THE AFTERSHOCK PROJECT
The Aftershock Project is an evolving space exploring the human impact of military life, high-threat service, transition and adaptation.
I’ve spent many years trying to understand what it means to find our way home, not simply to a place, but to a greater sense of safety, connection and ease within our minds, bodies, relationships and everyday lives.
Growing up in a British Army EOD family shaped much of how I came to view stress, resilience, coping and belonging. Alongside this lived experience, my background in mindfulness, reflective practice and community work has led me to explore how human beings adapt to prolonged stress, responsibility, uncertainty and change.
Through reflective writing, storytelling and community-based workshops, I explore themes including:
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nervous system awareness,
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transition and identity,
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relational impact,
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adaptation and coping,
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compassion,
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and the hidden aftershocks that can continue long after service ends.
The ideas explored through this work are not presented as definitive answers, but as lenses that may help some people make sense of experiences and patterns with greater compassion and understanding.
Why I Started The Aftershock Project
I’m Sue Oatley (was Knight), a curious observer of the human condition, and the daughter of a decorated British Army bomb disposal expert who served in Northern Ireland during the height of the troubles.
My father’s courage and commitment shaped much of who I am. He served during difficult times and carried that responsibility quietly, as so many do. Growing up, I often felt both the strength and the silence that service leaves behind.
Over the years, I’ve become increasingly interested in how service, responsibility and prolonged exposure to high-pressure environments can shape individuals, families and relationships long after operational life ends.
The Aftershock Project grew from a desire to explore these experiences with greater compassion, curiosity and understanding, not through blame or diagnosis, but through reflection, storytelling and dialogue.
This space explores how military service can ripple through families and communities, and how self-awareness, connection and being understood within the context of our experiences can help people make sense of their lives more compassionately.