Shoulder to Shoulder by With-you
Welcome to Shoulder to Shoulder
Shoulder to Shoulder is a podcast about the power of peer support and lived experience, and what happens when people who've been through tough times use that experience to help others.
But what is peer support? It's simple: people who've faced their own challenges offer understanding, connection, and hope to others going through similar challenges. That's the meaning of peer support, and it's at the heart of everything we do.
In a world that can make us feel alone when we're struggling, this podcast is a reminder that connection changes everything.
I'm Cate Munro, and each episode I talk with people who've faced real challenges - mental health struggles, addiction, trauma, grief, life-changing moments - and who now stand shoulder to shoulder with others on their own journeys.
My guests include peer support workers, people running peer support groups, and individuals whose lived experience has become their greatest strength.
They share their stories honestly: what happened, what helped, and how peer support made a difference.
Whether you're a peer support worker, thinking about becoming one, part of a peer support group, or simply believe in the power of human connection and shared experience, there's something here for you.
Before you listen: This podcast explores personal stories of growth, mental health and resilience. Some episodes include descriptions of trauma and distress. Please trust your instincts and look after yourself - it's always okay to pause or come back another time.
Thank you for being here.
Find out more about With-you Consultancy at www.with-you.co.uk
Shoulder to Shoulder by With-you
EP 26: Pain, Power & Peer Support: Ryiah Beesley-Gibson on Recovery, Identity & Starting Again
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What 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 home
The emotional and physical cost of delayed recovery
Identity, activity, and what happens when you lose both
Turning pain into purpose through peer support.
The intersection between clinical care and lived experience
Why peer support isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential
Whether 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.uk
Day 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