Brad - Being drawn to kindness in my work brought me full circle

I came to work at Flourish Australia with experience in the mental health system. The organisation is really different in the way they approach support delivery, as well as their work culture. Kindness plays a big part and I was immediately drawn to that. I’ve since seen it transform lives every day.

At the age of 26, my banking career was disrupted by a diagnosis of Bipolar and a couple of short term hospital admissions that led to time off work. Lack of awareness about what was happening to me, and the social stigma I experienced, hindered by career progression and kept me in a holding pattern for much of the next decade at the lending centre of the bank.

Now in my 40’s, I’m pleased to say I’ve finally found my place as a Peer Worker with Flourish Australia Seven Hills. It’s a first for me to find a professional role where my lived experience is valued and not something to be glossed over. That frees me to be fully myself and feel more comfortable and connected in my work.

The fact that there is such a high concentration of Peer Workers on board is a reflection of a culture that earns people’s trust.

Here, I’m surrounded by people who are accepting and respectful of differences.

I’ve experienced work environments where people in need of support tended to distance themselves at first, because they felt the staff were only there to get paid. Working with Flourish Australia has shown me how powerful genuine empathy and care is, for making a connection with someone.

I love that our approach to supporting people is focused on recovery and doesn’t pathologise everything. The support we provide is tailored to each individual’s wants, needs and dreams, which humanises the process.

Working in such an accepting environment has nurtured my openness about my lived experience, supported me to live my truth, and promote awareness as a way of being. I see the hope it inspires in someone who’s struggling with their own challenges when I share enough of my story for them to feel understood.

Every day I see lives transformed by simple acts of kindness, in my work. I’ve taken on board the necessity of being kind to myself too, and building nurturing networks that support my wellbeing.

When my eyes were opened to the impact kindness can have on healing, I found my calling. The funny thing is, it has brought me full-circle, literally! The building I work in now used to be a bank, the very bank I was pursuing a very different career path with, when I first became unwell.

Thankfully I’ve returned to far more positive times and a healthier career environment, and hold even brighter hopes for my future.