The advocate for New Zealanders mental health
BY Kent Johns

Take it from us

• 3 min read

Giving lived experience the microphone it deserves

One of New Zealand's longest-running lived experience radio shows has relaunched in full podcast format. As its presenter, I get to chat with amazing Kiwis about their mental health and addiction challenges - from ordinary folk like us, as well as more well-known personalities.

You can subscribe and download from the link below or from wherever you get your podcasts

Take It From Us with Kent Johns
Take It From Us is the voice of lived experience. In this podcast, you’ll hear real people share honest stories about mental health, addiction, trauma and recovery - straight from their own journeys.They’ll tell you what actually worked, what didn…

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As a broadcaster, I've always understood the privilege of holding someone's story. But it wasn't until I faced my own struggles that I truly understood what my guests were offering me.

During my journalism career, I was trained to ask the right questions, to draw out human truth. I'd always been an empath, but when I collided with what was likely undiagnosed postpartum depression as a new father - a struggle rarely discussed when focus rightfully centres on new mothers - I gained different understanding. Shortly after that, the overwhelm caught up with me. I hit burnout.

My problem became my purpose, leading me from broadcasting into health coaching. It taught me that the most powerful stories come from those who've walked the path, not just studied the map.

This is why Take it From Us matters.

We've just relaunched our longtime community radio show as a podcast to amplify something Aotearoa desperately needs: the voice of lived experience.

Every week, regular Kiwis share their most vulnerable moments.

They talk about their darkest hours, breakthrough moments, ongoing struggles and small victories. What makes these conversations extraordinary isn't professional polish - it's raw honesty. Vulnerability builds trust in ways knowledge alone cannot.

The questions listeners most want answered aren't found in manuals. They want to know: What did Tuesday morning feel like when you couldn't get out of bed? How did you tell your kids? What was the moment you knew you needed help? These questions matter because they come from shared human experience.

In New Zealand's mental health landscape, we hear plenty from experts, clinicians, and policymakers. Their voices are important, but they're not the only ones that matter. People who've lived through addiction, depression, anxiety, and trauma are experts too. Their expertise is different, but no less valuable.

My own non-negotiables – running, tennis, seeing mates, eating well, learning to say no – aren't revolutionary strategies. They're simple truths learned through experience, not theory. This is exactly what our guests share: practical wisdom earned through lived experience.

When I interview someone now, I bring my whole self to the conversation. My struggles with overwhelm, my journey through burnout, my path to better health -  they're not separate from my work, they are my work. This vulnerability creates space for others to be equally honest.

Take it From Us gives ordinary New Zealanders an extraordinary platform.

We're creating a repository of lived experience that says to anyone struggling: you're not alone, and your story matters.

In a sector often dominated by clinical language and professional distance, we offer something different: the messy, honest, hopeful voices of people who've been there. This is how we give lived experience the microphone it deserves, by recognizing that sometimes the best expert in the room is the person who's survived.

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