Mastery Vibes: Peer Support Unleashed

Episode 5: Paramedic to Peer Supporter: Navigating the Clinical World with Lived Experience

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/fan_mail/new] 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. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/support]

S2 Episode 4: Trapped, Not Treated: Compulsory Care, Restraint & the Human Right to Be Heard

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/fan_mail/new] 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. Subscribe, Rate & Review: If this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe to our channel and leave us a review to help us keep these important conversations going. Explore more at robynpriest.com [https://robynpriest.com/] and explorationmastery.com [https://explorationmastery.com/] Follow us on Instagram: Charlotte_Armstrong18 [https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_armstrong18/] therobynpriest [https://www.instagram.com/therobynpriest/]     Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/support]

S2 Episode 3: Both/And: Embracing Grief, Relief & Conflicting Emotions in Peer Support

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/fan_mail/new] 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. Subscribe, Rate & Review: If this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe to our channel and leave us a review to help us keep these important conversations going. Explore more at robynpriest.com [https://robynpriest.com/] and explorationmastery.com [https://explorationmastery.com/] Follow us on Instagram: Charlotte_Armstrong18 [https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_armstrong18/] therobynpriest [https://www.instagram.com/therobynpriest/] #PeerSupport #BothAnd #GriefAndRelief #LivedExperience #MentalHealthMatters #EmotionalComplexity #CognitiveDissonance #GriefSupport #FamilyDynamics #PeerSupportUnleashed #MasteryVibes #CaregiverSupport #RecoveryJourney #CommunityCare #NoShameInFeelingItAll Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/support]

S2 Episode 2: From Struggle to Sustained Recovery: Sean Gartrell on the Transformative Power of Peer Support

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/fan_mail/new] 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.  Subscribe, Rate & Review: If this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe to our channel and leave us a review to help us keep these important conversations going. Explore more at robynpriest.com [https://robynpriest.com/] and explorationmastery.com [https://explorationmastery.com/] Follow us on Instagram: Charlotte_Armstrong18 [https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_armstrong18/] therobynpriest [https://www.instagram.com/therobynpriest/]  For more about Advocates for Recovery Colorado: https://www.advocatesforrecovery.org/ [https://www.advocatesforrecovery.org/]   Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/support]

S2 Episode 1: Ghost: Mediums, Voices, and the Stigma of "Madness" – Why Do We Celebrate One but Pathologize the Other?

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/fan_mail/new] 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. Rate & Review: If this conversation resonated with you, please leave us a review to help us keep these important conversations going.  Check us out at www.explorationmastery.com [https://www.explorationmastery.com/] www.robynpriest.com [https://www.robynpriest.com/] Follow us on Instagram: Charlotte_Armstrong18 [https://www.instagram.com/charlotte_armstrong18/] therobynpriest [https://www.instagram.com/therobynpriest/] #PeerSupport #MentalHealthStigma #HearingVoices #LivedExperience #GhostMovie #SpiritualExperiences #MadnessOrGift #RecoveryJourney #BipolarAwareness #SchizophreniaAwareness #TraumaInformed #HumanRightsInMentalHealth #WhoopiGoldberg #OdaMaeBrown Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2527945/support]