This paper aims to offer a profile of Julie Leibrich.
After a short introduction by Jerome, Julie provides a short biography and is then interviewed by Jerome. Areas covered in the interview include community care, discovery and sanctuary.
Julie is a psychologist, a poet and someone who has “lived experience” of mental health problems. Julie tells us about the historical problems of implementing community care, here and in New Zealand; she suggests that discrimination towards the mentally ill is more important than stigma; she talks about the importance of “A Gift of Stories” and why she has written her latest book on sanctuary.
The paper illustrates that Julie provides a unique perspective on recovery, though she prefers the term discovery. Her experiences as a research psychologist and as someone with lived experience have informed her writing.
