Mastery Vibes: Peer Support Unleashed

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Mastery Vibes: Peer Support Unleashed, Season 2, Episode 7

"When the System Forgets You: Charlie’s Story of Survival, Sanity & Self-Determination"

In this episode of Mastery Vibes: Peer Support Unleashed, Charlotte Armstrong and Robyn Priest are joined by Charlie, a First Nations peer cadet at a lived experience residential service in Adelaide that has only just opened its doors. Robyn met her during two days of training with role plays, where Charlie was the one who put her hand up to go first while the rest of the room sat frozen.

Charlie has been in recovery or as she says “clean and sober” for 14 months. Before that she used drugs for 33 years. She is direct about why people start, that substances are often a way to cope with something that has already happened, and that nothing in a life moves forward while they are still in the picture. For Charlie, giving up drugs meant going back and feeling all of it.

Her turning point has a date. On 6 May last year she got a phone call from her twin boys, who she had not seen in 14 years, telling her they needed her. She talks about what followed without smoothing any of it out, including the part most recovery stories leave off the end: that the hardest thing she had to learn was how to set boundaries, and that things did not go the way she hoped they would.

Charlotte picks up the thread from the family side, where much of her own work sits. Carers spend their energy trying to make things better for their person, and sometimes making things better starts with taking care of yourself first. She and Robyn also name a gap they keep running into lived experience services are opening without any family or carer peer support beside them, so people do the work, go home, and find that the household has not.

The phrase both hosts stopped on is Charlie’s own. A friend in the dark. Someone who does not have to do anything and does not have to fix you, who just has to be there. She puts it plainly. She did not need anyone to fix her, because what she has lived through is not the kind of thing that gets fixed. She needed someone to walk beside her while she worked it out. She also names the parts of her history that still carry the heaviest stigma, including sex work, where she sees people struggling with almost nowhere to turn.

Charlie walked into her group interview convinced she did not stand a chance, coming straight from being a client of these services into applying to work in one. She got the job. What she wants to do with it is be loud enough, and stubborn enough, to not take no for an answer on behalf of people who have no one in their corner.

Her closing line is the one to sit with: you do not have to walk alone, and if you have trouble finding someone, come find me, and I will walk with you.

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#PeerSupport #LivedExperience #LivedAndLivingExperience #Recovery #AddictionRecovery #FirstNations #PeerWorkforce #FriendInTheDark #Boundaries #StigmaFree #FamilyPeerSupport #CaregiverSupport #PeerSupportUnleashed #MasteryVibes

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Mastery Vibes: Peer Support Unleashed, Season 2, Episode 6

"I Don’t Want to Be a Burden": Robyn’s Health Scare and the Ripple We Don’t See

In this unscripted episode, Charlotte Armstrong and Robyn Priest turn the microphone on themselves. There is no guest this time. The subject is Robyn’s recent health scare, and everything she nearly talked herself out of.

Robyn had been coughing for weeks. She masked on the flight from Canada to Australia, went straight from the plane to a work event, and kept telling herself what a lot of us tell ourselves: it is just a bug, give it a few days. By the time a friend insisted on urgent care, she could not walk to the train platform without taking the lift, could not eat, and could not properly breathe. Within hours she was in the emergency department. Then she was admitted, with pneumonia and severe asthma.

The question Robyn keeps returning to is why so many of us wait. "I don’t want to be a bother." "There are people sicker than me." "I don’t want to take a bed from someone with a heart problem," said by a woman who has a heart condition. For people carrying a mental health diagnosis there is another layer: being doubted when you say you are physically unwell and slowly learning to stop saying it.

Charlotte brings the perspective she knows best, the friend who does the driving to emergency and the phoning around. Robyn had not thought about what those days cost the friend who pushed her to go, or her mother, who could not get to her and thought she might die. Charlotte has her own version of the story too: a broken arm she decided was a bad sprain, and the odd experience of being wheeled into emergency after years of being the one pushing the chair.

Both of them are clear that this is not a guilt and shame conversation. Peer support training asks people to sit with someone else’s perspective and stay passionately curious about it, and this is an honest look at how easily any of us miss that when the life in question is our own. More than one thing can be true at the same time. Robyn was not being difficult, and her friends were not overreacting.

