Hi I’m Amy, host of Living Table Podcast. I am beloved and so are you!
I am a wife, mom, writer, Certified Peer Counselor & table enthusiast! I am passionate about creating spaces where people feel safe to talk about mental health & wellness.
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. As I listened to 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.
You matter. Your story matters. Your presence is enough.
Championing You!
Amy