EP 30: Louise Christie on lived-experience leadership and peer support in Scotland

Send us Fan MailLouise Christie leads the Scottish Recovery Network and has spent over a decade shifting power from systems to people with lived experience. She came into mental health from housing, regeneration and social enterprise — an outsider who saw how medicalised services miss what people actually need.We talk family and identity, and the moment peer support moved from theory to practice. Louise explains how SRN pivoted from being “the experts” to conveners and amplifiers — backing grassroots groups, launching Making Recovery Real in Dundee and Moray, and proving that peer support isn’t a “nice-to-have” but a mechanism for culture change.You’ll hear the real differences between Scotland and England (and what devolution gets right and wrong), why peer leadership must sit alongside clinical roles, and how to grow a peer workforce without draining community lifeblood. We cover boundaries, stigma, the myth of “treatment-resistant” people, and why relational, values-based practice beats box-ticking every time.If you care about recovery that’s human, practical, and led by the people who live it — this conversation is for you. You’ll hear about:The shift from “fixing people” to listening and empoweringMaking Recovery Real: what changed in Dundee and MorayWhy peer support changes outcomes and mindsetsPeer leadership vs entry-level roles — and why the distinction mattersScotland vs England: strategy, delivery, and what needs to be operationalisedBuilding peer roles with the grassroots, not at their expenseBoundaries, stigma, and seeing lived experience as an assetIf this resonates, share it with a colleague or commissioner — and start a conversation about peer leadership where you are.#PeerSupport #LivedExperience #ScottishRecoveryNetwork #MentalHealth #Recovery #CultureChange #NHSScotland #MakingRecoveryReal #Devolution #WorkforceListen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.Show notes & resources:With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.ukListen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk