Zoe Cunningham

Tell us about your career, Zoe. 

I started as a volunteer in the mental health sector when I was studying to become a psychologist. Then, I entered the workforce as a mental health support worker and progressed to leadership roles overseeing different programs and services. I have worked for NGOs and in public health. Currently, I’m working in policy. They gave me multiple opportunities to explore and learn different components to enhance my experience in the mental health sector.

What made you choose a career in mental health?

I’ve always been passionate about mental health because of my upbringing and life experience.

What do you find most rewarding about your current role?

I want to give back to the community because I wouldn’t have come this far without the help I had in the past to overcome my life and health barriers. It is really satisfying to know that people are benefiting from your contributions.

Zoe Cunningham

What do you find most challenging about your current role?

The emotional toll when you feel you’re unable to progress in some situations when you’re partnering with an individual or a group of people. Also, there is frustration with projects being unable to move forward for various reasons.

What does a day in your life look like? 

For frontline work, a typical day would involve connecting with individuals or groups to find mutual space to connect and walk alongside people in their recovery journeys. For public health and policy work, a typical day would involve a lot of document reading and writing, as well as meeting with sector partners to progress local strategies and policies.

What are three misconceptions you see in your work about the mental health sector?

1. A lot of people perceive it as more dangerous than what is involved because of the stigma in the community about mental health.
2. People think frontline peer workers just have coffee and chat with people. In fact, there are a lot of ways to meet a person’s recovery goals. However, nothing can be achieved if people don’t even feel comfortable or able to open up to you.
3. People think people who work in public health and policy have very little to do. Actually the public pressure and expectation are quite high.

What advice would you give to people who are interested in working in mental health?

It is a fantastic field where you can meet a lot of passionate people even at times it is stressful. You’ll learn a lot from others and also about yourself.

What is a question we forgot to ask? What is your answer?

There has been a lot of new money coming into mental health in the last 15 years and the sector has grown enormously. There are a lot opportunities and career pathways for people to consider and try. It is not as limited as it used to be.