Tom’s passion for studying and working in the mental health field is worlds apart from the study he did in the past, completing a dissertation for a Master of Arts (Ancient History) in Macedonian ‘numismatics’ (otherwise known as Macedonian ‘coins’). Swapping coins for people, Tom decided on a different path, one that upholds his passion for learning about others and supporting them on their mental health journeys. His enthusiasm for listening to others and helping them to create better lives for themselves is what first inspired him to embark on a career in mental health.
When he was in class, studying for a Certificate IV in Mental Health, Tom performed one-on-one role plays, but they never compared to working with participants at the PARC (Prevention and Recovery Care) site in Preston. At PARC, it was all about building relationships with the participants, learning to be comfortable in that space with them, and listening to what they wanted and needed from their experiences.
‘You learn a lot about yourself, and you learn a lot from them,’ Tom said. He discovered that by sharing his humanity with participants, he could truly help them transition back to home life in the community.
Tom reflected on the diversity of the PARC workplace. ‘There were so many people from different places, and that’s really valuable within Wellways,’ he said. He enjoys learning about people’s different backgrounds, cultures, personalities, and what brings them to PARC.
For anyone contemplating the traineeship, Tom says, ‘It’s really awesome to be involved in mental health and be around people all the time, to be able to help someone along their way.’ The traineeship allowed Tom to not only support other people but himself as well.