What is one thing that made you feel heard during your recovery or mental health journey?
For me, one of the biggest moments was when my family stopped arguing with me about what I was experiencing and simply listened. They didn't try to fix me, debate me, or tell me how I should feel. They just accepted that my experience was real and met me where I was.
That unconditional support has been integral to my recovery.
#Recovery #MentalHealth #LivedExperience #PeerSupport #FamilySupport
Celebrating PCB’s Advocacy Impact
Today, we are looking back at our lasting impact across PA.
PCB peers have advocated in their own communities for accessibility, equal opportunity & inclusion.
PCB’s advocacy has always been rooted in local voices, shared experiences & peer support.
Are you connected with a local PCB chapter?
Every chapter has a story & every voice matters.
#ThrowbackThursday #PCB #PACouncilOfTheBlind #VisionLoss #Blindness #Accessibility #Advocacy #PeerSupport #Community
💙 Did you know PCB is more than just an organization?
PCB is a statewide peer network where people who are blind or low vision, (as well as their families & caregivers), can connect, learn, share & support one another.
Find a local chapter, join a discussion call, and become part of a welcoming community across PA.
You do not have to navigate vision loss alone.
#PACouncilOfTheBlind #PCB #VisionLoss #Blindness #PeerSupport #Advocacy #AssistiveTechnology #Accessibility #Community
Just joined Tessolari, or thinking about it? This is the post we wish we could hand every new member with a cup of tea. A friendly walk through signing up, building a profile, finding your people, and posting your first listing or request - at your own pace. No diagnosis needed, every step optional, no judgement about how complete your profile is.
https://tslr.to/3DvGPA #Neurodivergent #PeerSupport #ActuallyAutistic
Some of the most useful peer support happens in person - a hand at an appointment, a check-in, an hour of company. We want those meetings to be safe and straightforward for both sides. A few sensible habits do most of the work: keep the first exchanges in writing, meet somewhere public if you can, agree scope and payment up front, and trust your gut - you can pause or cancel any time. Full guide:
Today has been a full one and I am glad it is nearly over.
This morning started with a GP appointment where my blood test results came back. My diabetes management needs adjusting, so my medication has changed. I am now on Synjardy, a combination tablet that brings metformin and empagliflozin together into one. Simpler on paper. A lot to sit with in practice.
What I did not feel I got today was a proper rundown of the side effects, and I have another appointment tomorrow where I plan to push for that conversation properly. I wish medical professionals would simply lead with the information rather than making patients ask. What I do know already is that empagliflozin increases urination as part of how it works, flushing excess glucose through the kidneys. That is a real problem for me. Managing bathroom urgency is already difficult enough without a medication actively making it worse, and I am not entirely sure how I am going to navigate that, especially on days when I am out or studying.
Food management is its own frustration. Texture sensitivities and sensory processing differences make low carb eating genuinely hard. Breakfast stumps me every single time. Lunch has been salad again, with the occasional sandwich. Snacks may need to disappear entirely. It is exhausting.
This afternoon I also found out my new support worker has broken her wrist and is booked off for three weeks. It happened last week while she was on my shift. She fell going to the bathroom while I was finishing my coffee. I feel terrible about it, and it also leaves me in a complicated spot practically.
The one thing that has genuinely carried me through today is Haydn's piano trios. I have been listening to them and they are extraordinary. Haydn wrote over 40 of them across his life, and they sit in a fascinating place in chamber music history, formally structured but full of warmth, wit, and surprise. The cello in Haydn's trios is largely tied to the piano bass line rather than given an independent voice, which sounds like a limitation but creates this remarkable tightly woven texture. The piano carries the melodic weight while the violin sings above it. The Gypsy Rondo from Trio No. 43 in G major is the most well known, with that irresistible Hungarian-inflected final movement, but the quieter, more reflective trios are the ones I keep returning to. There is something in the balance of structure and tenderness in late Haydn that feels exactly right when a day has been too much.
Studies started today too. Relationship counselling and addictions counselling, both already making me think hard. Addiction is not a moral failure or a willpower problem. It is relational at its core, rooted in pain and disconnection, and the neuroscience supports that entirely. What someone is really learning from the substance is always the more important question. First lecture is Wednesday evening, not my favourite time slot, but I am looking forward to it.
#AuDHD #Blind #Counselling #Neuroscience #Haydn #ClassicalMusic #StudentLife #Diabetes #PeerSupport #MentalHealth
#Introduction: Alto choral scholar and counselling postgrad by day, compulsive reader and writer by night.
I came to counselling through a winding path that includes a Bachelor of Music with a vocal major, AMEB Grade 8 piano, and a Graduate Certificate in Neuroscience, because I have always needed to understand both the human voice and the human brain. The counselling is where those two obsessions finally make sense together.
I sing alto as a choral scholar, and classical music is less a hobby and more a way of existing. I also write long-form and reflective pieces, the kind that try to articulate what sits just underneath the surface. I have worked as a piano teacher, a peer support facilitator, a reference group member in the disability sector, and a freelance writer, which together form a fairly honest portrait of what I care about.
I am #AuDHD and #Blind and hard of hearing, navigating postgraduate study and a life built largely on listening closely to things. I am here for depth. Conversations about #MentalHealth, #Neuroscience, #Counselling, #ClassicalMusic, #Choral, disability, and lived experience. If any of that resonates, I would love to connect. #Alto #PeerSupport #Introduction
Health Month is a reminder that no one should have to struggle alone.
Sometimes, what we need most is a safe space to be heard without judgement, pressure, or fear.
#OutliveChat is a free, anonymous #peersupport platform offering chat-based emotional support and #suicideprevention resources for young people in distress or having thoughts of suicide.
Visit: https://www.outlive.in/
To support our peers, prioritize conversations over stories. Here's why events and associations should prioritize interaction.
https://www.conferencesthatwork.com/index.php/associations-2/2025/06/power-peer-conversation
Most of the people we serve have Intellectual and Developmental disabilities, like myself. We also actively support the rights of #LGBTQ+ #LGBT #Queer #Trans persons, who are more likely to experience disability. All communities have crossover with the disability community because anyone can become disabled.
If you'd like to check out what Able SC does look at our website here https://www.able-sc.org/
We are 75% staffed by #Disabled People, so our organization is #ForUsByUs #PeerSupport
The Human Outcome
PA Council of the Blind
Tessolari
The Harmony Seeker
Outlive
Adrian Segar
wednesday the valkyrja