EP 26: Pain, Power & Peer Support: Ryiah Beesley-Gibson on Recovery, Identity & Starting Again

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a single moment changes everything — your body, your identity, your future?In this moving episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Cate speaks with Ryiah Beesley-Gibson — a mental health practitioner, trauma survivor, and now a passionate peer supporter.Just weeks before starting a new job in crisis mental health care, Ryiah sustained a catastrophic hip injury while travelling in Bali - setting off a long, painful recovery and a complete reimagining of her life.Now training as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and volunteering with Day One Trauma Support, Ryiah shares her honest reflections on recovery, anger, meaning-making, and how peer support offered a vital turning point when everything else felt lost. We discuss:Navigating a traumatic injury far from homeThe emotional and physical cost of delayed recoveryIdentity, activity, and what happens when you lose bothTurning pain into purpose through peer support.The intersection between clinical care and lived experienceWhy peer support isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essentialWhether you’re in the early stages of recovery, supporting someone through trauma, or working in healthcare — Ryiah’s story is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we meet each other as equals. Show notes & resources:With-you: with-you.co.ukDay One Trauma: https://www.dayonetrauma.org/Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk