Autor/-in: Hope

Dr Carla Hope is a Wiradjuri sistergirl, psychologist-in-training, therapeutic youth worker, advocate, and storyteller. Her work is shaped by lived experience, cultural identity, and a deep belief that healing begins when people are permitted to live truthfully and belong fully. Having spent much of her life learning to survive, Carla now writes about what lies beyond survival: identity, trauma, resilience, love, and the quiet courage required to become who we have always been. Through her writing, she explores the relationship between the little girl, the dragon, and the woman they ultimately become, a journey toward integration, self-compassion, and freedom. Carla is passionate about supporting young people and creating spaces where authenticity is met with dignity, curiosity, and hope. She combines her academic studies with lived experience to advocate for approaches to wellbeing that honour both science and humanity. A proud member of the LGBTQIA community, Carla believes that none of us are broken, and that healing is not about becoming someone new, but about coming home to who we have always been.