Living Table | A Safe Space To Talk About Mental Health & Wellness

06 | LIVE from the Beach! What the Ocean Has Taught Me About Being a Safe Space for My Mental Health & Wellness

Hi friends and welcome to Living Table!

It is really good to have you here.

Today's episode is very in real life, in real time as I share from my heart while I am standing on the beach. I was on vacation with my family this past week and away from the studio so I needed to be ok recording from where I was. It can still feel scary for me to allow myself to be seen in this way, but I know that is what Living Table community is all about.

The ocean continues to be one of my best teachers on how to create safe spaces to be myself. I feel more free when I am at the beach. I feel more at peace with myself. I feel more alive and awake to my true self. So I thought what better place to record than with my feet standing on the shore.

I hope something in this episode makes you feel SEEN, KNOWN, & LOVED right where your feet are standing today. And I hope you enjoy the sound of the ocean waves in the background. 🌊 🐚 ☀️

Your presence matters here. <3

With you,
Amy 

🫶 🫶 🫶

Next Steps:

>Fine this weeks Check-in and Guided Reflection @livingtablecommunity on FB and IG

>Subscribe to Living Table Podcast & leave a review :)

>Sign up for my Email Newsletter at amymcvay.com

>Schedule a [Free] 15 minute Discovery Call at amymcvay.com

>Email me at livingtablecommunity@gmail.com 

 

Just a reminder that I am a Certified Peer Counselor and Wellness Recovery Coach. I use my own lived experience of mental health and wellness recovery to walk alongside others in their recovery. I am not a medical Doctor or clinical counselor. I do not attempt to diagnose or prescribe. If you or a loved one needs immediate care please seek out your nearest health care provider or call 911. 

Also be aware that anytime we are talking about mental health any number of topics could trigger our emotions. Please take precautions while listening and seek out support if needed.

05 | Finding Safe Spaces to Talk About Our Mental Health & Wellness - With Special Guest Natalie Coleman

Hello friends and welcome to Living Table! 

I am so glad you are here today!

Have you ever wondered what is a safe place or who is a safe person to talk to about your mental health and wellness?

Do you wonder if communities like that even exist??

I used to think they didn't, or if they did I didn't know where to find them.

In today's episode I am joined by my dear friend Natalie Coleman, who I met unexpectedly in a group online.

We are sharing how we met, why we chose to pursue a relationship outside that group, and what it has meant to each of us in our lives.

This conversation made me smile, it also had me in tears a few times too. The power of relationship and feeling seen is HUGE.

I hope this episode encourages you, friend. Listen in ->

You Matter Here!

With you,
Amy

Next Steps:

>Show some love to Natalie Coleman's writing and playlists at https://asthroughaglass.substack.com/ and on IG @asthroughaglass

>For this weeks Check-in and Guided Reflection go to livingtablecommunity on FB and IG

>Subscribe to Living Table Podcast & leave a review :)

>Sign up for my Email Newsletter at amymcvay.com

>Schedule a [Free] 15 minute Discovery Call at amymcvay.com

 

Just a reminder that I am a Certified Peer Counselor and Wellness Recovery Coach. I use my own lived experience of mental health and wellness recovery to walk alongside others in their recovery. I am not a medical Doctor or clinical counselor. I do not attempt to diagnose or prescribe. If you or a loved one needs immediate care please seek out your nearest health care provider or call 911. 

Also be aware that anytime we are talking about mental health any number of topics could trigger our emotions. Please take precautions while listening and seek out support if needed.

04 | HELP! When We Need a Guide to Help us Navigate the (Sometimes) Foreign Land of Our Mental Health & Wellness

Hi friend,

Have you been trying to navigate the foreign land of your mental health & wellness, only to end up paralyzed at yet another dead end road? 

You are not alone.

You are in good company here.

I too have been there so many times where I attempted to analyze my mental health & wellness until I was paralyzed.

It's okay to ask for help when we need it. 

What if you had someone, a peer champion, to walk beside you and guide you through? Do you think that would be helpful to you?

In today's episode I share about the importance of having a guide when we are in a foreign country, and how it can be a lot like what we need when it comes to recovering our Mental Health & Wellness. Listen in. ->

You matter here <3

With you,

Amy

Next Steps:

>Subscribe to Living Table Podcast & leave a review :)

>Sign up for my Email Newsletter at amymcvay.com 

>Schedule a [Free] 15 minute Discovery Call at amymcvay.com

 

Just a reminder that I am a Certified Peer Counselor and Wellness Recovery Coach. I use my own lived experience of mental health and wellness recovery to walk alongside others in their recovery. I am not a medical Doctor or clinical counselor. I do not attempt to diagnose or prescribe. If you or a loved one needs immediate care please seek out your nearest health care provider or call 911. 

Also be aware that anytime we are talking about mental health any number of topics could trigger our emotions. Please take precautions while listening and seek out support if needed.

03 | Total Game Changer! Having an Action Plan for our Mental Health & Wellness

Welcome Friends!

I am so glad you are here! I wonder, where you are today? How do you feel at the start of a new week? This time is for you. Take a breath. Use this time to check-in, and to care for your mental health & wellness. <3

Do you ever feel sick and tired of feeling sick and tired? Have you tasted wellness only to have it seemingly vanish into thin air leaving you dazed and confused? I've been there so many times.

In our last episode I mentioned having an action plan for my Mental Health & Wellness. Today I will walk you through a few of the first steps in creating your own.

What is a Wellness Recovery Action Plan? How has it been a total game changer in my own recovery? Listen in.

You matter here <3

With you,

Amy

Just a reminder that I am a Certified Peer Counselor and Wellness Recovery Coach. I use my own lived experience of mental health and wellness recovery to walk alongside others in their recovery. I am not a medical Doctor or clinical counselor. I do not attempt to diagnose or prescribe. If you or a loved one needs immediate care please seek out your nearest health care provider or call 911. 

