A Lichfield counsellor has teamed up with a Bishop for a podcast tackling the stigma of mental health.
Sheila McMahon has recorded and episode of her Counsellor Convos broadcast featuring Bishop Fintan Monahan of the Killaloe Diocese in Ireland.
Suicide is among the issues the paid discuss as part of the podcast.
The Irish-born counsellor said:
“One of the issues I’ve found is the stigma that suicide is still seen as a sin. This can create a lot of guilt and confusion around mental illness.
“So I wanted to create this podcast so people can hear a healthy conversation between a bishop and a counsellor about mental illness that wasn’t about stigma, shame, and blame, but more about compassion, understanding and hope.”
Sheila McMahon
The podcast explores the issues of suicide rates and the stigma surrounding the topic.
Bishop Monahan said:
“In the past, for the reasons of protection of the value of life, and the knock-on effects of family and society, the emphasis would have been on the wrongness of people taking their own lives.
“Whereas now, people would look more at what are the root causes. Why does someone get into a dark space like that? And what are the help that can be given?”
Bishop Fintan Monahan
The Bishop also discussed how the understanding of mental illness had progressed since the turn of the century and the role of the church in offering spirutality and hope.
Sheila said:
“When we come together and come from a place of understanding and compassion, this can bring peace to families who have lost loved ones to mental illness and help us to also move forward with understanding and support of mental illness.”
Sheila McMahon
The podcast, which is split into two parts, is now available on Sheila’s YouTube Channel – and will also be available to listen on Spotify and Apple podcast platforms from today (28th January).
