By Julian Reddish | Stroke Recovery Counsellor
If you’ve lived through a stroke—or you’re supporting someone who has—you’ll know recovery is about more than the rehab appointments and medical check-ups. It’s about the long, quiet hours at home. It’s about feeling isolated when friends don’t really understand. It’s about those moments where, even if you’re surrounded by people, you still feel like no one truly “gets it.”
That’s often the hardest part. Not just healing the body, but finding a place where you feel seen, understood, and supported.
I hear it often in counselling:
“I feel like my friends have moved on, but I’m still trying to figure out who I am after the stroke.”
“I don’t want to burden my family, but I’m struggling more than they realise.”
“It feels like no one around me understands the fatigue, the frustration, or the grief.”
This disconnection can weigh so heavily on recovery. It affects confidence, it drains energy, and it can make you question your own strength. But there’s one thing I’ve seen time and time again: when survivors connect with others who have walked a similar path, something shifts. It’s one of the most powerful medicines we have.
That’s why I’ve started the Sydney Stroke Recovery Meetup Group.
It’s not about lectures or formal therapy. It’s about people coming together in a safe, supportive space. Every fortnight we’ll meet in Sydney, with a simple topic to spark conversation—things like managing fatigue, coping with relationships after stroke, or just celebrating the small wins.
There’s no pressure to talk if you don’t want to. You can come to listen, to share, or simply to sit with others who understand. The heart of this group is simple: none of us have to do this alone.
How to Join
Join me here: Sydney Stroke Recovery Meetup Group
A Personal Invitation
As someone who’s lived through stroke myself and now works every day alongside survivors, I know the courage it takes to show up. But I also know how life-changing it can be when you do.
I’d love to welcome you to this group—not as a client, but as part of a community of people who get it. Together, we can share stories, swap strategies, and maybe even have a laugh or two along the way.
See you at the next meeting.
Better & Better,
Julian
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