Remarkable lives: Julie Leibrich in conversation with Jerome Carson
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/20428301211281023 |
| Pages | 175-180 |
| Date | 23 November 2012 |
| Published date | 23 November 2012 |
| Author | Julie Leibrich,Jerome Carson |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Remarkable lives: Julie Leibrich in
conversation with Jerome Carson
Julie Leibrich and Jerome Carson
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to offer a profile of Julie Leibrich.
Design/methodology/approach – 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.
Findings – 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; shesuggests 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.
Originality/value – The paper illustrates that Julie provides a unique perspective on recovery, though
she prefers the term discovery. Her experiencesas a research psychologist and as someone with lived
experience have informed her writing.
Keywords Psychology, Discovery, Lived experience, Recovery, Discrimination, Sanctuary,
Mental illness
Paper type Case study
Introduction
I first came across the work of Julie Leibrich through the research of Andresen et al. (2003)
in Australia. Retta was studying service user narratives to try and identify key underlying
recovery themes. One of her main sources was the book that Julie compiled, A Gift of Stories
(Leibrich, 1999). I next came across the book in an e-interview with Dr Glenn Roberts in
which he stated it was ‘‘an inspirational anthology of diverse first person accounts of
journeys in recovery. It underlines how finding one’s personal story can be a gift to oneself
and others’’ (Fannon, 2008). I then bought a copy of the book and found it to be compulsive
reading. I decided to try and track down its author in New Zealand, which I eventually
managed to do. We then entered into an e-mail correspondence over the next few years,
until finally I got to meet Julie and her husband Doug when they came to England in April of
this year. What follows is Julie’s story in her own words and then her interview with me.
Brief biography of Julie
I was born in the North of England in 1947 and have lived in New Zealand since 1974. I have
struggled with depression, even as a child. I remember feeling suicidal quite early on in
my life. It became worse as I got older. When I went to university, I was extremely affected
by severe depressions. Eventually I was referred to a psychiatrist, who thought I was
‘‘preschizophrenic’’ and should be admitted to hospital. I refused.
The next 20 years were ‘‘apparently well balanced’’. I graduated, found work, married, left
Britain to travel overseas, and began a second degreei n psychology.Now living in New Zealand,
I had not long embarked on a PhD when my life gradually became unbearable.
DOI 10.1108/20428301211281023 VOL. 16 NO. 4 2012, pp. 175-180, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308
j
MENTAL HEALTHAND SOCIAL INCLUSION
j
PAGE 175
Julie Leibrich is based at
Raumati, New Zealand.
Jerome Carson is based in
the Department of
Psychology, University of
Bolton, Bolton, UK.
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