Self-acceptance - New Leaf College

🧭 Navigating This Blog

Hearing about the experiences of others, and sharing tools and tips to support recovery, is one of the foundations of our culture. We can create connections by sharing about our lived experience – especially those that offer inspiration and hope.

Recovery in mental health is not always well understood; sharing your experiences makes personal recovery come alive. It also supports values and strengthens lessons learned from life experiences. It helps to build community and create connections.

You can find lots of inspirational stories; use the search bar at the top to find stories relevant to you. To return to this page after a search, please press the back button in your browser.

✍️ Share Your Experiences

If you are a registered student and would like to share about your experience, please contact us.

You can read more student experiences on our testimonials page and student development programme page.

📰 Newsletters

To make our website and newsletters more accessible from 2025 onwards, all blogs, tips and articles published in our e-newsletters will be published on this page.

You can also read PDF newsletters published before 2025.

📝 Write for the Blog

We welcome students who are interested in writing blogs, sharing reflections, or contributing creative content to support others on their recovery journey.

Get started by visiting the following links:

📄 Download the Contributor Information Pack
🖊️ Read the Blogger Guidelines
📌 Visit our Opportunities Page for other ways to contribute, including the student e-newsletter, website and more.

If you have any questions or ideas, please contact us at newleaf.wellbeingcollege@nhs.net.

Blog, Writing for wellbeing, Creativity for wellbeing, Self-acceptance, Nature and wellbeing

Writing Poetry for Recovery

Louisa

In celebration of World Poetry Day, we explore how words can heal, inspire, and transform, and are thrilled to present a collection of nine powerful and heartfelt poems written by students. Dive into each piece and feel the passion and resilience behind every line.

Blog, Interview, LGBT+, Self-acceptance, Opportunity building

My transition from male to female.

How LGBT+ networking can drive positive change

Samantha

Samantha, commercial director in a major Construction Company, talks about her transition from male to female and how LGBT+ networking can drive change.

Blog, Interview, LGBT+, Self-acceptance

Transformation is achievable

From using services to empowering real change in the services I used. Dawn's story.

Dawn

In this raw blog, you’ll read about the personal and professional transformation of Dawn, who shows that anyone can go from using mental health services to becoming the empowering force behind real change in the way Hertfordshire professionals support people with mental health challenges.

Blog, Resilience, Self-acceptance, Self-care

The anti new-years resolution

Acknowledging, accepting and embracing failure

Mollie

Mollie shares their unexpected thoughts brought on by the new year; including how they plan to curate a future where failure does not control them, and all the exciting possibilities that will come with this new way of living.

Blog, Resilience, Self-acceptance, Self-care, Mental health at work, Communication and relationship building

Why I choose to disclose my mental health challenges to employers

Jamie

Discover how this student took the plunge to disclose about her mental health and wellbeing challenges and why she's never looked back.

Blog, Self-acceptance, Learning for wellbeing, Communication and relationship building

Time to Talk - to myself

Self-soothing talking therapies

Penny

Talking is powerful. It gives freedom; to explore thoughts, gain clarity and ask and answer difficult questions.

There are many talking therapies and services that allow us to talk through our feelings, but what do you do when you just don't feel like talking to anyone else?

This student shares their personal self-soothing talking strategies and the success they have had since using them.

Blog, Spiritual self-care, Self-acceptance, Self-care

Monkey Business Bubbles

Lucy

A unique student monologue using imaginative words to describe emotions and thoughts as bubbles; of which we can burst, control and change as we grow and recover.

Take a peak to be inspired!

Blog, Hope and recovery, Self-acceptance

Make your own kind of music…

Natalie

Natalie discusses how we can sometimes have unrealistic expectations of our own recovery and how it's more of a wavy line rather than a straight forward process.

How LGBT+ networking can drive positive change

From using services to empowering real change in the services I used. Dawn's story.

Acknowledging, accepting and embracing failure

Self-soothing talking therapies

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