What Robyn takes from it: listen to your body and listen to the people who notice things before you do. What Charlotte takes from it: caring sometimes means being more direct than "drink some more water."

This one is for anyone who has ever decided they will be fine, and for anyone who has stood beside that person, waiting.

Where do you do this in your own life? Tell us in the comments.

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#PeerSupport #LivedExperience #MentalHealthMatters #SelfCare #AskingForHelp #NotABurden #CaregiverSupport #FamilyPerspective #MultipleTruths #LifelongLearning #PeerSupportValues #PeerSupportUnleashed #MasteryVibes #HealthAndMentalHealth

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In this powerful episode of Mastery Vibe: Peer Support Unleashed, hosts Robyn Priest and Charlotte Armstrong sit down with Joe Johnson, a former paramedic of 20 years turned Peer Support Specialist in Colorado. Joe shares his transformative journey from the high-stakes, often jaded world of first responding to the heart-centered discipline of peer support.

The conversation dives deep into the "unspoken" side of the profession: the challenge of being "in the system but not of it." Joe discusses the importance of staying true to peer values while working alongside clinical teams and highlights the life-changing moment when a simple question—"Did you ask the client what they want?"—can shift an entire treatment perspective. 

We also explore the critical need for family peer support for first responders, the value of discipline-specific supervision, and why peer work is a professional role that deserves equal footing and fair pay. Whether you're a clinician, a first responder, or a peer worker, this episode offers a raw and essential look at the "rope" that connects us all.

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Mastery Vibes Episode 4 Season 2: Trapped, Not Treated: Compulsory Care, Restraint & the Human Right to Be Heard

 In this raw and powerful conversation, Charlotte Armstrong and Robyn Priest sit down with Cat Morgan to unpack the lasting impact of compulsory treatment, restraint, and seclusion. Cat shares her experiences starting at age 14—being treated as if she were a danger that needed containing, feeling trapped, and watching her mental health spiral because the system prioritised control over care.

We explore why restrictive practices often do the opposite of what they’re meant to do, what it really means to ask someone “What do you need right now?” instead of assuming we know best, and how peer support can create the safe, accepting spaces that clinical systems so often fail to provide.

Whether you’re living with mental health challenges, supporting a loved one, or working in the field, this episode will challenge what you think you know about “help” and leave you with hope for genuinely compassionate alternatives: peer-run community hubs, respite options, and systems that see people first.

Tune in now and join the conversation about human rights, lived experience, and the future of mental health support.

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Both/And: Embracing Grief, Relief & Conflicting Emotions in Peer Support 

Mastery Vibes: Peer Support Unleashed – Season 2, Episode 3

In this warm, honest, and deeply human conversation, Charlotte Armstrong and Robyn Priest sit down with Janelle Cancade-White to explore one of the most common yet rarely talked-about experiences in mental health and recovery: feeling two completely opposite emotions at the same time.

Together they unpack the “both/and” — grief and relief after losing a loved one (including stories of suicide and parental death), love and anger in family relationships, joy and sadness in parenting, and how we so often shame ourselves for not feeling “the right way.”

Robyn shares the peace she felt for her brother after his suicide in 2020 alongside her own profound loss. Janelle opens up about the mix of mourning and guilt-free relief after her father’s passing.

Charlotte brings her own powerful reflections as a mother, daughter, and partner, reminding us that it’s completely human to love someone fiercely while sometimes feeling anger or frustration in the moment — whether it’s toward a child, a spouse’s political views, or an aging parent. She gently encourages us to drop the shame and give ourselves permission to hold the full range of feelings without judgment.
They talk about why our brains crave black-and-white answers, how cognitive dissonance shows up in everyday life, and why giving ourselves (and others) permission to feel everything at once is one of the most powerful acts of self-compassion — and the very foundation of great peer support.

This episode is gentle, hopeful, and full of “me too” moments. It reminds us that we don’t have to choose one emotion over another, and that peer support (formal or just in our everyday friendships and families) creates the safest space to feel everything at once.

Whether you’re walking your own mental health or recovery journey, supporting someone through grief or family challenges, or working in the field, this conversation will give you permission, language, and tools to navigate the beautiful complexity of being human.

