When we understand how and why mental illness afflicts us, we empower ourselves to heal.

Robyn Semple is a retired registered nurse from Ipswich, Queensland, and a mother of three adult sons. In her twenties, she cared for the critically injured and the dangerously ill in intensive care. She has also battled mental illness, having more than 40 years of lived experience with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder caused by psychological trauma. Robyn understands the pain and shame of those who have never suffered a catastrophic life event and yet experience the debilitation wrought by these often invisible conditions. Now, it is her passion to educate others on mental illness. Her focus is on explaining that mental illnesses have biological origins—they are as physical in causality as cancer, cystic fibrosis, and asthma, to demonstrate that psychological trauma does not have to be extreme—merely chronic or inescapable, and to quash the stigma and shame associated with these conditions.

When we recover, we can help others.

Her writing is based on extensive research that she has done over the past five years, including the most recent peer-reviewed studies and up-to-date texts, as reflected in her comprehensive reference notes. She shares her knowledge at motivational events and mentoring others who are burdened with distressing symptoms, including intense anxiety, agoraphobia, profound depression, and suicidal ideation. She believes that education and empathy are vital in providing others with the wisdom to heal.

Robyn is writing her follow-up book while caring full-time for her parents. She lives with her husband Ross, parents Reg and June, sweet dog Ruby, the neighbour’s old dog Toby, Bambina, the sassy cat, a nervous rooster called Felix, and many hens on property in SE Qld. She loves to read and make quilts.

Mending Minds: Healing the Damage of Psychological Trauma

In her debut book, Robyn explores how psychological trauma can generate mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).