Above Ground Podcast #171, The Way Out Is Through

Our first repeat guest is back with a new ring and a new book, and she is here to help us elevate peer support. Valery Brosseau is back and the first time she asked us, “Is it in the blood?” But now she is screaming “The way out is through.”

We continue our suicide prevention series with a badass story of how Valery went through and has a book of her poetry, Through. She has a lifetime invitation here at AGP, and after listening to her, you will understand why. 

Congratulations to her and Shane on their recent marriage. We wish them both all the best.  

“It’s expensive to be crazy”,  jokes Valery Brosseau, about what the cost is to have a mental illness, and run your own business. Val is a self-contained creator of sorts. More humor and levity is necessary when combating stigma and allowing for people to see someone they might view differently. 

“The universe will come together when you represent what the universe wants to reflect in you”, expounds Val. In Through, her first poetry book, she opens up her hope chest and displays it in the rawest of view; for the world to see, to judge.  But judgement don’t matter when you are a black belt in karate and a purple in Brazilian jujitsu. I told you, she kicks ass. 

“If you need one person or five people to pick you back up, there is no shame in any of that”, expounds Brosseau. She views self compassion as a key ingredient in healing and moving forward.  Setbacks will happen – it is inevitable. The best response is to take a deep breath and explore your body, your mind. We are fallible. We are human beings. 

She acknowledges finding little moments of joy is the second key to getting over a setback. The only path we have is to move forward.  Val was recently accepted into a Master’s of Social Work program and is pursuing her dreams. Val says…“expressing is better than impressing.”

Valéry Brosseau can be found at https://www.valerybrosseau.com

Val’s book of poetry, Through, is available from Amazon.

Thank you for listening to another week of Above Ground Podcast. Sunday, September 25th is the 2022 Out of the Darkness Walk for RITA, taking place at the Saratoga State Park at 9 am. Sign up here.

Please come and join us in celebrating the lives of the lost, and the survivors who carry on their memories. Walk to raise awareness and end the stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness overall. Sign up now and join us on Sunday. 

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Until next week, get well, be safe, stay ABOVE