Author KERRY TIDMAN
Kerry Tidman, author of the “Thriving with Hearing Loss” series and TEDx speaker, describes herself as “a deaf woman, therapist, school counsellor, founder of The Holistic Dojo, martial artist, mum, grandma, and someone who knows what it feels like to carry silence like a second skin.”
She has worked as a school counsellor for many years, supporting young people with their identity, emotions, and mental health. She has a background in the National Health Service and brings a holistic, trauma-informed approach to everything she does. She is also a proud mum to a neurodivergent child — so she understands the real-life challenges of navigating systems, advocating for your own needs, and staying connected to who you are.
She created The Holistic Dojo to offer a safe space for people to explore who they are — beyond the labels, beyond the noise. It’s a space rooted in identity, healing, and self-leadership, blending eastern wisdom, therapeutic tools, and lived experience. It’s where people are reminded: you are not broken — you are gold.
She has a cochlear implant now. It’s given her access to sound, but more than that, Kerry says it’s given her back her voice. It’s reminded her that identity isn’t about labels — it’s about wholeness - and that healing isn’t about going backwards — it’s about coming home to yourself.
Kerry now shares her journey through Deafinitely Her — a podcast all about Hearing, Empowerment, and Resilience, where she speaks openly about deaf identity, mental health, workplace barriers, self-worth, and everything in between. She also blogs on Instagram as Deafinitely Kerry, where she raises awareness, share real stories, and shows what life is really like as a deaf woman in a hearing world.
She’s creating a series of books and journals to help young people reconnect with their truth, embrace their deaf identity, and build a more loving relationship with themselves.
Like the Japanese art of Kintsugi — where cracks are filled with gold — her books are a reminder that your story doesn’t need to be perfect to be powerful.
“I’ve always believed that our stories — especially the messy, misunderstood, and misheard parts — can become someone else’s survival guide.
This project is deeply personal. These are the books I wish I had growing up — when I felt alone, unheard, or like I had to explain myself just to exist in certain spaces.
Now, I'm turning lived experience into something that can meet young people where they are — and remind them that they are not broken, too much, or behind.”
~ Kerry Tidman, Author, HOW DO YOU DEAF?
