I'm happy to introduce you Olivia who works as a freelance Mental Health Arts Consultant who is also dyslexic, and dyspraxic.
I ask her the question for you all what is a MHAC? What does the role involve? Why she decide to pursue this career path? We ask her just that and how that works working with dance or theatre company, all the way to chatting about their love for DIY as their form of self care!
We talk about the concept of safe space, and how sometimes that can be a sometimes problematic term, and reframing it as comfortable space.
Creating options of finding way to support your mental health, if one avenues fails.
We talk about the concept of compassion fatigue.
We talk about our neurodiversity journeys, the misconceptions, how we dealt/deal with it especially in educationally, and socially/personal situations, late diagnosis. Taking about embracing, and not embracing the label. Owning it, even when the world can give you a hard time, and when people may not be receptive of your neurodiversity. The main thing is you that know, own the strengths it can give you, and embrace the imperfections. After all this is a not a perfect podcast...so your in the right place! (Did you count how many "ummms" I did through the podcast!?)
Last of all remember to put your oxygen mask on before you put on someone else's. This flight of life can get bumpy sometimes, but hey it would be boring otherwise, and your not alone.
The names of charities we mentioned on the podcast:
Samaritans
Mind
Papyrus
Mermaid - Queer Community Friendly
Stonewall - Queer Community Friendly
Shout
Movember
Shelter - Homelessness Charity
