Episode 29: Lived Experience Isn’t a Weakness. It’s One of Our Greatest Strengths

Episode 29: Lived Experience Isn’t a Weakness. It’s One of Our Greatest Strengths.Lived experience is something we talk about a lot in the helping professions.But often, it’s framed as something to manage.Something to be careful with.Or something that sits quietly in the background.In this solo episode, I explore what lived experience actually is, how it differs from learned experience, and why it is far more common in our professions than we openly acknowledge.Drawing on early insights from my recent sector-wide survey on psychosocial hazards and psychological safety, I share what the data revealed about lived experience across helping professionals in Australia, including just how layered and common it is.I also reflect on my own lived experience, and how it has shaped my values, career direction, and the way I show up in my work.Importantly, this episode explores the ethical considerations of lived experience in practice:When sharing is helpful, and when it’s notThe importance of intentional, boundaried use of lived experienceWhy oversharing and over-identifying can create riskHow supervision and reflective practice support safe and sustainable use of lived experienceWe also explore why boundaries matter even more when lived experience is present, and how unclear boundaries can lead to overextending, over-identifying, and burnout.This is a conversation about moving away from seeing lived experience as a liability, and towards understanding it as a powerful, informed, and meaningful part of our work.Because the issue isn’t lived experience.It’s whether it’s supported.And as I share in this episode:“That’s not a weakness in this profession… that’s one of its greatest strengths.”A genuine thank you to the 102 helping professionals who took the time to respond to the survey, your openness and willingness to share your lived experience is what made this conversation possible.Resources mentioned in the episode: Involvement Continuum (helpful for reflecting on over/under involvement with clients)How we can work together:If this episode resonated and you’re wanting support around boundaries, reflective practice, and sustainable ways of working:Boundaries as Practitioners (self-paced training):www.jazminpursell.com.au/ineedboundariesGroup Supervision (new groups beginning June 2026)1:1 Supervision:I have a small number of spaces for individual supervision, which are currently available before June 30 for those needing to finalise their CPD hours, contact me via my website here.Let’s connect, lovely!If this episode resonated, I’d love to hear from you.You can connect with me via LinkedIn or Instagram, or share this episode with a colleague who would benefit from hearing this conversation. Thanks for listening to Not Another PD.If this episode was helpful and you’d like to find out more, you’ll find ways to work with me in the show notes.And if there’s a topic you want covered, or someone you think should be on the podcast, I’d love to hear from you.Remember, clear boundaries don’t just protect our clients, they protect us too.