Pathfinder CIC Turns Two: Transforming Trauma into Community Healing

When you walk through the doors of Pathfinder CIC on Charlotte Street in Perth, there’s a noticeable calm, a kind of grounded stillness that feels rare in a world that never stops. Known affectionately as The Happiness Headquarters, the social enterprise has quietly become one of Scotland’s most innovative trauma-informed wellbeing centres, supporting hundreds of people across Tayside to find safety, healing, and connection again.

This month, Pathfinder celebrated its second birthday with a two-day community event attended by clients, supporters, local leaders, and Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney.

“It was a pleasure to visit Pathfinder CIC and to spend time with the team, along with those who have benefited from the service,” said Mr Swinney.
“Their trauma-informed approach offers a genuinely supportive environment for people dealing with anxiety, trauma, and burnout. The care and thought that goes into their work is evident, and it is making a real difference in the lives of many across Perthshire.”

Two Years, 300 Lives, and a Movement of Healing

Founded by Lynn Erasmus in 2023, Pathfinder CIC emerged from her personal journey of recovery from burnout and trauma. What began as a single-room sanctuary has evolved into a thriving community enterprise integrating acupuncture, somatic movement, meditation, and trauma-informed education.

In just two years, the centre has supported more than 300 people, from carers and key workers to business leaders and parents, helping them rediscover calm, clarity, and confidence. The organisation’s trauma-informed training programmes are now used by coaches and wellbeing practitioners across the UK and beyond.

The rise in demand reflects a broader public health challenge. Studies from the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences show that up to two-thirds of children in Scotland experience a traumatic event before the age of eight, and PTSD UK estimates that between 50–70% of adults will face trauma at some point in their lives. In Tayside, referrals for stress, burnout, and trauma support have risen sharply since the pandemic.

“People aren’t just tired, they’re depleted,” says Erasmus. “They’ve been running on adrenaline for years. What we’re seeing is overwhelmed nervous systems, where the body simply says: I can’t keep holding this.”

The Human Stories Behind the Healing

Behind every statistic are real people whose lives have changed through Pathfinder’s programmes. At the anniversary event, three clients: Debbie, Rebecca, and Bob, shared their journeys of transformation.

Debbie’s Story: From Survival to Service

When Debbie took the stage at the celebration, her hands trembled slightly, and this time, not from fear, but from finally stepping into her power. Her speech began with humility.

“I’m humbled, honoured, and quite honestly overwhelmed to be here,” she said. “For so long, I made myself small and invisible just to survive. Today, I’m standing here, visible, proud, and alive.”

Debbie’s story is one of extraordinary endurance. A full-time carer for her autistic son, who also has COPD, she spent decades navigating domestic abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. When the pandemic struck, lockdown offered temporary safety, “a bubble where we could hide from the world.” But when it ended, life outside resumed while her son’s fear of people deepened. He stopped leaving his room. Debbie became isolated again, trapped by care responsibilities and trauma.

“I hit breaking point,” she said. “I was lost, alone, and let down by a system that’s meant to help but feels broken.”

Her turning point came through a Trauma-Informed CPD course at Pathfinder CIC. What began as a hesitant step became a life raft.

“I found the courage to change my life. I was welcomed into the safe space that is Pathfinder, where I could just be me, grow, and heal while being given the tools and love to do so.”

Not only did she heal her past traumas, but transformed them into purpose. Today, she is a qualified NADA practitioner and Somatic Trauma-Informed Coach, helping others find the same freedom she did.

“I’d rather live scared because I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone than stay too scared to live at all,” she told the audience to a standing ovation. “To everyone out there making yourself small to survive, know you are strong, you are worthy, and you deserve more than you realise.”

Rebecca’s Story: The Healer Who Came Full Circle

If Debbie’s story is one of emergence, Rebecca Hoey’s is one of evolution. Today, she’s a NADA practitioner, Reiki healer, and meditation guide, but her journey began as a participant walking through Pathfinder CIC’s doors for the first time, quietly looking for steady ground.

“I arrived carrying my own struggles,” Rebecca recalls. “I was looking for a place to just breathe.”

She found a framework that worked, a five-part model combining ear acupuncture, somatic movement, meditation, trauma education, and peer connection. Slowly, she began to rebuild her sense of safety and belonging.

