Nicole McIntosh

Ko Nik McIntosh tōku ingoa.I am delighted to join the Blueprint for Learning whānau as a lived experience kaiwhakaako (facilitator) for the Addiction 101 workshops.

I was born, raised, and still live in the beautiful Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta, the Hutt Valley, Wellington. I am a proud mum of two amazing tamariki, a wife, and a very happy owner of two ngeru (cats)!

I have worked in the addiction sector for the past six years, beginning my journey in peer roles and gradually working my way into the lived experience advisor role I hold today. Being able to draw on my own lived experience to support and empower others is something I never imagined I could build a career from, and I am grateful every day that I have been given the opportunity to do so.

It is an honour to be part of the Blueprint for Learning whānau as a lived experience kaiwhakaako. I am particularly passionate about harm reduction, challenging stigma and discrimination, and increasing understanding of addiction, recovery, and everything in between.

I never expected to discover such a love for facilitating workshops. In fact, talking in front of people used to terrify me! Yet somehow, I found my voice through sharing my lived experience. I love talking about recovery, sharing knowledge, and helping communities better understand addiction and, most importantly, how we can support our loved ones with compassion, understanding and without judgement.

For me, lived experience is about more than telling a story. It is about using what we have learned to create connection, challenge the way we think, reduce stigma, and help make a difference for others.

And so, here I am — ready to continue this journey of learning, growing, supporting and bringing people together, while helping create spaces where we can have honest conversations about addiction and recovery.

I look forward to meeting you all and sharing the Addiction 101 journey together.