I’m Anna a trauma informed user researcher. I am a passionate advocate for users. I am one of those people that really enjoy their jobs, I am inquisitive and strive for detailed in-depth understanding across what ever topics or user groups I am researching. Knowing I am continuously exposed to the trauma of others, but with a determination to make them heard, using what I learn from research to make positive changes for as many people as possible, especially those that are the most vulnerable. 

I have experienced a range of bereavements throughout my life, friends, family and colleagues, both in and out of this country, expected and unexpected. And supported others in both personally and professionally through bereavements. 

So when I decided 8 years ago to work on a bereavement discovery team, establishing the needs for a wide range of bereaved people. Involving large scale primary research I knew what I was letting myself in for. What I wasn’t expecting ,was to experience the death of my father-in-law and my aunt within a matter of months of each other. I took the hard decision, to to step away from this team and switched team with another researcher. A decision in hindsight, which was 100% the right decision for me and my well-being.

During the covid pandemic when a role came up in the Bereavement and Care support and service design team, I figuratively bit their hand off (obviously through a teams call because of lock down).  A second chance in an area I wanted to make a positive impact, voicing users lived experiences and needs.

I was successful and moved into the space, being there ever since, with a developing role, enabling me to establish the support structure. I created the psychological protection plan in my own time, initally for my own support but as I talked about it and shared it wider it took off.  Using my own experience in the area and that of my researchers, other professions in my and other organisations willing to talk to me about the impact of researching bereavement, observing research and being exposed to research from in-depth information with videos of lived experiences to high level non-emotive reports. 

I created the psychological protection plan in my own time, to support myself moving into the space, from my own experience, training and support structure I established across differing organisations.

I started talking about the plan and sharing it with others that took interest, wanting additional support than the organisational offering, a structure that they could make their own and use how they wanted too. Iterating the plan as I gathered more feedback, turning to active feedback, reaching out to a wide range of professions exposed to bereavement research across a range of organisations.

So that takes us up to 16:30 on a Sunday in June 2024 when things changes.

This plan was suppose to support me being exposed to triggers and vicarious trauma I did not see myself using it for my own bereavement.