About this episode

Jules Sebastian interviews Leah Ashton about her journey in founding Hand in Hand and the importance of being present for loved ones facing mental health challenges.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicide and mental health. Please listen with care. If you need support, Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14. Some conversations change the way you see everything. In this episode, Jules sits down with Leah Ashton, the founder of Hand in Hand in Ballarat, an organisation dedicated to supporting people experiencing mental health challenges and social isolation. The story behind Hand in Hand is one Leah tells here with extraordinary honesty and courage. It began with a chance conversation on a flight. Then, at the end of 2023, Leah's world fell apart. A phone call in the early hours of the morning. Her 21-year-old son, seven hours away in South Australia. Her husband overseas. What was first thought to be a car accident turned out to be something else entirely, and it was her son's best friend who finally told her the truth. Out of that came a truth she now shares with every parent who will listen. You cannot fix your child. They do not want to be fixed. They want you to be present. Just sit with them, in it. Jules and Leah talk about why mental health does not discriminate, why the conversations we are most afraid to have with…

People in this episode

Host: Jules Sebastian

Guest: Leah Ashton

Topics covered

• mental health
• parenting
• social isolation
• community support
• conversations with children

Keywords

• mental health
• suicide
• parenting
• social isolation
• community support
• Hand in Hand
• Lifeline

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hand in Hand, Lifeline

Places: Ballarat, South Australia

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