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#PeerSupport #BothAnd #GriefAndRelief #LivedExperience #MentalHealthMatters #EmotionalComplexity #CognitiveDissonance #GriefSupport #FamilyDynamics #PeerSupportUnleashed #MasteryVibes #CaregiverSupport #RecoveryJourney #CommunityCare #NoShameInFeelingItAll

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From Struggle to Sustained Recovery: Sean Gartrell on the Transformative Power of Peer Support 

Mastery Vibes: Peer Support Unleashed – Season 2, Episode 2

In this honest and uplifting conversation, Charlotte Armstrong and Robyn Priest sit down with Sean Gartrell — Director of Training at Advocates for Recovery Colorado and a person living in long-term recovery — to explore what real recovery looks like when peer support is at the centre.

 Sean openly shares his personal journey: starting to use substances as a young person, reaching a difficult turning point in 2015, and finding his way to sustained recovery through treatment, mutual support groups, sober living, and the deep connection of peers who truly understand.

 We talk about why Peer Recovery Coaches make such a unique difference, how language and community can reduce stigma, the power of recovery social events and peer support training, and how peer-led support creates spaces of hope, choice, and belonging that traditional systems often struggle to provide.

 Whether you’re walking your own recovery path, supporting a loved one through substance use or mental health challenges, or working in the field, this episode will leave you feeling hopeful and full of practical ideas you can use right away.

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 For more about Advocates for Recovery Colorado:

https://www.advocatesforrecovery.org/

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Ghost: Mediums, Voices, and the Stigma of "Madness" – Why Do We Celebrate One but Pathologize the Other?

Kick off Season 2 with a raw, thought-provoking conversation inspired by the 1990 classic Ghost! Robyn Priest and Charlotte Armstrong dive deep into the film's beloved medium Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) and ask the tough questions: Why does society adore psychic mediums in movies and cultural traditions, yet label people hearing voices or seeing visions as having a "serious mental illness"?

From the iconic pottery scene to those chilling shadowy "black blobbies" that drag away the villains (and mirror real experiences shared by Robyn and peers during mania, withdrawal, or schizophrenia diagnoses), this episode challenges stigma head-on.

Robyn shares personal stories of visual experiences, cultural views on spiritual openness, and parallels with religious figures who "hear God." Charlotte reflects on listening beyond the diagnosis – what if we truly heard people's truths instead of rushing to "fix" them?

A powerful call for autonomy, respect for individual stories, and peer support that honors lived experience over labels. If it's not harming anyone, why can't we let people live their truth?

Rewatch the original Ghost (a potential remake is in the works!), drop your thoughts in the comments, and join the conversation on redefining mental health.

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#PeerSupport #MentalHealthStigma #HearingVoices #LivedExperience #GhostMovie #SpiritualExperiences #MadnessOrGift #RecoveryJourney #BipolarAwareness #SchizophreniaAwareness #TraumaInformed #HumanRightsInMentalHealth #WhoopiGoldberg #OdaMaeBrown

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Invitation, Not Expectation: The Fine Line Between Sharing and Oversharing

In this raw and unfiltered follow-up to their previous episode on parental loss, Robyn and Charlotte peel back the curtain on what it truly means to hold space for others. What happens when an attempt to connect actually creates disconnection?

 Robyn and Charlotte navigate the messy, beautiful complexities of vulnerability, exploring:

*   The "Vulnerability Hangover": Analyzing a moment from their last recording where Robyn felt sharing enhanced the conversation, but Charlotte felt it detracted.

*   Breaking Generational Silence: Charlotte shares a personal story for the first time in 29 years regarding pregnancy loss, tracing the echoes of grief through her mother and grandmother.

*   The Power of "Me Too": How to distinguish between supportive sharing and "one-upping" someone else’s pain.

*   Sitting in the Discomfort: Why the most important skill in mental health and peer support.

 Join the hosts of Mastery Vibes Peer Support Unleashed as they model what it looks like to 'get it wrong' and make it right, proving that authentic connection isn't about being perfect—it's about showing up. Whether you work in peer support or just want to be a better friend, this episode offers a powerful reminder that your presence is often more valuable than your words. As Robyn says: Mic drop.

