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In this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Cate speaks with Charlie, a peer support worker in an NHS community mental health team, a trainee therapist, and the founder of a growing sober community in Shrewsbury, whose own recovery has shaped the way she now shows up for other people.

Charlie speaks openly about a childhood marked by trauma, anxiety, and feeling responsible for everyone else. She talks about first struggling with her mental health as a child, turning to alcohol in her early teens, and the way drinking gave her a false sense of confidence, control and escape.

She also reflects on being the first person in her family to go to university, getting sober at 22, and the long, "messy" and unglamorous reality of recovery. She speaks about therapy, diagnosis, setbacks, self-discovery, and slowly building a life that actually feels like hers.

Now five years sober, Charlie uses that lived experience in her work every day. In this conversation, we explore:

✔️ How peer support can help people feel seen, understood and less alone

✔️ The link between trauma, addiction, mental health and recovery

✔️ Why lived experience matters in community mental health services

✔️ The difference between clinical support and genuine human connection

✔️ How peer workers can stand alongside people, advocate for them, and help rebalance power

Show Notes

Connect with Charlie:

Insta / Messy Healing

https://www.instagram.com/charlie_martina_fae?igsh=MWRza3NyaWk1aDdw

Shrewsbury Soda Club CIC Insta

https://www.instagram.com/shrewsburysodaclub?igsh=eGx3cnRuZHIxMWt1

My LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-martina?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

With-you consultancy: www.with-you.co.uk