What has your body lived through? | Burnout, Identity, & THRIVE

Dr. Shannon Kara is an Occupational Therapist, Clinical Director and Doctoral Student based in Canberra, specialising in nature-based interventions for neurodivergent and intellectually disabled populations.In this episode of the Running for Resilience Podcast, Shannon joins Matt Breen to share her powerful story of surviving domestic violence, rebuilding her identity, navigating burnout and discovering how nature, movement and community can help regulate the nervous system.Through her clinical work, doctoral research and programs including Nature for Life, Shannon explores how simple, accessible experiences in nature can support people living with anxiety, burnout, trauma, neurodiversity and intellectual disability. Her work sits at the intersection of lived experience and evidence-based practice, showing how the environments we spend time in can shape our recovery, wellbeing and sense of belonging.This conversation also unpacks Shannon’s THRIVE framework, a practical roadmap designed to help people tune into their bodies, harness nature, regulate their nervous system, integrate small moments of nature into daily life, reconnect with their values and expand safely into new experiences.Together, Matt and Shannon explore:Surviving domestic violence and the long process of leavingHow trauma affects the nervous systemWhy movement and walking can help us feel safeThe connection between nature, burnout and recoverySupporting neurodivergent and intellectually disabled communitiesWhy predictability, autonomy and belonging matterHow Running for Resilience creates connection through movementThe six moves of the THRIVE frameworkHow nature can help shift people from survival into something more sustainableThis is a deeply human conversation about trauma, recovery, neurodiversity, nervous system regulation and the power of community. It bridges the gap between what we know helps and how people actually live, showing how identity, movement, nature and connection can reshape recovery.Learn more about Shannon’s work and book, Thrive in NatureSupport ServicesDomestic Violence Crisis Support | whiteribbon.org.au/helplinesMedicare Mental Health Centre Canberra | 1800 595 212Lifeline | 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)Beyond Blue | 1300 22 4636 | ⁠beyondblue.org.au⁠