because you’ve been harmed by psychiatric systems, psychiatric hospitalization, coercive treatment, overmedication, stigmatization, or other experiences that have left you carrying pain, I want you to know that you are not alone.
I wish none of us needed a space like this. But since we do, I am so glad you found your way here.
Unlock Psych was created from a deep desire for something different. It is a place where we can talk openly about psychiatric harm, where lived experience matters, and where we can support one another without judgment, coercion, or shame.
When I first started this community, I was carrying a lot of anger. Anger at what had happened to me. Anger at what I had witnessed happen to others. Over time, that anger transformed into something else.
It transformed into a desire to build.
To build community.
To build connection.
To build the kind of space I wish had existed when I needed it most.
That is what Unlock Psych has become for me.
A place where people can be honest.
A place where people can heal.
A place where people can remember they are not alone.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Featured Interview: Unlock Psych on Jay’s Psych Ward Stories
I’m excited to share that I’ll be appearing on Jay’s Psych Ward Stories, a video podcast dedicated to exploring psychiatric hospitalization, recovery, lived experience, and the realities of navigating the mental health system.
In this upcoming conversation, we’ll discuss psychiatric incarceration, survivor advocacy, peer support, systemic barriers, healing beyond the ward, and the importance of creating spaces where people can share their experiences without judgment.
Stay tuned for the episode release and join us as we explore what it means to reclaim our stories and unlock the doors that too often keep people unheard.
Watch and support the podcast:
A Little About Me
I am a Certified Peer Support Specialist, and I continue to work in peer support because it is work that I deeply believe in.
Peer support is at the center of everything I do.
While I have completed additional trainings and certifications over the years, what matters most to me is the connection between people. The ability to sit with someone in a difficult moment and remind them that they do not have to carry everything by themselves.
I am not here as an expert on your life.
I am here as another human being with lived experience who believes in the power of support, community, autonomy, and healing.
One-on-One Peer Support
I offer one-on-one peer support and coaching sessions for people looking for a space to talk, process, reflect, and reconnect with themselves.
Sometimes people come to talk about psychiatric trauma. Sometimes they come to process grief, anger, fear, or uncertainty. Sometimes they want support rebuilding trust in themselves after difficult experiences. Sometimes they simply want a place where they can be fully honest.
There is no script.
There is no expectation that you need to have everything figured out before reaching out.
We start where you are.
Together we create a space to explore your experiences, your goals, your challenges, and what support looks like for you.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Unlock Psych is more than one-on-one support.
It is also a community.
I facilitate free peer support meetings for survivors of psychiatric harm and psychiatric incarceration. These meetings bring together people from different backgrounds and experiences who share a common desire for connection, understanding, and mutual support.
One of the things I love most about these groups is the reminder that healing does not have to happen alone.
There is something powerful about being in a space with people who understand pieces of your experience without needing a lengthy explanation.
Our community also includes discussion forums, opportunities for connection, and our Reading Circle, where we gather to read together, live, reflect as we go, pause if anything comes up, process with one another, and learn about the other members of our community.
At its heart, Unlock Psych is about people showing up for one another.
A NON-CARCERAL SPACE
One of the values that guides everything I do is a commitment to creating non-carceral spaces.
Many of us have learned that being honest about our struggles can feel risky. Many of us have experienced environments where vulnerability was met with control rather than support.
I want to offer something different.
A space where honesty is welcomed.
A space where autonomy is respected.
A space where support is offered through connection, compassion, and conversation.
My goal is not to control people. My goal is to support people.
I believe every person deserves dignity, choice, and the opportunity to be heard.
At the end of the day, Unlock Psych exists because I believe people deserve places where they can belong.
Places where they can talk about pain.
Places where they can celebrate growth.
Places where they can ask for support.
Places where they can show up exactly as they are.
My hope is that when people arrive here, they feel a little less alone than they did before.
If that’s what you’re looking for, I’m glad you’re here.
Kind Words I’ve Received
I also work for a warm line/crisis line and a few peer support platforms. I keep a little notebook where I write positive comments I get from sessions. Here are some lovely words of feedback from people I’ve supported. These are mixed in with feedback I’ve gotten from the facilitation I’ve done for meetings of groups on HeyPeers for Unlock the Psych Ward Doors. I am so grateful for every interaction where I get to listen and hold space for someone.
“Fantastic, understanding, and open group facilitator. Responded very well to any issues that arose and handled them promptly, ensuring everyone in the space was comfortable. Also listened intently to everyone’s shares and provided open and honest, uplifting feedback.”
“Your approach to the call was really warm and reassuring.”
“I appreciate you listening, it’s probably one of the first times someone’s been validating like this.”
“I love your words. Very, very insightful. I love your calmness.”
“I greatly appreciated having a safe space; free from the violation of being observed without my personal consent! I thank you for understanding the adverse effects of recurring traumas, that trauma healing work requires harm reduction, and for understanding that the recovery process needs to feel supportive, safe, and empowering.”
“You’re so nice, thank you for manifesting!”
“Thank you for your fine-tuned understanding and care. That should never be under-appreciated. I want to commend you on your level of compassion, empathy and kindness. You are an Earth-angel. And don’t let anyone tell you different!”
“Cristine is intentionally mindful, welcoming and makes me feel safe within our meetings.”
“Very engaging, great job facilitating especially with such a difficult and challenging topic. And,.. I’m so grateful she’s hosting this meeting because when we have community we can heal and find solutions to suffering.”
“Amazing host who creates a safe place for all members. She has great lived experience and is an asset to any organization that will use her as a facilitator.”
“What a great and compassionate group leader. So glad I found this group.”
“I like her kind, gentle energy and sharing from her heart.”