Episode 3: A Real Talk with Alan and MK
Episode 3: A Real Talk with Alan and MK
Alan and Mary Kate sat down to reflect on the first guest episode of the new season! Let's get into it.
In this week’s episode, MK and Alan discuss their experience of therapy on different sides of the Atlantic.
It would take hours to unpack both of those personal journeys with therapy. So in this episode, we talked about starting therapy - inspired by our interview with comedian Katie Boyle.
MK and Alan touched on hitting their own personal rock bottoms before seeking help. Alan wrote an article back in 2013 that described hitting that point.
The article was the first time Alan talked publicly about his mental health struggles, and eventually led to Alan writing his book, and the founding of Real Talks.
Starting therapy can feel hard, and the burden of finding the right therapist when you may already be struggling can be overwhelming.
That’s why we recommend familiarizing yourself with some resources. You never know when the information could be helpful for yourself, a friend or a loved one.
We’ve listed some of those mental health resources at the bottom of the newsletter!
A massive thank you to everyone who listened to our first guest episode with Katie Boyle last week.
Check out the videos from the convo with Katie we shared over @heyrealtalks about the benefits of therapy and the importance of good friends.
Katie talking about the friends who lifted her up during her restaurant days brought MK back to those times in her own life more than a decade ago.
Those friendships are everything, and we plan on highlighting more friendship stories on upcoming episodes of the Real Talks podcast!
This week, we also celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with loved ones, and hope you were able to do the same!
Next Week’s Guest
We’re so excited to announce next week’s guest on the podcast, Emmet Brennan!
Emmet is an Irish boxer and Olympian. He competed in the men's light heavyweight event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The professional boxer holds the Celtic Light Heavyweight Title. Most recently, he made his US debut in New York City’s Sony Hall, and came out victorious.
We sat down with Emmet for a wide-ranging conversation about going all out for your dreams, his own mental health journey and so much more.
Join us next week for our convo with Emmet, and until then, we’ll be in the comments!
Mentioned in the episode:
The @heyrealtalks Instagram
Since we mentioned therapy, some resources:
If you’re listening in Ireland, Samaritan’s Ireland is a 24/7 helpline that can be reached at 116 123, for free, day or night.
SOSAD Ireland provides free counseling, helpline and messaging services to those in need in Ireland.
Pieta provides a wide range of mental health services across Ireland free of charge, no referral needed.
Spunout.ie has good articles and resources
Solace House provides free counseling for those in need in the US.
For listeners in the US, MK always recommends searching for a therapist on Psychology Today - you can search by location, services and insurance provider. And you can get a good sense of the therapists by the descriptions they write.
In the US, Crisis Text Line is a free 24/7 service that can be accessed by texting HOME to 741741.
-Alan and MK