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Talk 1-on-1 with a Peer Specialist About Diagnoses

Getting a diagnosis, pursuing one, or living without clarity can bring relief, grief, confusion, and big identity questions. A 1-on-1 session with a Peer Specialist creates private space to talk through that process with someone who understands how layered it can feel.

Start with a free 15-minute intro call.

1-on-1 support

Peer Specialists who focus on physical health

Want more focused support around physical health? These Specialists offer 1-on-1 conversations shaped by lived experience.

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Deirdre Millman

Deirdre Millman

Available today

Grounded, Compassionate Peer Support and Guidance.

Anxiety
Financial stress
Shaera H.

Shaera H.

Available today

Experienced peer support for emotional clarity. MHPS.

Bipolar disorder
Emotional regulation
crystal

crystal

Available today

NonJudgemental Support for Creative, Chronic&Complex Adults

Burnout
CPTSD
Trish

Trish

Available tomorrow

Hi! I am 62 years old—a survivor, an overcomer, and a woman of faith who has lived through diagnoses: chronic health challenges, PTSD, grief, anxiety, and trauma. I have survived mental and physical trauma, including religious trauma, dysfunctional family dynamics, narcissistic behaviors, gaslighting, abandonment, rejection, and power and control. As the youngest of five children, these experiences affected how I saw myself for many years. Through separation, healing, faith, and self-discovery, I began to find freedom. I discovered my identity, embraced my positive qualities, and learned that I am more than what happened to me. Throughout my life, I have experienced tremendous grief. I lost a sibling in 1989, my father in 2015, my mother in 2022, and other loved ones along the way. Each loss became part of my journey and helped shape the woman I am today. I am the mother of one son and grandmother of three beautiful grandchildren. My family has faced challenges, including ADHD, PTSD, and childhood seizures, yet I also see incredible gifts, talents, strength, and potential beyond measure. From 2014 until June 2022, I was my mother's caregiver as she lived with dementia. It was one of the hardest challenges of my life. It brought me to my knees and taught me to move beyond codependency and place my complete trust in God. It taught me humility and helped me discover purpose in my pain. Although my mother had four living children, I often felt I stood alone. Others may have considered me the "black sheep," but I came to believe God had chosen and set me apart for something greater. My mother was one of my greatest influences and mentors, and I loved her dearly. My son and I are also walking through our healing journey—recovering from childhood trauma, rebuilding our relationship, and seeking spiritual healing. After 13 years of estrangement, we are reconnecting and learning how to bond again. I'm not where I want to be, but thank God, I'm not where I used to be. In 2012, substance use (prescribed medication) and an eating disorder became ways of trying to escape a painful world. But God said, "You shall live and not die." And I am still here—to use my lived experience to encourage others and share how I survived, healed, and overcame. I am an expressive writer. Poetry and spoken words allow me to release the bad, the good, and the ugly. Paper does not judge. Writing advocates and gives a voice to the voiceless. The pen 🖊 spills what our lips cannot speak—our truth. My motto is: "Knowledge Brings Clarity, and Clarity Brings Power." Professionally, I am a faith-based Certified Peer Specialist (CRSS), Dementia Facilitator, and Resource Specialist supporting women and children impacted by domestic violence. My lived experiences have shaped my passion for advocacy, education, peer support, and helping others find resources, hope, and a voice. Through everything I have endured, I have learned that every attack does not deserve a reaction. I have learned when to be silent, when to speak, and—most importantly—when to walk away. In 2025, I became a curse breaker. Through the wisdom of God and clarity received from a deeply personal experience with Him, I began breaking down layers of generational pain and trauma. My healing became about more than me. It became about what I would pass down to my son, grandchildren, and generations to come. Instead of passing down the pain of the past, I choose to pass down the greatest gift God has given us—the gift of LOVE and how to acknowledge a LIE vs the TRUTH. My journey is about healing the inner child, breaking down every layer, and gaining clarity for mental health wellness, spiritual healing, and freedom. I am breaking what no longer needs to continue. I am healing what was once left wounded. I am replacing generational pain with generational love. My global brand is Rebirth4Love—representing survival, transformation, healing, purpose, faith, generational change, unconditional love, and the power to begin again. My message to the world is: OUR PAST DOES NOT DEFINE OUR DESTINY! There is life after trauma, purpose after pain, love after rejection, freedom after breaking generational cycles, and always an opportunity for rebirth.

