When I first started in peer support, I thought I had to be some version of “healed.”
Spoiler alert: I wasn’t.
Four years later, I’ve learned that supporting others doesn’t require perfection. In this video, I share four lessons I wish I knew at the beginning.
Reading not your thing? Check out the video:
Working in mental health doesn’t automatically mean you’re caring for your own. I learned that the hard way, talking about rest and boundaries while running on four hours of sleep and cold coffee.
Peer support asks you to show up for others, yes. But first, it asks you to show up for yourself.
Some of my most meaningful moments in peer support happened on days I felt off. Tired. Disconnected.
But I showed up. I was honest.
And that honesty gave someone else permission to be real too. Turns out, presence matters more than polish.
At its core, peer support is two people making space for each other.
It’s not advice. It’s not fixing. It’s listening, sharing, sitting in silence if that’s what’s needed.
Support lives in the in-between.
Yeah, I said it.
For so long, mental health conversations have centered on trauma, crisis, and survival. And that stuff matters (it’s often the entry point to this work). But healing can also look like joy. Play. Laughter.
Peer support taught me that wellness isn’t just about getting through the hard stuff—it’s about building a life you actually want to be here for.
Did I leave anything out?
If there’s a lesson you’ve learned in your own support work, or something you wish more people talked about, reach out and let me know. I’d love to hear it.
For more videos, stories, and reflections on peer support and mental wellness, check out the rest of the site or head over to my YouTube channel.
Until next time, I’m Jeff. and remember -
Take care of yourself, however that looks to you.