A recent graduate and Lived Experience Advisory Panel member shares their experiences of moving from Psychology graduate to mental health advocate – and how others can too.
Adriana Vacaru, McPin Lived Experience Advisory Panel member
A new chapter begins
Consider this: after three years of hard work, you’ve finally finished university. Excitement overflows as you submit your dissertation and reflect on the memories created. But suddenly, a wave of uncertainty hits.
You feel lost after all the blood, sweat, and tears (pun intended) poured into your degree. What are your next steps?
Well, my name is Adriana and let me just say that I see you. I graduated in Summer 2025 and want to share my story.
As a member of McPin Foundation’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP) for the Target Trials project, I’ve learned how powerful it is to use your voice to shape mental health research and services.
Why psychology? Why mental health?
Growing up, I never heard the word “psychology” specifically. I was told it’s important to have loved ones, hobbies, resilience, and a strong work ethic.
Fast forward to age 15, I met a psychologist through Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
I’d always known I wanted to help others improve their lives, but I couldn’t pinpoint the role. That psychologist not only saved my life but helped me find purpose: to help others as he helped me.
Battling depression and anxiety is still a reality for me, but support such as medication, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel.
These techniques were not only part of my support plan, but they were also eye-opening. I fell in love with the therapeutic power of psychology and have since devoted my life to studying it.
I was hungry to become the professional who could make that change. According to the GBD 2021 Mental Disorders Collaborators, depression and anxiety account for the highest global burden in terms of prevalence, disability, and economic impact. Furthermore, the World Health Organization reports that mental health conditions now affect over 1 billion people worldwide and are the second leading cause of long-term disability.
To overcome such frightening statistics, we need not only psychological interventions but also up-to-date research. That’s why I got involved with the McPin Foundation.
McPin’s mission to centre lived experience in mental health research resonates deeply with me.
It reminds us that evidence isn’t just data, it’s people’s stories, struggles, and strengths. Thus, we can make a difference through speaking out about our lived experiences.
Throughout university, I sought out experiences to help me become the psychologist I aspire to be. There’s no single path to gaining experience in the psychological field.
Steps forward into psychology careers
Studying psychological theories wasn’t enough to make a psychologist (although those lectures did feel endless at times). I had to start thinking like one.
Throughout university, I sought out experiences to help me become the psychologist I aspire to be. There’s no single path to gaining experience in the psychological field.
For those who share that same hunger, here are a few roles to explore:
- Volunteer roles for mental health charities
- Mental health support worker
- Research assistant
- Assistant psychologist
- Public involvement
Use the powerful assets you already possess: lived experience, creativity, and resilience.
Mental health research plays a vital role in shaping better services, and organisations like McPin are leading the way by amplifying voices that have often been overlooked.
Lived experience panels, youth advisory boards, and advocacy matter. McPin offers opportunities to get involved in research that reflects real lives. Explore what you can be part of today!
Advice for young people starting out
- Stay curious: Training courses and volunteering can open doors.
- Use your voice: Lived experience panels, youth advisory boards, and advocacy matter. McPin offers opportunities to get involved in research that reflects real lives. Explore what you can be part of today!
- Don’t fear rejection (easier said than done): Every application is a chance to refine your story. Take a breather if the rejections pile up, ask for feedback, and turn it into feedforward.
- Find your people: Mentors, peers, and communities like McPin can make the journey less lonely and more empowering.
Hope and action
Psychology is increasingly recognised, with demand for mental health support at an all-time high.
To those considering psychology or mental health work, you are needed, valued, and can transform systems. Your story matters. Your voice matters.
Let’s keep showing up, for ourselves and for each other, to ensure change takes place.
If you’re reading this and feel inspired, I invite you to share your journey or connect with McPin Foundation. Whether through LEAPs, public involvement, or research partnerships, there’s space for you here.