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#MentalHealthPodcast #PregnancyLoss #MiscarriageAwareness #VulnerabilityHangover #GriefAndHealing #PeerSupport

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The Club No One Wants to Join: Finding Hope in Peer Support After Infant and Pregnancy Loss

It is a statistic that staggers the mind: 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss. Yet, it remains one of the most stigmatized and silenced conversations in our culture.

 In this powerful episode, Robyn and Charlotte sit down with Michelle LaFontaine from the PAIL (Pregnancy and Infant Loss) Network. Michelle isn't just an expert on the subject; she is a survivor who turned her own heart-wrenching experience with the loss of her twins 20 years ago into a lifeline for others.

Together, they peel back the layers of grief that society often tries to rush past. From the trauma of being on a maternity ward while leaving empty-handed, to the "toxic positivity" of well-meaning friends, this conversation gets real about what helps, what hurts, and why peer support is the vital medicine that doctors can't prescribe.

 In this episode, we cover:

 *   The Power of "Me Too": Why connecting with someone who simply gets it can be more healing than professional advice.

*   Navigating the Healthcare System: Michelle shares the gaps in medical care for grieving parents and how hospitals are (slowly) changing to be more sensitive.

*   What NOT to Say:  Why phrases starting with "At least..." (e.g., "At least you can get pregnant") are invalidating, and what you should say instead.

*   Generational Trauma: Robyn has a breakthrough moment realizing the impact of her own mother’s silent grief over a lost child years ago.

*   Identity Shift: How pregnancy loss changes who you are as a parent and a person forever—and why that’s okay.

 Whether you have experienced loss yourself, or want to know how to support a friend, sister, or colleague who has, this episode is a masterclass in empathy, validation, and breaking the silence.

What people who experience loss want you to know is that the baby who died is irreplaceable... We talk a lot about integrating the loss into your life, not moving 'past' it." — Michelle LaFontaine

 Learn more about PAIL: https://pailnetwork.sunnybrook.ca/ 

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When mental health challenges strike a family, the instinct is often to jump in, take control, and "fix" the problem. Parents get on the "rat wheel" of worry, looking for the next crisis, while their loved ones often feel over-managed and unheard. But what happens when "helping" actually hurts?

In this episode, hosts Robyn Priest and Charlotte Armstrong are joined by RoxAnne and Alix, a dynamic mother-daughter duo who have navigated the stormy waters of mental health together. They peel back the curtain on their transformation from a relationship defined by conflict, yelling, and "poking the bear," to one grounded in deep connection and mutual respect.

The conversation gets real about the scary parts of letting go. RoxAnne shares how Family Peer Support taught her to surrender the "savior complex," while Alix opens up about the crucial need for autonomy—including a revealing story about making a major medication change without her mother's knowledge for six months. Whether you are a parent trying to support a child or an individual fighting to be seen beyond your diagnosis, this episode is a raw, honest, and surprisingly funny look at why sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply hold space.

In this episode, we cover:

*   The "Fixer" Trap: Why trying to solve your loved one's problems can actually steal their discovery process and block their growth.

*   Medication & Autonomy: Alix’s journey toward informed choice and the critical role that non-judgmental support plays in navigating treatment decisions.

*   React vs. Respond: Moving from chaotic arguments to calm communication by learning to pause and listen.

*   Interdependence: Challenging the Western ideal of total independence and embracing the fact that humans are designed to lean on one another.

Let's meet Alix and Roxanne:

"Hi, I’m Alix—poet by passion, culinary architect, film enthusiast, music explorer, and always ready to twirl around my home! I thrive on nature’s beauty and love the thrill of solving puzzles. Oh, and I embrace my journey with mental illness—it's just one part of my vibrant story!"

In RoxAnne's words "As Alix's mom, she’s opened my eyes to new perspectives on life. Thanks to Family Peer Support, I’ve been able to connect with her deeply, fostering a trust and friendship that I cherish and wouldn't have found otherwise."

Join Robyn, Charlotte, RoxAnne, and Alix for an unvarnished, often humorous, and profoundly insightful conversation. This episode empowers listeners to move beyond the urge to fix, towards the liberating and healing power of truly waiting and listening—a crucial step for fostering authentic connection and growth in any mental health journey.

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