This site is real, raw and vulnerable.
Hey There!
I’m Kierin, a 33 year old self-proclaimed nerd, martial artist, dog dad, and a Director at a boutique consulting firm, living on the Gold Coast.
But this blog isn’t about any of that.
This is the story of a guy who spent most of his 20s in the depths of Complex PTSD, battling daily suicidal thoughts, dissociation, abandonment wounds, and a body that had become a storehouse for years of unprocessed pain. It’s the story of what happened when he 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. And a new way of seeing the world opened up, not a view from inside a storm looking out, but one where the world exists within me. I am not within it.
This blog is part raw story, part practical guidance. It’s for anyone who’s in the thick of it and needs to know that the other side is real, and it’s a lot sunnier than you’d think.
Where are you right now?
Start wherever feels closest. Several of these stories also have audio, so you can listen instead of read.
- You’re in the thick of it, and need to know the other side is real: the many faces of abandonment. This one has a trigger warning at the top, including suicide, so please read it when you’re in a safe place.
- You’ve lost someone: thank you and goodbye Mum and grief and the things left unsaid.
- You’re scared to start therapy, or to finish it: how to start therapy when you’re scared and the gifts of therapy.
- You want practical tools: becoming secure.
- Your relationship doesn’t feel safe: how to spot a toxic relationship (from someone who missed it for years).
- You want a reason to believe in people: the importance of kindness, the story of the friend this site is dedicated to.
Or browse all Stories, the Guides, and the Resources that helped me most.
Why I write
When I first started this site I had one goal in mind: give people hope. Over the course of the last three years my blog was read by almost four thousand people, given that when I first launched this, I thought maybe ten people would read it, I am blown away by this number.
In 2024 I lost my Mum, and 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.
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. In my talks, 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. To book me, email kierinspark@gmail.com.
A note on safety
This site is lived experience, not professional advice. If you need support right now, my Resources page lists Australian support lines, including Lifeline on 13 11 14 and 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. In immediate danger, call 000.
Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.
