Transforming Lives With Peerspective Consulting – Exclusive Interview With Christina Henderson
- Brainz Magazine
- Jul 8, 2023
- 4 min read
Christina is a leader in Peer Support coaching and facilitation. As the mom of 27-year-old sons who both have special needs and an educator for the past 18 years, Christina brings her lived experience and story to everything she does. She walks the talk and offers an authentic, purposeful experience to whomever she works with, whether it be parents, youth, educators, or corporate staff.
Christina is the owner of Peerspectives Consulting and Facilitation, a certified Peer Support Worker, and a certified Flourishing Educator, Wellness, and Relationship Coach. Christina moved into peer support and coaching as an extension of her passion for connecting people with the resources they need to thrive. Her mission is to help people focus on the strong, not the wrong.
Christina Henderson, Flourishing Life, Wellness and Relationship Coach
Introduce yourself!
In order of importance, I am a mom, a wife, a certified Family Peer Support Worker, and a certified Flourishing Life, Wellness, and Relationship Coach. I worked as an educator for 17 years before moving into peer support and coaching—an extension of my passion for connecting people with the resources they need to thrive.
I have 27-year-old twin boys who both have special needs. They were born 3 months premature, weighing just over a pound each. One son has cerebral palsy and is non-verbal. My other son has Generalized Anxiety Disorder. They are the light of my life and have taught me more about resilience and empathy than I could ever learn in a book.
I aim to provide safe spaces where people feel heard, understood, connected, and supported. I want people to focus on the strong, not the wrong.
What inspired you to start Peerspective Consulting, and what is your company's primary goal or mission?
If you want to see change, you must step up and make it happen productively and purposefully. I found evidence of the gap in our mental health system regarding awareness and integration of Peer Support services.
I have been a mentor for the Alberta Association of Peer Support, a Peer Support Trainer, a Facilitator and Mentoring Team Lead, and a Peer Team Administrator with the Canadian Mental Health Association: Calgary Region. I have seen the gaps in the system.
I have raised twin boys with special needs and weathered the storm of addiction as a caregiver. We have overcome some incredible obstacles that some might have seen as insurmountable. Through lived experiences, I have learned more about resilience and courage than I could ever learn in a book.
Another reason I started this company is because of my work in schools from elementary through high school. Through my work with students in facilitating leadership groups and GSAs and working as a Student Support Services Learning Leader, I became acutely aware of the growing need for mental health support for families and youth. Additional work with mental health organizations, corporations, and committees shed further light on the gaps and motivated me to seek further education and training in the field of Peer Support and being a Flourishing Life Coach.
What approach does Peerspective Consulting take to understand and address each client's unique needs and challenges? How do you tailor your services to meet their specific requirements?
I always start by meeting the client where they are not where I think they should be or where they want to be. It is essential to build trust through connection. The connection comes from lived experience. For example, when I facilitate a workplace team training, I want to know their needs and why they have brought me in. Then I connect that information to a four-part framework that covers courageous conversations, creating safe spaces, moving from isolation to connection, and, finally, how to take care of ourselves. I create a suitable training or workshop based on what resonates with the client.
In what ways does Peerspective Consulting contribute to the community or give back through corporate social responsibility initiatives?
Peerspective works to build community through events such as Teacher Wellness Days and inviting local businesses to participate in these events. For example, at our recent Teacher Wellness Day in May, lunch was provided by a local business that helps to feed the homeless. For every meal that is purchased, $5 goes to pay for a bowl of soup and some bread for someone less fortunate.
Perspective is in the community to support local initiatives as well, such as the Changing the Narrative mental health event hosted by Community Now! Magazine, where I was both an exhibitor and a panel speaker.
I am a Corporate Member of Voice for Albertans with Disabilities and a Community Partner with the Western Canada Peer Training Society.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
In June 2022, I experienced severe upper body pain that caused me to end up in an emergency room. I had all the symptoms of a heart attack, including trouble breathing due to severe pain across my chest. After several hours and several tests, it was determined that I was not having a heart attack. The pain I was experiencing was stress manifested in my body as a heart attack.
That was the day that I made the final decision to leave the teaching profession. I was still passionate about teaching, not the system I worked in. I made the giant step of starting my own business, which I had wanted to do for a while. I have never looked back.