But rather than simply moving on, Rebecca felt called to give back. She trained in the very modalities that helped her heal and returned to Pathfinder CIC, this time as part of the team.

Her colleagues describe her as calm, grounded, and quietly powerful. Her clients describe her as someone who “makes a room feel safe the moment she enters.”

Rebecca’s groups integrate science and soul: NADA acupuncture to regulate the nervous system, somatic movement to release tension, meditation to still the mind, and trauma education to help people understand their body’s signals. Her sessions have contributed to Pathfinder’s 95% participant success rate in reducing anxiety and improving sleep and emotional regulation.

“Rebecca embodies what Pathfinder CIC stands for,” says Erasmus. “She’s proof that lived experience can become leadership. Healing doesn’t just happen to us, sometimes it happens through us.”

Bob’s Story: From Panic to Purpose

When Bob first came to Pathfinder, he was sceptical. “I had anxiety, depression, couldn’t sleep, and felt flat,” he says. “Joining a men’s group felt impossible. I thought, What if it’s weird? What if they expect me to talk about feelings?”

Instead, what he found was acceptance, and acupuncture that didn’t hurt.

“It was deeply relaxing,” he laughs. “I changed my mindset. I started believing: life is good.”

Bob’s transformation has been remarkable. He went from participant to peer leader, now running his own men’s group and serving on the board of the What Matters To You Fund. He’s retired from his long career as a chef and is now pursuing a lifelong passion, studying mechanics at Dundee College.

At home, the changes are even more visible. “My little girl used to say a quick ‘hi, dad.’ And moved on. Now she gives me a cuddle,” he says. “I play, I laugh, I’m present.”

He’s also kicked old habits, cutting down from 25 to six cigarettes a day, reducing gaming and comfort eating, and rediscovering purpose.

“I’ve learned to listen to my body,” Bob says. “When I feel anxious, I can choose to be happy. I don’t bottle emotions anymore. I let them move through me. I’m trustworthy now. Reliable. I’ve found my passion.”

Scotland’s Quiet Wellbeing Revolution

Pathfinder CIC’s impact mirrors a broader shift in Scotland toward trauma-informed practice in education, healthcare, and community development. As the First Minister noted, the initiative reflects a cultural evolution, from treating symptoms to understanding the nervous system and the effects of chronic stress.

The approach combines ancient techniques, such as acupuncture and mindfulness, with modern neuroscience. Each element supports the body’s natural ability to self-regulate, calming the stress response, improving sleep, and increasing resilience. The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol, central to Pathfinder’s model, is an evidence-based treatment now recognised worldwide for its benefits in trauma recovery and addiction support.

Community as Medicine

What makes Pathfinder CIC different is not just its methods but its philosophy. Healing here happens in circles, not hierarchies.

“Trauma isolates people,” says Erasmus. “Community heals them.”

From group meditations to peer-led coaching and corporate wellbeing programmes, Pathfinder has become a hub for what Erasmus calls “REBEL healing”, a model rooted in empathy, education, and embodiment. The name REBEL stands for Resilient, Empathetic, Breaking Rules, Evolving, and Lightening Up, a reminder that recovery doesn’t have to be heavy; it can be joyful, creative, even fun.

Looking Ahead: Expanding Hope

As Pathfinder CIC enters its third year, plans are underway to expand its practitioner training and community outreach. New collaborations with NHS Tayside Charitable Trust and local councils will bring trauma-informed education to more workplaces and community groups across Scotland.

The goal, says Erasmus, is simple but profound: to make trauma literacy and nervous system awareness as common as first aid.

“We want every person, from teachers to carers to business leaders, to understand the language of the body. When people feel safe in themselves, communities thrive.”

A Celebration of Courage

For Erasmus, the anniversary is more than a milestone; it’s a moment of gratitude.

“Two years ago, this was just a dream,” she says. “Now it’s a living, breathing community. People walk through our doors broken and walk out whole. That’s what this work is about.”

And for Debbie, Rebecca, and Bob, three very different stories woven into the same tapestry of healing, the message is clear: recovery isn’t just possible; it’s contagious.

As Debbie told the crowd in her closing words:

“Instead of breaking, I took all the pain, hurt, and anger and turned it into something beautiful. This isn’t the end, it’s just the beginning.”

For further information, contact:
The Pathfinder CIC
📧 hello@pathfinderdevelopment.co.uk
🌐 www.pathfinderdevelopment.co.uk