Portrait: Kat

I first started working in mental health at the age of 18 and then gradually climbed the ladder to working within psychiatric secure units across Scotland. I worked with a wide range of individuals one of the most memorable experiences being the five years I worked for BIRT, now called Brainkind, as a rehabilitation support worker.

Brain injury: Kat’s perspective as a professional 

I first started working in mental health at the age of 18 and then gradually climbed the ladder to working within psychiatric secure units across Scotland. I worked with a wide range of individuals one of the most memorable experiences being the five years I worked for BIRT, now called Brainkind, as a rehabilitation support worker. It was one of the most challenging but rewarding times of my careerI really saw the incredible work that went into encouraging those recovering from a brain injury 

My colleagues, including the nurses and frontline care staff, were some of the most dedicated people I have had the fortune of working with. The selflessness they showed to be a shoulder for others sits with me today. I went back to studying during the latter part of COVID-19. Whilst navigating university offers and a career path, I found a job within the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and worked my way up from our Membership Support Team to currently working within our Regulation & Compliance Team as a Regulation & Compliance Officer.  

Connecting with survivors in my new workplace 

It was whilst I was within Membership Support that I ended up having a conversation with Scott by chance, who was raising awareness of his journey through brain injury rehabilitation, and we connected. I never imagined how my previous career could intertwine with my current career with RICS, but I'm glad it has and I'm thankful that Scott shared his story with me. I have a great deal of respect for his journey. It really does go to show that we never really know who we are speaking with and the journey they have traveled on.  

In my spare time, I like to write poetry. I have been collating the poems I've written across the ten years I worked in the Health Care Sector into a book. If I publish it one day, I'll name it "The Diary of an Empath". During my 12.5 hour shifts, poetry was an outlet - even care staff need an outlet. The hospital I worked at in Glasgow was also really great at allowing people to find themselves through the Arts which is one of the biggest forms of therapy.  

Recently, whilst reaching out to Scott to catch up on how he has been doing, I shared a poem I wrote one nightshift in the hospital. The poem I shared is from the perspective of someone with a brain injury. I don't have one myself, but I absorbed a lot of emotions whilst working with individuals that did. One of my strengths was always my empathy and ability to be able to put myself in another person's shoes.  

Scott shared how reading my poem allowed him to relate back to his early days of rehabilitation. As a SameYou Ambassador, he suggested that I share this piece of poetry as others survivors could benefit and relate to it as well.  

 

My poem 

 

Parting words 

My previous career working within Brain Injury Rehabilitation was rewarding and important to me in more ways than one.  The most meaningful part of my work was seeing those I supported realise their accomplishments. I am very proud of my job within the RICS and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to liaise with RICS professionals like Scott.  

A life or journey traveled differently is not a life less lived and so many people like Scott are an example of that.  

In her story, Kat speaks of the importance of talking with people with lived experience. Did you know that SameYou has developed a peer support programme that matches a brain injury survivor or their loved ones with people with lived experience? SameChat is led by a partner organisation, Sphere Rehabilitation. Find out more about SameChat

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