PTSD
Fear of abandonment
Andrea Cahill

Andrea Cahill

Available today

Peer Recovery Specialist/Coach & full-time group facilitator

Anxiety
Addiction
Rex Boehler

Rex Boehler

Available today

I use my years of lived experience to support my peers.

Anxiety
Depression
Mike Cornell

Mike Cornell

Available tomorrow

My brain's… a lot. If yours is too, you're in good company! At my core, I'm a punkish creative & introspective nerd type. Hence why I get along with misfits so well. But I've spent most of my life feeling out of step—too much, not enough, and under a dark cloud I couldn't name. In my 30s I discovered I'm autistic with a side helping of ADHD. That was on top of a long history of anxiety, anorexia, trauma, and depression telling me I'm garbage. Footnote: I'm not, and you're probably not either. Life's thrown me its share of UGH and I've spent a lot of time learning to stop hating my brain. Still kind of a love/hate relationship, actually. But progress is progress. On paper, I’m a Certified Peer Support Specialist with ongoing training and all that. In practice, I’m just someone who’s been through a lot of the same mental health mess and sits in it with you.

Depression
ADHD
Patricia Catalano

Patricia Catalano

Available today

For many years, I believed I would need my eating disorder to stay in control of my life. I know what it's like to feel trapped by anxiety, overwhelmed by mental health challenges, and unsure if recovery is really possible. I also understand the unique challenges of living with a chronic illness while trying to prioritize both physical and mental health. Today, I can honestly say that recovery has given me a life I never thought was possible. My lived experience led me to become a Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist and Behavioral Health Case Manager because I believe no one should have to face recovery alone and everyone should have access to care and resources. I know how powerful it is to have someone who truly understands. My approach is warm, compassionate, and nonjudgmental. I believe recovery isn't about perfection. Recovery is about progress, self-compassion, and learning to build a life that feels meaningful. Whether you're navigating an eating disorder, anxiety, depression, or the challenges of living with a chronic illness, I'm here to listen, encourage, and help you recognize your own strengths. In my professional role, I support individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges through goal setting, coping skills, resource navigation, psychiatric rehabilitation, and recovery-focused conversations. I also love using creativity, art, and mindfulness as tools for healing because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to recovery. I'm honored to walk alongside others on their recovery journey and hope to offer the same understanding, encouragement, and belief in recovery that was once offered to me.

Anxiety
Bipolar disorder
Why it helps

How a Peer Specialist helps with diagnoses

A Peer Specialist helps with diagnoses because labels can change how you understand yourself, seek care, and relate to others. A 1-on-1 session can help you process the emotional side of diagnosis while feeling less alone in the uncertainty or adjustment that follows.

In a session

What a diagnoses specialist session often covers

  • Diagnosis journeys, uncertainty, and mixed emotions around labels
  • Relief, grief, validation, and identity shifts after new information
  • How diagnoses are affecting your relationships, treatment, and self-understanding
  • What helped your specialist adjust and advocate for themselves
Good fit for

Who these specialists may help

  • People processing a new diagnosis or trying to make sense of symptoms
  • Anyone feeling conflicted, relieved, or overwhelmed by labels
  • People who want private 1-on-1 support around identity and adjustment
Keep exploring

Related topics

These topics often connect with diagnoses and may lead you to another specialist who fits what you are navigating.

Frequently asked questions

What does a 1-on-1 diagnoses Peer Specialist session talk about?

You might talk about receiving a diagnosis, questioning one, waiting for clarity, and processing the relief, grief, confusion, or identity shifts that follow.

Can a diagnosis bring both relief and sadness?

Yes. Many people feel validated by new answers while also grieving missed support, lost time, or the weight of a new label. Your specialist likely knows both sides.

Are diagnoses specialists only for mental health conditions?

No. The adjustment process matters across many kinds of diagnoses whenever identity, support needs, or uncertainty are part of the experience.
Group support

Want to join a group conversation about diagnoses?

Join a free peer-led diagnoses support group with others who understand.

See Diagnoses groups

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