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A systematic review of the literature on “wounded healers” was undertaken to identify, define and interpret the term and its application within the mental health environment. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Eight key medical/social sciences databases were interrogated. In total, 835 papers were identified in the systematic database search and abstracts were obtained for each to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria. In total, 237 sources were retrieved for critical reading, to assess relevance and value to the review, and 125 documents were subsequently included. Through thematic analysis a number of themes and sub themes were identified

The archetypal image of the wounded healer originates in ancient mythology and crosses many cultures. There are many interpretations and applications of the belief that having healed their own wounds a person is in a better position to heal others, however, the evidence to support this is not so robust. Of more direct relevance to contemporary practice are reports of supporting staff with mental health problems to make a contribution to mental health services, most recently through the employment of peer support workers.

As peer support workers are increasingly being employed in mental health services, it is helpful to consider the many existing staff who bring personal experience of mental health problems. This paper explores the evidence that their lived experience makes a difference to the way that they work and considers their employment support needs.

This article explores recovery within mental health as a journey of healership, one in which we are all engaged in healing our own wounds. It recounts the author's personal journey with the question ‘What is the journey into healership?’ and her research with four co‐researchers who work as recovery guides in a crisis house in North Birmingham. It explores the wider implications for service development and the training of mental health professionals.

This chapter features our innovative endeavors to inquire into an African-American student's potentially sensitive stories in a methodologically fluid and ethically delicate manner through two generative methods: digital narrative inquiry and musical narrative inquiry. Through a meta-level “inquiry into inquiry” approach, this work explores how we engaged in the digital and musical restorying of the participant's “Wounded Healer” narrative and uncovered its dynamism, cultural richness, and nuances. We subsequently represented the findings in humanizing ways using multimedia and music. Drawing on the insights from exploring these novel methods of digital and musical inquiry, our work illuminates noteworthy elements of narrative research: generativity, transformativity, interpersonal ethics, aesthetic ethics, and communal ethics. Additionally, the potential issue of trustworthiness in fluid narrative inquiries is addressed.

This article aims to focus on the role of lived‐experience in mental health education and practice as perceived by undergraduate students.

A small qualitative survey was conducted among Social Work and Mental Health Nursing students who were asked about their own experiences of mental ill health and its possible impact on their practice.

The article is contextualised in the concept of “Wounded Healers” as a number of students had previously (and were currently) experiencing mental distress.

There is a strong sense that students believe that their personal experiences inform their practice, and that this may assist them in empathising constructively with service users, within the boundaries of a professional relationship.

Moral exemplarity is a desirable but complex achievement. The chapter discusses the meaning of moral exemplarity and examines how the self, as a psychological and spiritual centre within a Jungian perspective, contributes to fostering moral commitment.

A narrative study was conducted amongst ten spiritual healers in New Zealand and France. Stories were collected and analysed interpretively to uncover meaningful patterns about spiritual healers’ moral stance and apprehension of the self.

Spiritual healers demonstrated a deep commitment to the self which clearly sustained a commitment to serve or help others. Commitment to the self was articulated around five core values: self-work, self-reflection, humility, self-integrity and love.

The chapter highlights the moral value of inner work. The self, in its archetypal sense, carries as potential an ‘innate morality’ that resonates in the heart and nurtures integrity and authenticity. To commit to the self requires undertaking a long and painful exploration of the psyche and integrating unconscious material into ego-consciousness. The participating spiritual healers, who had committed to their self and were well advanced on their psychological exploration journey, displayed moral qualities akin to exemplarity.

This paper presents an overview of the research on abuse within counselling and psychotherapy. The concept of ‘wounded healers’ is explored alongside a range of actions that can be taken against abuse. The paper concludes with a discusssion about the integration of research into practice.

Examines the widespread pseudocompetence issues which frequently affect counsellors, psychotherapists and supervisors, and their supervisors and trainers. Pseudocompetence is defined as the experience of a big difference between people′s own (low) assessment of themselves and others′ (high) opinion of them in their particular field.

The purpose of this viewpoint paper is to explore the concept of experiential peer support, which involves individuals who have lived experiences of using care and justice services. This paper discusses whether experiential peer support can contribute to developing a participatory culture in youth justice practice.

This viewpoint paper will critically evaluate the relational power of experiential peers. Particular attention will be paid to the key components of relational practices by reflecting on ways to enhance the voice of the child within participatory and child first approaches. The paper draws on a range of evidence and research to explore whether inclusion of a lived experience perspective can foster participatory cultures.

Experiential peers can create a participatory youth justice culture, which can positively impact on desistance for justice involved children.

Further research needs to be undertaken to extrapolate the key characteristics of effective experiential peer support. This includes discussion on whether recruitment of wounded healers into professional youth justice roles can enhance participation in youth justice settings and construct conditions for social growth to develop in youth justice practice.

The author of this viewpoint paper has personal experience of care, youth incarceration and professional experience of youth justice participation practice, providing a unique vantage point and contribution to the desistance and rehabilitation literature.

Widespread effects are reported on UK economic productivity through poorly managed depressive illness in the workplace. Starting in 1999, the authors have investigated the onset, treatment and recovery from depression as experienced personally by members of the caring professions, using first‐hand accounts to generate a composite picture of ‘what works for me’ in managing depression, and in particular ‘what works’ in maintaining or returning to employment in health and social care. This paper reports findings from a survey of 500 social workers. Negative perceptions of previous help from professional sources (such as general practitioner, psychiatrist or psychotherapist) were related specifically to three persisting, negative effects at work: lack of concentration, low confidence, and irritability (with tiredness). These occupational effects were strongly associated with each other. In relation to occupational health, inadequate treatment of depression may allow these negative effects on performance to persist. The findings are discussed in relation to conceptual frameworks about well‐being taken from ‘positive psychology’ that suggest future approaches to both prevention and rehabilitation of these occupational problems.