Also be aware that anytime we are talking about mental health any number of topics could trigger our emotions. Please take precautions while listening and seek out support if needed.

Next Steps:

>Subscribe to Living Table Podcast & leave a review :)

>Sign up for my Email Newsletter at amymcvay.com 

>Schedule a [Free] 15 minute Discovery Call at amymcvay.com

>Learn more about W.R.A.P. at https://www.wellnessrecoveryactionplan.com/

 

O2 | 3 Ways To Care For Our Mental Health & Wellness During Life's Transitions

Hi friends!

Have you been experiencing any anxiety, fatigue, low energy, rapid thoughts, or the thought of being around people feels like too much lately? 

You might be in a season of transition or life change right now and not even realize it. It's good to be aware of the signs our bodies and minds give us when things are starting to break down, but they aren't always easy for us to recognize. We can also feel unsure of where to begin when it comes to caring for our mental health & wellness.

That is what today's episode is all about. Listen in for 3 practical ways you can care for your mental health & wellness during times of transition.

You matter here <3

With you,

Amy

 

Next Steps:

>Subscribe to Living Table Podcast & leave a review! 😍 

>Sign up for my email newsletter at amymcvay.com 

>Schedule a 15 minute Discovery Call for Peer Support at amymcvay.com

 

Just a reminder that I am a Certified Peer Counselor and Wellness Recovery Coach. I use my own lived experience of mental health and wellness recovery to walk alongside others in their recovery. I am not a medical Doctor or clinical counselor. I do not attempt to diagnose or prescribe. If you or a loved one needs immediate care please seek out your nearest health care provider or call 911. 

Also be aware that anytime we are talking about mental health any number of topics could trigger our emotions. Please take precautions while listening and seek out support if needed.

01 | How Having a Peer Champion Impacted My Mental Health and Wellness and Ultimately Saved My Life

Welcome Friends!

I am so glad you are here! Today I share a personal story about how having a Peer Champion actually helped save my life.

What is a Peer Champion? How valuable are they in pursuing our mental health & wellness? You will hear all about it in today's episode and I will share how finding and having your own could make the difference between you staying hidden in isolation or pursuing your own wellness recovery. Listen in.

You matter here <3

With you,

Amy

Just a reminder that I am a Certified Peer Counselor and Wellness Recovery Coach. I use my own lived experience of mental health and wellness recovery to walk alongside others in their recovery. I am not a medical Doctor or clinical counselor. I do not attempt to diagnose or prescribe. If you or a loved one needs immediate care please seek out your nearest health care provider or call 911. 

Also be aware that anytime we are talking about mental health any number of topics could trigger our emotions. Please take precautions while listening and seek out support if needed.

Next Steps:

>Subscribe to Living Table Podcast & leave a review 

>Sign up for my email newsletter at amymcvay.com 

>Schedule a 15 minute Discovery Call for Peer Support at amymcvay.com

 

Living Table Trailer

Welcome friends to Living Table!
A safe space to talk about Mental Health & Wellness.

• Have you struggled to find a place where you can open up and share about your Mental Health without fear of judgment?
  
  
• Do you dream about what it would be like to be known instead of living invisible?
  
  
• Have you wondered if there was a Mental Health & Wellness community where you could grow and thrive?
  
  
• Do you want to find the path to your most authentic self while creating an action plan to support your Mental Health & Wellness?

You are in good company. Living Table Podcast is for you!

Hi, I am your host, Amy McVay. I am beloved and so are you! I am a wife, mom, writer, Certified Peer Champion & table enthusiast! 

I know one of the hardest things for me in my journey of diagnosis and learning how to live with anxiety, depression, and Bipolar Disorder has been finding and keeping a safe space that feels welcoming to talk about my mental health, without fear of judgment, shame, stigma, or someone trying to “fix me”. 

But not talking about it became no longer an option for me. The silence was truly eating me alive. I was tired of being at war within myself. I was isolated, cloaked in shame, and hiding my light from the world.

5 years ago, I risked opening up to women in my community and what happened blew my mind. First of all they weren’t staring back at me with blank looks on their faces, instead they nodded their heads with understanding. With empathy they received my story as something precious and in turn began to open up and share their own stories, which was a gift.

It was like living water for my soul. I could feel myself rising to the surface again. I wasn’t alone anymore and I wasn’t invisible either. 

Immediately when I heard their stories, I thought of others in my life that could benefit from hearing their stories too. It started with going for walks, then coffee dates, then I finally worked up the courage to invite them over to my table for a meal. 

I let them all know that there would be times that maybe all I could do was open the door and that I was starting this because I needed it too. They were all so gracious and supportive.

What transpired was transformational. Walls that had been built by shame and stigma, when met with safety and vulnerability, turned into tables of connection. It was more than a meal. We each shared the broken pieces of our lives at the table, and somehow everyone was fed.

Whatever it was, I knew it was the missing piece I had been looking for, and I needed more of it in my life. This is how Living Table was born. 

I am the type of person that when I taste hope, I want to give it away. For years, I didn’t know how. Either I had nowhere to hold it and it would escape me or I didn’t have a vessel to keep it in to give it away. 

Living Table is that vessel. And that is why I am launching this podcast into the world. I believe that Mental Health and Wellness recovery is possible for everyone! I dream of all people having a safe space where they can talk about their mental health and wellness, and Living Table’s lighting up connections all around the world. 

Will you join me? I cannot do this without you. It takes all of us. 

You matter. Your story matters. Your presence is enough.

So grab that emotional support coffee and pull up a chair.

This is your Living Table.