Lived Experience mahi is more than peer support
Reflection by Megan, Engagement and Insights Manager, Changing Minds
In 2025, I’ve been lucky to support many people into Lived Experience work—not only through our wellbeing system mapping mahi, but also across our wider Changing Minds kaupapa.
Taking the leap into Lived Experience work
Earlier this year, we recruited a new staff position and had the opportunity to truly practise what we preach when it comes to Lived Experience recruitment. That meant intentionally encouraging people to bring support with them, offering flexible interview times, and adapting for sensory accessibility.
This reflects how we work more broadly: we prioritise wellbeing, understand the nerves that can come with entering unfamiliar spaces, and offer support without question—because we trust that people know their own capabilities best.
Welcoming someone, possibly for the first time, into a Lived Experience space is a big responsibility. We never want anyone to feel overwhelmed, or to feel pressured to share more of their personal journey than they want to.
Stock image: Starry skies in Aotearoa by @joe_leahy
The diversity of Lived Experience mahi
I often hear from people who have reached a turning point in their wellbeing journeys and feel drawn to “giving back” through Lived Experience or peer support work. While that pathway is valuable, I want to challenge the assumption that peer support is the only way to use Lived Experience.
This has become especially important as our mapping research has progressed and we’ve intentionally created a range of Lived Experience roles. Recently, someone working on the project shared how meaningful it felt to use their Lived Experience in a role that didn’t require them to tell their story. They found it less activating than previous roles, while still deeply rewarding.
Through the mapping project, I’ve had the privilege of working with more than twenty incredible people from across Aotearoa, each bringing different Lived Experience skills and knowledge. This includes:
Our advisory group, who share cultural, community, and systems knowledge.
Our interviewers, who we supported and trained to use their empathy, kōrero, and community connections in one-on-one interviews.
Our community coders, many of whom had never seen the “behind the scenes” of research before, and who bring their Lived Experience perspectives to help ensure the full diversity of experiences is reflected.
Across these roles, I see people advocating for their communities and values, making others feel welcome, listening without judgement, being open to learning and challenge, and analysing and evaluating rich and complex data.
Lived Experience and qualifications
This year we’ve seen strong growth in peer support roles—and that’s a good thing. It’s encouraging to see peer roles in emergency departments and recovery cafés receiving increased recognition and support.
At the same time, I’ve heard kōrero about qualifications creating uncertainty. Several people I spoke with during recruitment saw Level 4 qualifications as a requirement, and therefore a barrier, to entering Lived Experience mahi. People who would have been excellent interviewers or advisors said things like “I haven’t got my Level 4s.”
For the mapping research, we focused on why people wanted to use their skills and whether they felt ready to contribute. One of the most exciting parts of this work has been supporting people to build skills and learning in real time—benefitting both the project and their longer-term goals.
We intentionally created roles for people who are comfortable sharing their Lived Experience stories, and for those who want to use other strengths within a Lived Experience environment. I want people to know that it is possible to do Lived Experience mahi at different levels of sharing and closeness—whatever feels right for you.
Making spaces genuinely welcoming
Earlier this year, Dan Goodwin and I presented at the Transforming Mental Health Conference on what good Lived Experience engagement looks like, and the practical steps we take to support people into and facilitate these spaces.
One of our goals was to show that it is possible to support people with Lived Experience into work in ways that are accessible, flexible, and led by what they want. That means offering different types of roles, being adaptable in our practices, and working around what’s happening in people’s lives.
One of the greatest benefits of this approach is knowing that the responsibility never sits with one person alone. We work as a community, support can be asked for, and it will be given.
There is still work to do, and some uncomfortable beliefs to challenge. This year, someone told me they didn’t think people with Lived Experience should work in wellbeing or mental health spaces unless they were degree-qualified psychologists. From my experience, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Our mahi is stronger, richer, and more effective when Lived Experience is welcomed in all its forms.
Looking ahead
If you’re reading this and thinking about a change in 2026, wondering how you might use your Lived Experience, know that there are many pathways, and a community ready to support you.
And if you’re in a position to support a Lived Experience team and don’t know where to start, ask the question. We’re always happy to share what we’ve learned and help others do this work well.