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Writer's pictureDr Natalie Kemp

Alicia King...of in2gr8 Series Twitter Reviews!




Alicia King is a PhD candidate working on research into sharing lived experience of mental health difficulties in the mental health professions. She has been doing some lovely Twitter threads on the highlights of episodes of the 'in conversation with' series.

It has been really good to be in touch with Alicia about her work. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, Anna and I met with her this morning WAAAY before breakfast. I was just about awake enough to remember my name - I had a good coffee by my side! ☕️

We're excited to be working on a few delights for your webinar space at in2gr8mentalhealth - so do keep your eyes peeled, we'll be letting you know what's what as we develop the programme!


Below are two of Alicia's threads unrolled; her highlights from episode three and four (unfortunately without the lovely pics and gifs as I couldn't get them to translate):


Alicia King: on Episode Four with Kate Snewin

9 tweets, 6 min read



Another great episode in this series. Important reflections on the contrast between workplaces that support and value the well being of the staff within them, and those that don't. Must watch for leaders within #mentalhealth services who wish to create compassion cultures. 1/

1:55 - 3:40 Great description of "homely" team where the health of staff was prioritised by the manager and colleagues "had each others' backs". 2/

4:05 - 4:15 Contrasted with a workplace where in response to a toxic workplace culture she was "given the message" that "their was something wrong me", creating a "deep sense of shame". 3/

4:43 - 4:55 "It helped to know I wasn't the only one" The importance of #peersupport in understanding systemic impacts on our #mentalhealth. 4/

8:00 - 9:05 "I wanted to #advocate or #enable people to #speakupfor themselves, for people to have the #rights they should have, and live the #life they should have." On her reasons for working in #mentalhealth as someone with #livedexperience. 5/

9:45 - 11:15 On the #toxic culture of "work harder" "give more" and the damage it causes to #Mentalhealth professionals. Compared with #compassion focused cultures where "we take #care of ourselves, we take care of each other whilst we take care of the people we're seeing." 6/

12:12 - 13:10 On responses for colleagues on #returntowork after personal leave and the role of work pressure in destroying #compassion between staff. 7/

15:40 - 16:58 On moving from "doing mode" to the "nurture zone" in mental health workplaces and "bringing teams together" to "take care of each other". 8/

And finally, "Self #compassion is at the core"... "building a foundation of #strength". 9/





This series just keeps getting better. Great conversation around the intersections of #mentalhealth #stigma and structural #racism and bring our whole selves to our work as mental health professionals Definitely worth watching the whole 40 minutes but highlights for me...
1/7

1:40 - 2:15 "I'm more of a them than I am an us" The "us and them" dichotomy in #mentalhealth professions. 2/7

4:55 - 5:35 "It was a sharing culture" On a workplace that supported the sharing of #livedexperience and it's impact on the well being of staff. 3/7

7:25 - 8:13 On "closed down" supervisory relationships that don't allow professionals to bring personal responses to the work to supervision. 4/7

9:50 - 10:29 "Be careful who you talk to." On policing of the "culture of non-disclosure" in mental health professions. 5/7

17:00 - 17:30 & 26:12 - 28:32 "You want to say this is hard but how is that going to be received when you say it?" Also, @kempspace on "the bits you give back". On finding your voice and identity in the context of #whitefragility and #stigma. 6/7

And finally... 36:10 - 37:20 On asking for a #mentalhealth day when we need it, in order to "bring our whole selves" to the work we do. Great stuff @In2gr8mh! Can't wait for the next episode. 7/7

You can find us regularly on Twitter @kempspace, @clinpsysussex and @in2gr8mh


As always, thank you for reading, watching, listening and hearing!


in2gr8Team

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