In this intimate conversation, I sit down with longtime friend and community member, Rev. Erin Goodman, for a raw and meaningful dialogue about suicide, healing, and the lived experience of mental illness. Erin shares her personal journey through acute crisis and her path forward, now working within the healthcare system to train clinicians and advocate for peer-led, trauma-informed support.

We talk openly about what it really feels like to be in the dark, how stigma keeps us silent, and what it means to rebuild a life worth living. Whether you or someone you love has faced suicidal thoughts, or you simply want to show up better for others, this episode is an invitation to witness, understand, and begin the brave work of talking about what’s often left unsaid.

3 Takeaways for Listeners:

Lived experience is powerful medicine. Erin’s story shows how what once nearly ended her life is now at the heart of her work—and why sharing your truth might help someone else stay alive.
We don’t need perfect answers, just presence. Sitting with someone in their pain is more powerful than trying to fix it.
Hope lives in connection. Real recovery happens in relationship—with peers, professionals, and people who see you as whole even when you feel broken.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Opening thoughts on why we need to talk about suicide openly

05:34 – Erin’s personal journey through acute mental illness and hospitalization

13:10 – What people misunderstand about suicidal ideation

21:52 – The shame and silence around suicide in families and communities

27:36 – How cultural and spiritual beliefs impact how we talk (or don’t talk) about suicide

34:03 – What helped Erin in recovery—and what didn’t

42:45 – Creating safety plans and the role of peer support

51:22 – Working with clinicians: what Erin teaches in the healthcare system

59:10 – The importance of presence over fixing

01:04:30 – The gifts and boundaries of lived experience

01:11:19 – Hope, recovery, and what’s changing in mental health care

01:16:40 – Final reflections and encouragement to keep talking

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MORE ABOUT ROBYN IVY:

Robyn Ivy sees people for a living.

A trusted coach, intuitive and fierce advocate for tree portals and a creative life, she spent over 20 years as a commercial photographer, honing her powerful skills as a witness.

Host of the Robyn Ivy Podcast, where she discusses how to be more present to our lives and create what’s next with today’s prominent thought leaders, spiritual mentors and creative guides.

Robyn mentors clients 1:1 through transitions, deep growth and meaningful change in a fun and inspiring way. Her workshops, groups and programs offer you insights and practices to live more confidently, creatively and from your truest wisdom.

You will often find her traveling in a camper van, sitting with the trees or capturing the beauty of nature. Raising her now grown sons Rook and Cole is her best work yet.