One of the most healing things I have ever experienced was sitting in a room full of people who understood.
Not because they had read about psychiatric hospitalization in a book.
Not because they had studied it.
But because they had lived it.
They knew what it felt like to lose autonomy. They knew what it felt like to be misunderstood, dismissed, restrained, isolated, overmedicated, or traumatized by systems that were supposed to help. They knew what it felt like to leave those experiences carrying pain that was difficult to explain to people who had never been there.
That is why I created these peer support groups.
I wanted to create the kind of space that I spent years looking for. A space where survivors of psychiatric incarceration and psychiatric harm could come together, share honestly, support one another, and feel less alone.
These groups are built on the values that matter most to me: connection, autonomy, empathy, respect, consent, community, and mutual support.
This is not therapy.
This is peer support.
This is a space where your experiences are taken seriously, your voice matters, and your story is welcome.
Who These Groups Are For
These groups may be a good fit for you if:
- You’ve experienced psychiatric hospitalization, psychiatric incarceration or other psychiatric harm
- You’re trying to process what happened
- You’re carrying fear, grief, anger, shame, or confusion from your experiences
- You want support from people with lived experience
- You’re looking for connection and community
- You want a space where your experiences are understood without judgment
Whether your experiences happened recently or many years ago, you are welcome here.
There is no right way to participate.
Some people share often.
Some people prefer to listen quietly for a while before speaking.
Some people come because they need support.
Others come because they want to support others.
All of those are welcome.
What You Can Expect
Our groups are built on:
- Peer support and lived experience
- Consent and autonomy
- Compassion and mutual respect
- Honest conversation
- Community and connection
- A non-carceral approach
- A trauma-informed environment
- Support without judgment
Together, we create a space where people can speak honestly, be treated with dignity, and connect with others who understand the unique impact of psychiatric trauma.
A Space Where You Don’t Have To Explain Everything
One of the things I hear most often from survivors is how exhausting it can be to explain psychiatric trauma to people who have never experienced it.
In these groups, many people already understand.
They understand what it feels like to lose autonomy.
They understand what it feels like to be restrained, secluded, overmedicated, dismissed, ignored, or traumatized by systems that were supposed to help.
You don’t have to convince anyone that your experiences mattered.
You don’t have to prove that what happened affected you.
You don’t have to justify your pain.
You can simply show up as yourself.
My hope is that these meetings feel like a place where you can take off the mask for a while and be around people who understand.
How The Groups Work
Our meetings take place online and are accessible from wherever you are.
The main Unlock the Psych Ward Doors peer support group alternates between HeyPeers and Skool every week. One week we meet on HeyPeers, and the following week we meet on Skool at the same day and time.
Both platforms are part of the same community.
HeyPeers helps us host meetings and reach survivors who are looking for peer support, while Skool allows us to stay connected between meetings through discussions, community spaces, specialty groups, events, and ongoing support.
I encourage members to join both platforms if they would like to get the most out of the community experience.
The groups are peer-led and grounded in lived experience.
What people share in the group stays in the group.
This is a confidential space built on trust, respect, and mutual support.
Together, we create a community where people can speak honestly, be treated with dignity, and connect with others who understand the lasting impact of psychiatric trauma.
How To Join
Getting started is simple.
Step 1: Create a Free HeyPeers Account
Create a free HeyPeers account so you can view upcoming meetings and register for any groups held on the platform.
Step 2: View Upcoming Meetings
Visit my HeyPeers profile to see upcoming meeting dates and learn which platform the next meeting will be held on.
Step 3: Join the Skool Community
I also encourage members to join our Skool community, which is where we stay connected between meetings and where every other week’s Unlock the Psych Ward Doors meeting is held.
Step 4: Attend a Meeting
Join us on either HeyPeers or Skool, depending on that week’s meeting location.
Both meetings are part of the same community, and you’re welcome to participate on either or both platforms.
Unlock the Psych Ward Doors
Unlock the Psych Ward Doors is the group that started everything.
Long before there was a website, coaching services, reading circles, or a larger community, there was simply a group of survivors gathering together and talking honestly about their experiences.
This group is for anyone who has experienced psychiatric hospitalization, psychiatric incarceration, or other forms of psychiatric harm and is looking for connection, understanding, and community.
Some members are newly out of the hospital and trying to make sense of what happened.
Others are years removed from those experiences and still finding new layers of healing.
Many are somewhere in between.
There is no timeline for healing, and there is no expiration date on experiences that impacted us deeply.
In this group, we talk about what happened, how it affected us, what we’re carrying, and how we move forward.
We celebrate progress.
We hold space for pain.
We support one another through difficult moments.
And together, we remind each other that recovery is possible.
Meeting Schedule
- Mondays at 3:00 PM Pacific Time
- The meeting alternates weekly between HeyPeers and Skool
- One week on HeyPeers, the following week on Skool
- Both meetings are part of the same Unlock the Psych Ward Doors community
- You are welcome to participate on either or both platforms
The alternating schedule allows us to maintain our HeyPeers group while also building a stronger ongoing community through Skool.
Whether you’re newly out of the ward or years into your healing journey, there is a place for you here.
Unlock Psych Reading Circle
One of my favorite things about peer support is learning alongside other people.
The Unlock Psych Reading Circle was created for exactly that reason.
This is a space where we read books together and explore topics related to mental health, recovery, wellness, trauma, personal growth, peer support, and psychiatric injustice.
But this isn’t a traditional book club.
We don’t just read.
We reflect.
We ask questions.
We share our experiences.
We pause when something resonates.
We talk about what we’re learning and how it connects to our lives.
Some of the most meaningful conversations I’ve had in this community have happened during the Reading Circle.
It’s a space where curiosity, learning, and lived experience come together.
And just like all of our groups, every voice matters.
You don’t need to have all the answers.
You don’t need to be an expert.
You simply need to show up as yourself.
The Reading Circle is held through our Skool community and offers another opportunity to connect, learn, reflect, and grow together.
There Is A Seat For You Here
If you’ve been searching for people who understand what you’ve been through, I hope you’ll consider joining us.
Peer support changed my life.
It helped me find healing, connection, belonging, and community when I needed those things most.
My hope is that these groups can offer some of that same support to others.
Whether you’re newly out of the hospital, years into your healing journey, or somewhere in between, you are welcome here.
You don’t have to carry this alone.
There is a seat for you here, and I would love to meet you.