Hey, I’m Kierin.
Nerd, martial artist and dog dad, living on the Gold Coast. I’m also the person behind Hope Architect, a site I started in 2019 because I wanted to give people hope.
Why this site exists
I spent most of my 20s in the depths of Complex PTSD. Daily suicidal thoughts, dissociation, abandonment wounds, and a body that had become a storehouse for years of unprocessed pain.
Then I finally turned toward all of it instead of running. Somewhere along the way, something shifted. The trauma stored in my body began to release. The thoughts that once haunted me fell quiet. I wrote my way through it in public because I wanted someone else to feel less alone.
I’m not a doctor or a therapist. I’m someone who did the work, got to the other side, and wants to tell you what I wish I’d been told.
What you’ll find here
- Stories: the raw, personal side. Grief, abandonment, therapy and healing. Read the Stories.
- Guides: plain-language, practical 101s from lived experience. Browse the Guides.
- Resources: the support lines and tools that helped me most. See the Resources.
Speaking
I’m a mental health speaker. I’ve told my story to thousands of young people across NSW, with a particular focus on men. I want men to feel okay being vulnerable and okay sharing what they feel, because learning to do that changed my life.
I’d love to bring it to your school, club or workplace.
Dedicated to Billy
This site, and everything I do, is dedicated to my friend Billy Ward, whom I lost to suicide. Read his story.
A note on safety
This site is lived experience, not professional advice. If you need support right now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In immediate danger, call 000.
Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.
