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 35: Hansa Raja on Parent Carer Peer Support, feeling unheard — and why listening to carers changes everything.
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In this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Cate is joined by Hansa Raja, founder of Holding Space - a peer-led mental health support service created by and for parents.
Hansa’s journey into peer support began when her child experienced serious mental health challenges, at a time when she was also navigating divorce, exhaustion, and fear. Like many Parent Carers, Hansa felt blamed rather than listened to - referred to parenting courses instead of offered understanding and support.
What changed everything wasn’t a diagnosis or a referral. It was peer support.
In this conversation, Hansa explains how searching for one other parent who understood led her to create a small online space grounded in lived experience. That space grew into Holding Space, a Parent Carer peer support service offering connection, validation, and practical support to carers who often felt left to cope alone.
We explore why peer support for carers works where traditional services can fall short: because it’s relational, non-judgemental, and rooted in shared experience. Hansa talks about the power of being listened to, the importance of early intervention, and why carers’ voices must be taken seriously if we want better mental health outcomes for children and families.
The conversation also looks at the wider system; how parents can sometimes feel pushed to the margins of mental health services, why lived experience can still undervalued, and how peer-led mental health support can sit alongside clinical care rather than often being treated as an afterthought.
At its heart, this is an episode about lived experience mental health and why peer support isn’t “extra”, but essential.
You’ll hear about:
- Hansa’s lived experience as a parent and carer
- Feeling unheard and unsupported by services
- Why peer support mental health approaches work for carers
- How Holding Space grew from one connection into a community
- Early intervention and preventing crisis through peer support
- The emotional toll of caring and why carers need support too
- How peer support can empower parents
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Show notes & resources:
With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk
The Parent Lounge:
The Parent Lounge is an online community for parents/carers who are navigating life with children and young people of any age.
It is for anyone who is in a caring role or who is on a journey with their child’s emotional and/or mental health. It is a safe space to come together, meet others on a similar journey, chat, share, connect and be supported.
As the community grows we will build resources and share expertise as well as bring in outside speakers.
Meetings will be 1x month online via zoom 6-8pm.
Access to The Parent Longe is via this link https://hansa.systeme.io/membership-sales-page-bbbd298e
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk