Just Like the Moon (we go through phases)

Today's episode is a solo episode with myself, your host Laura. It is also marks the end of series two, and so I wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate some of the things that I have taken from my conversations with my guests over the last 40 episode, the most reoccurring facts people have shared throughout their journey with their mental health and the most valuable lesson I've learnt from others since starting this podcast.And I hope sharing these insights that I've gained will help you as much as they've helped me.If you enjoy this episode please feel free to share with others, spread the love, rate and review and subscribe to the podcast so you can listen to past episodes or, once the new series is launched, you never miss another one.And if any of this episode today resonates - let's connect on instagram, come share your thoughts with me,  @ljsprojects. 

Sally Beaton is a women's holistic nutritionist and coach, speaker, author and founder of Women With Sparkle.  Through her book 'Get your Sparkle back' and her coaching, Sally helps countless women all over the world re-ignite their health, happiness, energy, and confidence as well as better understanding their hormones and physical and mental health by sharing the knowledge she has accumulated over the last decade through her own research and her work.In this episode Sally talks about how she went from choreographer and performer in music videos to now being a woman's coach and helping women with their hormones, their health and their happiness; she talks about you know how empowering it can be to understand women's hormones, how cycles, seasons and our body works and how this can really benefit both of hour physical and mental health; she talks about the common themes that come up with the women she works with and how we can work to counteract those themes and she offers tips on how to let go of external validation, embrace your are worth and your essence that is basically your sparkle - so yeah, how to get your sparkle back!To find out more about Sally's work and book heck out her website: https://www.womenwithsparkle.com/For Show Notes: www.ljsprojects.uk/blog/sallybeaton-show-notes

Dan is a hair stylist, wig designer and owner of the Riah Hair Studios in Brighton and who's work specialises in breaking down beauty standards and gender binaries in the hairdressing industry.Dan is also the founder of the Riah Project, that consists in Sunday meet ups where queer people and allies can come and get hair cuts for what they can afford, as well as hosting queer performance in the space by poets, musicians and so on, and thus creating a beautiful sober space where people can feel empowered and embrace their queer community.In this episode Dan talks about why he decided to set up the Riah Project, as well as opening his own studio, the Riah Hair Studio, about the importance of education with regards to gendered language, and the role we can all play in creating safe spaces for all ages, ethnicities and multiple genders as well as talking about the amazing work he does as a wig designer and artist and so much more.You can find out more about Dan's work on instagram @danwchapman or @theriahhairstudio and to find out more about the Rhia Project follow  @theriahproject.Show notes: www.ljsprojects.uk/blog/danwchapman-show-notes

This week on the podcast I am joined by Francesca, founder of The Money Fox. Through her work, Francesca aims to help women use their money to create a happy life, improve their money mindset and build wealth.After years of struggling in a really unhappy relationship where she was not allowed to earn any more money, Francesca found herself drowning in debt and feeling trapped, despite budgeting and working hard on saving. Determined to change this, she did extensive research and took a leap of faith, tried stuff out, and it worked!She has now left her unhappy marriage and has gone on to establish a successful business helping others by sharing the knowledge she has accumulated over the years and offering resources to support others overcome debt, build wealth, and change their money mindset. In this episode Francesca talks about how she overcame her money struggles, the value of budgeting, and offers tips and tricks to make extra money, budget and change your money mindset whilst also taking care of your mental health.Find out more about Francesca's work on her website: www.themoneyfox.com/ or check out her instagram page @the.moneyfoxPodcast show notes: https://www.ljsprojects.uk/blog/francesca-the-money-fox-show-notes

Ashley is a 26 year old BSc Biology student, a Kidney Transplant Recipient and passionate about raising awareness about Kidney disease, failure and living life with chronic disease.When she was 16 she found out she had a rare autoimmune disease (one in a million people get it), called anti-glomerular basement membrane disease - a disease in which the antibodies in your body start to think you organs, specifically your kidneys and your lungs, shouldn't be there and start to attack them.  Due to this being untreated for quite a while, by the time she received the diagnosis, her kidney functions were in such a state she had to get emergency dialysis and her family was told that is was very unlikely she would survive. However she fought through it and after treatment got rid of the disease - however did required a kidney transplant as the damage cause by the daisies was so extent.In this episode we talk about her journey from the discovery of having autoimmune disease, undergoing emergency treatment to getting a kidney transplant; she talks about the impact of the various treatments, both from a physical and mental point view, we discuss the need, and the lack of, mental health support for people undergoing similar treatment and living chronic disease - and so much more.TPodcast Show Notes: https://www.ljsprojects.uk/blog/ashley-hagon-show-notesYou can find out more about Ashley's journey by following her on instagram @highland_transplant_girl and check out her podcast Kidnae Live Without It on Spotify 

Sophie Cliff is a qualified life coach, also know as The Joyful Coach, and a positive psychology practitioner that supports people in finding joy, whatever that means to them. She does this in a number of ways: through 1:1 coaching with clients, group programmes and workshops, and through the free content that she produces both on her social media, in her blog and newsletter and on her podcast, Practical Positivity.In this episode Sophie talks about how she came to realise there are so many ways to do life, and how she became the Joyful Coach and what this work entails, she talks about how we can take control and we can take action of our lives right now, and don't have to wait for a dramatic life event to be the catalyst for change, and so much more.To find out more about Sophie's work check out her website www.sophiecliff.comor follow her on instagram @sophiecliff - and you can listen to her podcast Practical Positivity on Apple Podcast or Spotify.

Nathan is a podcaster and blogger under the name Mood Swings, a mental health advocate and passionate Muay Thai boxer.In 2015 Nathan challenged himself to write 365 words a day for a year and during this time he wrote a well-received article about his own mental health struggles, including anxiety and depression titled “My mind and me”. Following this, in 2016, he went on to write an anxiety diary of sorts every day for a month in 2016 called ‘Mood Swings' and consequently a podcast under the same title. The has now reach 100 episodes of Mood Swings podcast, hosting episodes with musicians, poets, writers, people in combat sports and people passionate about mental health.Nathan is also a passionate about Muay Thai and he finds that, although this sport can be quite intense and can have its challenges, it is also quite spiritual – the rigorous training gives him a real routine and a real drive each day and has been a great help in reducing his stress levels and supporting his mental health.In this episode Nathan talks about how Mood Swings came about, what Muay Thai training entails, the practices he implements and the challenges it sometimes brings, finding a sustainable and intuitive relationships with food and exercises, and his experience of mental health ups and downs.A word of warning as is needed sometime with this podcast - in this episode we talk about calorie controlled diets and weight loss. If this is something that may be triggering for you at this time please feel free to move on and you can always come back this when you are in a better place.To find out more about Nathan's project Mood Swings you can find him on Instagram and Twitter @moodswingsabzor check out his blog on Tumblr and you can find his podcast onLibsyn, Apple podcast and Spotify under Mood Swings.For more show notes: https://www.ljsprojects.uk/blog/nathan-mood-swings

Kat is a Self Love, Body Acceptance & Wellness coach from Lancashire that helps women feel empowered from the inside out, she is a mental health advocate and her daily motto is Put The Good In Your Day.Kat's journey to self love was not a linear one, like many of our journeys, but by going through many ups and downs, and putting in the work to build herself back up, she has learnt to believe in herself, in her worth and to not try and find validation from external factors, but from within.In this episode Kat talks about the experiences that have shaped her, from grieving the loss of a parent to getting out of an emotionally abusive relationships, the lessons she has taken from her struggles and how ultimately these were the catalysts for her to start believing in herself, and finding her purpose, that is helping others believe in themselves too.To find out more about Kat's work, including her 1 to 1 and group work, you can find here on instagram @_beeingwell or email her at beeingkat@gmail.com.For Show Notes: www.ljsprojects.uk/blog/kat-show-notes

Mary Coughlin is a leader in the field of neonatal nursing and internationally recognised expert in the field of trauma-informed, age-appropriate care in the Neonatal intensive care unit, a published author and the President and Founder of Caring Essentials Collaborative, based in Boston. She started her career in the United States Air Force Nurses Core. After almost 7 years of service, in 1989 she left the Air Force to become a civilian nurse, specialising in neonatal work at the Brigham And Women's Hospital in Boston. For a short period she worked in an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit, where she was first introduced to the notion of trauma informed care, a very grounded theory that originates within behavioural/mental health. In our chat Mary talks about the amazing practice of trauma informed care whilst also sharing fascinating research surrounding this methodology, and around mental health - she discusses the importance of understanding the impact mental health can have on our biology, and our physical health, and the value of being kind and compassionate to yourself, to others and the importance of understanding people's story and history.If you want to find out more about Mary's work check out her website: www.caringessentials.net or you can find her on Instagram (@caring.essentials), Facebook (@caringessentials) and Twitter(@meccares).For Show Notes: www.ljsprojects.uk/blog/mary-coughlin-show-notes

Siobhan is a freelance sober speaker, social media manager and content creator originally from Cornwall, now based in Manchester.Prior to her sobriety, Siobhan would have described herself as a binge drinking, party girl. The kinda girl that lived for the weekend and was always up for a night out, so much so she would get annoyed if ‘going for a couple of drinks' wouldn't lead into a big night out.Lots of her drinking nights would end up in blackouts, in embarrassing moments she couldn't remember, and occasionally ending up hurting and letting down her friends and family. So it eventually came to a point where Siobhan decided to stop drinking for a year, to reset her body and her relationship with alcohol. She has now been sober since December 2018, and still to this day cannot stop raving about how amazing sobriety is.In this episode Siobhan talks about how, in hindsight, drinking may have been a coping mechanism and a way of dealing with the feelings of anger and grief, how she had a complete lack of regard and care for what happened to her when drinking, the ups and down of becoming sober and ultimately how sobriety has give her back time, money and ultimately life experiences - as well as offering some brilliant tips for anyone starting out their journey into sobriety.To find out more about Siobhan's work check out her website www.notsosecretlysober.com and follow her on instagram for brilliant posts, tips, Q&A's and more @notsosecretlysoberFor Show Notes: www.ljsprojects.uk/blog/siobhan-show-notes

In this first episode of Series 2, I am joined by the wonderful Tally Rye.Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, Content Creator and Author based in London, Tally has been in the fitness space for over 6 years and during this time has gone on a personal and professional journey that has led her today to work as a Non-Diet, Weight Inclusive Personal Trainer who specialises in Intuitive Movement.Through her work she supports her clients and community to ditch diet culture and re-discover a positive relationship with fitness, food and body by shifting their relationship with movement from one of punishment to a form of self care, and to learn to train happy.In this episode Tally talks about journey into intuitive movement, working inclusively and towards positive change, the importance of investing in your mental health, body image and so much more.To find out more about Tally's work, book and podcast check out here website www.tallyrye.co.uk or follow here on instagram @tallyryeShow Notes: https://www.ljsprojects.uk/blog/tally-rye-show-notes

Sara and Ben are two of the three people behind the ‘It's OKAY Project'. (Shoutout to Dominic that unfortunately was not well on the day of the podcast recording).Sara is an artist, teacher, skater, mother and wife and she is the Founder and Art Director of the project. Ben is a teacher, rugby player, dad and is the administration and communications consultant for the project.‘It's OKAY Project' was born in 2020 and it evolved from a story of bereavement and mental health struggles. The project aims to drop the stigmas attached to mental health and communicate stories of peoples struggles and achievements, through their Zine, social media campaigns and community projects.The Mental Health Zine in particular encourages a creative outlet as a form of communication for mental health battles and allows to raise important funds for creative community project as well as supporting brilliant mental health charities such as Papyrus, the UK Charity for the prevention of young suicide (under 35).In this episode Sara and Ben talk about what the ‘It's OKAY Project' means to them, the power of sharing stories, our love of quotes, the need to bring our education system into the 21st Century and so much more.To find out more about the ‘It's OKAY Project' check out their website https://www.itsokayproject.com/ or you can find them on Instagram and Facebook @itsokayproj

Kiera and Aimie are two wives, dog mums to Juno, and founders of the Feel Good Club, a club here to remind people that we are all just humans.Through their work, they are on a mission to support people to become their best and happiest selves and at the same time normalise the conversations around mental health and feelings in general.In this episode they talk about how Feel Good Club started as a response to Kiera's mental health struggles and eating disorder; how, once they finally decided to give it a proper go a year ago, they have grown a huge online community using their social media platform and are now opening their first multifunctional coffee house, designed to encourage customers to connect, be themselves and talk about their feelings and mental health openly, and how this whole initiative has impacted positively on their own mental health and overall wellbeing.You can find out more about Feel Good Club on their website www.feelgoodclub.co or to follow them on Instagram for daily motivation, positivity, and inspiration @wearefeelgoodclub

Hannah is a hardcore diy'er and renovator, knitwear designer, Crohn's warrior and all round inspiring creative being. After living in Sweden for a while, Hannah started getting ulcers in her mouths that were causing a great deal of pain, and after going to the hospital, firstly in Sweden and then back in London, discovered she has Crohn's disease. In this episode Hannah talks about some of the painful and scary symptoms she got prior to being diagnosed with Crohn's, and what life looks now living with Crohn's, also during the Corona Virus pandemic, taking care of her overall health, both physical and mental, by creating boundaries and making the right choices for her, and also about her work as a knitwear designer, the importance of fulfilling the root of your creative needs and a little bit about her epic house renovation project.If you want to find out more about the renovation project Hannah is undertaking with her partner Josh, you can find them on Instagram at 43bythesea_

Nina Gee is a mother, a wife, a creative being, and a trainer for a domestic abuse charity.When Nina was about 15 when, due to a shift in her family dynamic that brought about a new living situation, challenging home circumstances, she found herself feeling out of place, insecurity and lost a lot of self confidence. It was then that she turned to bulimia, that became her coping mechanism on and off for the next 15 years.In this episode Nina talks about her experience with bulimia in quite some detail, from how it started, her first experience at the doctors, the yo yo-ing behaviours and the extremes she went to in her destructive cycle, as well as her recovery, her passion for feminism, the empowerment of breaking away from diet culture and from being a patriarchy pleaser, and the power of coming into your creative power and using your talents.For Podcast Show notes click here.(Please be aware this episode is a really honest account of Nina's experience and can be triggering for some - if this is something you are currently going through or you are not in the right head space to listen to this, please feel free to move on to another episode and you can come back to this when you are in a better space).You can find Nina Gee's amazing house account on Instagram at : Nina Gee HomeIf you need to talk to anyone about any of the themes in this podcast the following organisation can offer support:Anorexia and Bulimia Care (ABC): 03000 11 12 13 anorexiabulimiacare.org.ukAdvice and support for anyone affected by eating problems.Beat: 0808 801 0711 (youthline); 0808 801 0811 (studentline) beateatingdisorders.co.ukOvereaters Anonymous Great Britain: oagb.org.ukPapyrus HOPELINEUK: 0800 068 41 41; 07786 209697 (text); papyrus-uk.orgMind: 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 www.mind.org.uk/

Mel MacIntyre is a life coach & business mentor to soul led business owners, ready to become successful and change the world. She runs her business from her little house in Eriskay, Western Isles and works with people primarily from the UK, Canada and America.Mel has always worked with people to support their training and development, however her early career looked very different to now. At the age of 21 she worked for a global financial services organisation, and was always chasing the next promotion, award, the recognition, but eventually she ran out of steam trying to be what I thought everyone else wanted her to be. She found herself in a very dark place mentally, emotionally and spiritually, and it was then she decided to walk away from her corporate career, to hone in on her skills as a coach and create a life of purpose and meaning.In this episode Mel talks about learning to listen to the truth of who she is and how affected her mental health, on how facing her biggest fear and hardest moment allowed for her biggest growth and the power of being wildly authentic.To find out more about Mel's work check out her website: www.melmacintyre.comYou can also take her free mini-course - Use Your Fears to Your Advantage and Create Unshakeable Self Belief www.melmacintyre.com/createunshakeableselfbeliefand you can join her Facebook Community "Create Your Wildly Authentic Life and Business": https://www.facebook.com/groups/CreateYourWildlyAuthenticLifeandBusiness

Welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon (we go through phases).This weeks we meet Scott Macpherson and Dan Warrender - colleagues, friends, and all round inspiring educators working to break stigma in the mental health field and to make a difference in the world. They are both lectures at Robert Gordon University in Mental Health Nursing and developed the Mental Health Movie Monthly initiative which uses the medium of film to engage students, professionals, service users and the general public in discussion around issues in mental health and well-being. Their work, and their stories, seem to really compliment each other - you could say they are kind of each others Ying and Yang. Scott has an MA in Psychology and has practiced as a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) since 2005, worked in the field of Substance Use for over 11 years and retains a teaching interest in this area as well as cognitive behavioural therapy, spirituality, human rights and resilience. Dan has an MA in Philosophy and is a registered Mentalisation Based Therapist (MBT), with a working background in learning difficulties, as well as having worked in acute mental health. He is currently undertaking a PhD exploring peoples experiences of crisis intervention for people with a diagnosis of ‘borderline personality disorder'.In this episode they talk about the role of the mental health nurse, how they are working to teach more human and caring approaches in their courses, the barriers they face in their teaching practice when confronted with the wider sector, and how by being in space where people share their vulnerabilities, they learnt to grow themselves.To find out more about the course Scott Macpherson and Dan Warrender's teach at Robert Gordon University check out the university website: www.rgu.ac.ukAnd for info about the Mental Health Movie Monthly check out the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MH.in.Movies/

Welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon (we go through phases).This weeks guest is Rachel Cruickshank, a women's health coach, nutritional therapist and yoga teacher. In 2018 she launched her business The Body Natural to help women find their sense of whole being - the concept that each one of us is an individual and what we need to feel well is completely specific to us.When she was a younger teen, and into her early 20's, Rachel struggled with various health problems and could not seem to find any medicine that helped at all. She decided to take matters into her own hands and has since been studying, researching, testing and trialling holistic approaches to be able to live well and whole.In this episode Rachel talks about how her health challenges such as IBD, amenorrhea and (undiagnosed) body dysmorphia led her into a self healing journey, about the power of learning to understand her own body, how yoga ignited her curiosity into self discovery and self exploration, and ultimately how she learnt to let go of being in control, to trust herself and stand in her own power.To find out about Rachel's work check out her website: www.rachelcruickshank.com

Welcome back to Just like the Moon (we through phases).This week we meet the force of nature that is Sylvia Mac. Syvia is the founder of Love Disfigure, Child Burn Survivor, Body Image Campaigner, Diverse Model, Inspirational Speaker, Cross Continent Swimmer, Body Image Blogger.Sylvia endured third and fourth degree burns across her body as a result of an accident when she was just three years old. The experience and her gruelling treatment left her traumatised, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression in later life as well as suicidal thoughts. But at the age of 48 she decided she was not prepared to hide anymore. She went on the found Love Disfigure to raise awareness and offer support for those living with burns and scarring, to inspire others to be proud of their bodies. In this episode Sylvia talks about her experience of being a burn child survivor, the challenges of going through treatment, the moment she decide to stop hating her body and fall in love with her scars, and her advocacy and campaigning work trough Love Disfigure to raise awareness and show support for those living with a disfigurement.Sylvia's story is phenomenal and it is so inspiring to hear how she completely turned her life around to help herself but also to help others and create a beautiful community based on inclusivity, body acceptance and empowerment.To find out more about Sylvia's work check out her website : https://www.lovedisfigure.com/ or you can follow her on Instagram at love_disfigure.

Paula McGuire, also know as Paula Must Try Harder, is an adventurer, writer, speaker and life coach.Paula is an anxiety survivor, that went from being practically housebound to being an endless trier and the world's most unlikely adventurer. After being told by doctors 'this is as good as it gets' and not wanting to live her life crippled by anxiety and fear anymore, she decided it was ultimately down to herself to change her situation. So she came up with an extraordinary sporting challenge in the hope it might save her life, and it did. In this episode Paula recalls how taking on adventures changed her life immeasurably, how learning to fail and pick herself up again and again may have been hellish at times, but allowed to manage her anxiety, and how all of these experiences ultimately help her remember that life is utterly ridiculous and that no matter what is happening to your or in the world, there is always light.To find out more about Paula's work check out her website www.paulamusttryharder.co.uk or you can follow her on Instagram or Twitter @pmusttryharder

Welcome back to Just like the Moon (we through phases.This week we meet the brilliant Dave Chawner.Dave is a an award-winning comic, bestselling author and is an ambassador and spokesperson for mental health charities Mind, The Mental Health Foundation & Beat (The UK's Eating Disorder Charity).Dave's number 1 best selling book 'Weight Expectations' has lead him to write widely about a range of topics (including eating disorders, masculinity and mental health) in The Guardian, The Telegraph, Metro, GQ, Cosmopolitan and others.In this episode Dave talks openly about his experiences with anorexia, about his stand up comedy, facing prejudice and his recovery as well as discussing some myths, facts and stats surrounding Eating Disorders.I find Dave's humours, honesty and no BS way of sharing his experience and personal views so engaging and really makes you laugh as well as think - and this episode will do just that.To find out more about Dave Chawner's work check out his website:https://davechawner.co.uk/and you can listen to his Ted talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqbL-UhhyPkIf you need to talk to anyone about any of the themes in this podcast the following organisation can offer support:Anorexia and Bulimia Care (ABC): 03000 11 12 13 anorexiabulimiacare.org.ukBeat: 0808 801 0711 (youthline); 0808 801 0811 (studentline) beateatingdisorders.co.ukOvereaters Anonymous Great Britain: oagb.org.ukPapyrus HOPELINEUK: 0800 068 41 41; 07786 209697 (text); papyrus-uk.orgMind: 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 www.mind.org.uk/

Hello and welcome back to Just like the Moon (we go through phases) and in this weeks episode we meet Britt Martin.Britt is one of the co-founders of Food Period, a business that allows women to choose a natural alternative over pharmaceuticals when managing their menstrual cycle, rooted in seed syncing.After being diagnosed at the age of 25 with Hodgkins Lymphoma and undergoing chemotherapy, Britt lost her period. Determined not to pump any more chemicals into her body she set out to find a natural treatment for amenorrhea, eventually discovering the practice known as seed cycling, or seed syncing, which led her to set up her business.In this episode Britt talks about her experience of receiving a cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy, the impact this had on her both physically and mentally, how ending finding the practice of seed synchingand starting her this company has been a strong healing process and has really empowered her to keep showing up and taking an active role in her health.To find out more about Food Period you can check out their website: https://foodperiod.com/Of follow them on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/food.period/?hl=en

Hello and welcome back to Just like the Moon (we go through phases) and in this weeks episode we meet Rachel Drury.Rachel is a freelance musician and researcher working predominantly in the field of music education and psychology with a doctorate in music psychology, and also work as a lectures in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.In this episode Rachel talks about her experience with anxiety and mental health struggles whilst studying and working as a musician, how this has influenced her research into mental health and creativity (in particular music), and how ultimately it has allowed her to understand what work gives her value and purpose. Rachel was my tutor during my Masters degree and still to this day is a great source of knowledge, guidance and motivation and is definitely someone who inspires me to always be curious and questions the work and the world around me - and I am sure she will inspired you to do so too.

Welcome back to Just like the Moon (we through phases). This week we meet the all inspiring Sarah Williams, podcaster, adventurer, challenger and the founder of the Tough Girl Challenges.Tough Girl Challenges is a podcast and a community that is all about motivating and inspiring women and girls to get fit and active, travel and explore, and to encourage them to have big dreams and to step outside their comfort zone.  Sarah is one of the most encouraging and empowering women I know - if you are wanting to be challenged, inspired or just need some positivity right now you have come to the right place - Sarah will do just that!To find out more about Sarah Williams and Tough Girl Challenges visit:https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/And you can listen to the Tough Girl Podcast on the go via iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify & Stitcher!https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/tough-girl-podcast/id1024977070https://soundcloud.com/toughgirlchallenges/trackshttp://www.stitcher.com/podcast/tough-girl-podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/4YeO1EN1L4Qk0IvSiO9kG3 ✩ Twitter - https://twitter.com/_tough_girl✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toughgirlchallenges/ ✩ Blog/Website - https://www.toughgirlchallenges.com/ ✩ FaceBook - https://www.facebook.com/ToughGirlChallenges/ ✩ Pinterest - https://uk.pinterest.com/Tough101/ ✩ Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ToughGirlPodcast?ty=h✩YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/SarahWilliamsToughGirlChallenges

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon (we go through phases). Today we meet the lovely Sally Donald, psychology graduate working in politics, a part time PT (for now) and currently studying to become a counsellor.Sally Donald is a such brilliant strong woman, straight to the point and self assured and through her work is all about making difference and helping people to feel better about themselves.I can guarantee this chat with inspire you to do just that!If you want to follow Sally and get all the positive vibes check out her instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallydonald_/

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon (we go through phases).Todays' episode is the the first double bill of this podcast, and first group episodes and is brought to you in collaboration with m:ADE, moray arts development engagement, a Scottish charity that creates projects that address local issues in communities across Moray.Last year, one of the organisations's projects was a series of films that focused on male mental health in Moray, called 'M:ADE Aware'.Thanks to funding from The Corra Foundation they are now delivering phase 2 of 'M:ADE Aware' with a focus on two groups : females with lived experience of mental health struggles and those supporting friends and family with mental health issues.In this episode, supported once again by Stacey, we meet Karen, Debi, Wendy, Ann and Suzi. We discuss their varied mental health difficulties, stigma and the relief that comes with a diagnosis and talk really openly about medication, alternative therapies and coping mechanisms and ultimately how their experiences have shaped them to be the open, kind, proactive women they are today. To find out more about the M:ADE projects check www.https://www.morayartsdevelopmentengagement.org…ww.https://www.morayartsdevelopmentengagement.org/ - and you can find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/Moray.ADE/Instagram @moray.adeTwitter @Moray_ADEIf you need to talk to anyone about any of the themes in this podcast the following organisation can offer support:Mikey's Line: 07779 303 303 www.mikeysline.co.uk/Samaritans: 116 123 www.samaritans.org/Mind: 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/Rethink Mental Illness Advice Line: 0300 5000 927 www.rethink.org/about-us/our-mental-health-adviceand more can be found here: www.time-to-change.org.uk/mental-healt…-and-support

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon (we go through phases).Todays' episode is the the first double bill of this podcast, and first group episodes and is brought to you in collaboration with m:ADE, moray arts development engagement, a Scottish charity that creates projects that address local issues in communities across Moray.Last year, one of the organisations's projects was a series of films that focused on male mental health in Moray, called 'M:ADE Aware'.Thanks to funding from The Corra Foundation they are now delivering phase 2 of 'M:ADE Aware' with a focus on two groups : females with lived experience of mental health struggles and those supporting friends and family with mental health issues.In this episode we meet Stacey, Debi, Becky, Claire and Ann - all whom have experience of supporting friends or family with their mental health struggles.We discussed openly and very honestly the negative and positive feelings that come with this experience, the challenges and the learnings, and some tips and advice for those in similar positions.To find out more about the M:ADE projects check www.https://www.morayartsdevelopmentengagement.org/ - and you can find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Moray.ADE/Instagram @moray.adeTwitter @Moray_ADEIf you need to talk to anyone about any of the themes in this podcast the following organisation can offer support:Mikey's Line: 07779 303 303 www.mikeysline.co.uk/Samaritans: 116 123 www.samaritans.org/Mind: 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/Rethink Mental Illness Advice Line: 0300 5000 927 www.rethink.org/about-us/our-mental-health-adviceand more can be found here: www.time-to-change.org.uk/mental-healt…-and-support

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon (we go through phases).Today we meet the fab Emma Jayne Park - dancer, theatre maker, collaborator and micro-activist. From her base in Scotland she works locally, nationally, internationally and as Associate Artist with The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival; one of the world's largest social justice arts festivals.In this episode Emma talks about what it is like working in the arts, her experience of going through cancer treatment, about her diagnosis with complex post traumatic stress disorder, and the reality of coming to the conclusion that her lifestyle means living out of a suitcase and therefore her choice to move back home to Gretna.A little bit of warning as is needed sometimes with this podcast - Emma talks about briefly about having suicidal ideation. If this is something that is sensitive to you at this time, feel free to move on to another episode and you can always just come back to it when you are in a better place.To find out more about Emma's work under the creative handle Cultured Mongrel, check out her website: https://www.culturedmongrel.org/

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon (we go through phases). Today we meet my the lovely Lucy May Wilson. Lucy was actually one of the first dancers I met when I moved to Scotland and our paths have crossed a few times over the years, but in April 2019 she joined me on my dance project that actually sparked this podcast - she has been a integral part of this overall project and has since become a really good friend and I delighted to have her on this podcast.In this episode we talk about sorts of things including her experience with panic attacks, side effects the contraceptive pill can have on woman's mental heath, the benefits of her yoga practice and therapy and the power of poetry - and I am delighted that Lucy shared some of her spoken word with us that is just beautiful. You can read some more of her poetry on her Instagram page Lucy May Speak: https://www.instagram.com/lucymayspeak/

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon, the podcast where I delve into the lives of others and learn hopefully a little more about their self care tips and how tot take care of our mental h Today we meet Lynn Shaw, a women that is truly amazing and all inspiring: mother, all round creative being, and dance artist from Aberdeen. After suffering a long history of turbulent life events, Lynn decided to use her dance practice to explore her Borderline Personality Disorder, creating the documentary “Borderline” and consequently the website Dancing Along the Borderline.The aim of the project is to reach out to others within the mental health community, creatives, people recovering from addictions, borderline personality disorder or anyone who is interested in spirituality and growth and features blogs, reference dance, film, writing and other art forms.In this podcast we talk about her experience of BDP, her projects and her recovery journey. A little bit of warning as is needed sometimes with this podcast - Lynn talks about her experiences with BPD and coping mechanism that include self harm, alcoholism and overdosing. If this is something that is sensitive to you at this time, feel free to move on to another episode and you can always just come back to it when you are in a better place.To find out more about Lynn's project 'Dance along the Bordeline' check out the website of the same name: https://danceborderline.com/ and you can also find her on FB https://www.facebook.com/dancingalongtheborderline/and instagram https://www.instagram.com/danceborderline/If you need to talk to anyone about any of the themes in this podcast the following organisation can offer support:- Mikey's Line: 07779 303 303 www.mikeysline.co.uk/- Samaritans: 116 123 www.samaritans.org/- Mind: 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/ & https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/borderline-personality-disorder-bpd/for-friends-and-family/- Alcohol services map: https://www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk/alcohol-information/find-an-alcohol-service/

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon, the podcast where I chat with wonderful ad inspiring people to find out how they overcome stressful time and keep it all together. Today we meet the phenomenal woman that is Siobhan Neylon, mum of two lovely boys, nurse to trade and the most stylish vintage dresser I know. Siobhan is one of those people that when she walks into the room you can just feel the energy shift - she brings a fire and passion with her wherever she goes, and honestly is such a joy to be around. Siobhan talks about her experience of having post partum depression and suicidal thoughts, dealing with the aftermath of a difficult and coercive relationship and subsequent divorce and coming to terms with what our expectations are versus what reality is, when the picture in your head of what your life should be completely falls apart - how ultimately how all these event have brought her growth.A little bit of warning as is needed sometimes with this podcast -although Siobhan doesn't go into too much details about her suicidal thoughts or her experience of being in a coercive relationship, I would suggest that, if this is something that is sensitive to you at this time, feel free to move on to another episode and you can always just come back to it when you are in a better place.If you need to talk to anyone about any of the themes in this podcast the following organisation can offer support:- Woman's Aid Scotland: email helpline@sdafmh.org.uk; or find your nearest groups at https://womensaid.scot/find-nearest-wa-group/ r you - Scotland's 24 hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 027 1234- Mikey's Line: 07779 303 303 www.mikeysline.co.uk/- Samaritans: 116 123 www.samaritans.org/- Mind: 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon, the podcast that explores the different ways in which people overcome obstacles, find contentment and achieve overall wellbeing. Today we meet Mike Webster, a brilliantly talented film maker, amazing dad and honestly just one of the nicest guys I know. In this episode Mike talks about all sorts of thing, from his experience as a Dad, about his recent career choice to go freelance, how he's living through this lockdown and on how ultimately his wellbeing and self-care boil down to the ability to talk, to be honest and being aware that even making the smallest changes can truly help us feel better.To find out more about Mike's project you can visit his website Spiral Out Pictures: https://www.spiraloutpictures.com/In this Episode Mike also talks about a podcast by Carter Ferguson 'FILM PRO PRODUCTIVITY & SUCCESS' and in particular EPISODE 11 – Committing to a Twelve Week Year. You can listen to this podcast here : https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/achieving-your-goals-with-a-12-week-year-episode-11/id1434999938?i=1000423626799

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon, the podcast that delve into the lives of others, see what makes them tick, and how they overcome stressful times. Today we meet the brilliant Jordan, Inverness based personal trainers and all round positive and good and guy. Honestly, having trained with him before, I can guarantee he is just one of those guys that just by entering a room spreads positive and encouraging energy.In this podcast Jordan speaks about both his one to one personal training as well as his work with Inverness gym 'The Studio'. To find out more about both visit their instagram pages: jordanbowiept & thestudioinv

Hello and welcome back to another episode of Just like the Moon (we go through phases), the podcast where I chat with people about their life challenges and their moments of joy, and find out how they balance it all. Today we meet my chum Stacey. Stacey wears a multitude of hats in here every days life, including Curriculum Team Lead for the Creative Industries for Working for Moray School of Art, Moray College UHI, director of charity M:ADE, as well as dog mum and tea maker (as she describes herself).In this podcast Stacey mentions the film M:ADE Aware - Male Mental Health, Moray - to find out more about the charity or watch the film visit: https://www.morayartsdevelopmentengagement.org/

Welcome back to our podcast Just like the Moon.This week we meet the lovely Sophie Donald, dance artist, personal trainer, qualified barre and gymnast instructor and someone who I have so time and respect for. Honestly if you need a wee motivating pep talk every now and then Sophie is the one to go to!During lockdown Sophie has been offering morning boosts on her Facebook - a 15 minutes of dance fitness routines. She also offers Barre classes and longer dance fitness classes on her Instagram - including charity fundraiser classes for Women's aid. You can find her classes here: FB https://www.facebook.com/SophieDonaldDanceandFitness/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sophied.dance/

Welcome back to a new series of episode of Just like the moon (we go through phases).Today we meet the lovely Marta Masiero - dancer, yogi and all round inspiring woman . Recorded in the first week of UK COVID 19 Lockdown , Marta talks a little about getting to grasps with teaching online in this new reality, that I'm sure many of you can relate to, about her background as a dance artist, her experience as a yoga teacher and practitioner and about the importance of saying no and making time for things that simply bring you joy .Marta offers a variety of brilliant yoga classes on zoom at the moment and you can find out more on her website: https://www.martamasieroyoga.com/

Welcome back to our podcast Just like the Moon.In this weeks episode we met with the lovely Jade Macintyre, primary school teacher, dancer instructor and performer.Recording this episode was an absolute joy as Jade shared her story with honesty, sincerity and a touch of humour.in this episode Jade mentioned a book called 'Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less' by Greg McKeown.This book wishes to challenge the core assumption of ‘We can have it all' and ‘I have to do everything' and replace it with the pursuit of ‘the right thing, in the right way, at the right time'.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0753555166

This week we meet the very talented Paul Findlay - deputy stage manager at Eden Court Theatre, with a passion for martial arts and outdoor climbing. This weeks episode touches on anger issues, depression and self-harming - if this may be something that is not suitable for you at this time, feel free to move on to another episode and you can just come back to it when you are in a better place. If you need to talk to anyone about any of the themes in this podcast the following organisation can offer support:Mikey's Line: 07779 303 303 http://www.mikeysline.co.uk/ Samaritans: 116 123 https://www.samaritans.org/Mind: 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/Rethink Mental Illness Advice Line: 0300 5000 927 http://www.rethink.org/about-us/our-mental-health-adviceand more can be found here: https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/mental-health-and-stigma/help-and-support

Welcome back to Just like the Moon.In this weeks episode, I met with the Shona Macpherson, a life coach, a blogger and an outdoor lover. We talked about her work, her personal journey and relationship with mental health and how this has informed the paths she has taken in life.In her work, Shona is passionate about helping people find freedom from self-limiting thoughts, life scripts and stuckness. Shona offers well being treks, retreats and one to one life coaching.You can find out more about Shona's work here: Website: http://www.shonafitness.co.uk/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShonaMacphersonCoaching/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkwildcoach/Blog with wellbeing treks and retreat info: https://linktr.ee/walkwildcoach

Hello and welcome to Just like the Moon (we through phases), the podcast where we have open and honest conversations about our wellbeing, taking care of our mental health and all sort of other things with fascinating people from all walks of life, in the hope of learning a few self care tips and as a reminder that, no matter your situation, you are not walking alone.I'm your host, Laura, and in this short episode I introduce myself and my story and explain a little bit about the hope and dreams of this podcast.To find out more about me and my story check out my blog post on www.ljsprojects.uk