Mental Health Laid Bare – Guest Testimonials

Katherine Lynch – Actress

“I really enjoyed being on Malie’s show. I felt very safe taking about matters close to the heart. Malie
is a true professional and a great personality”.

Caitriona McMahon - Co-Founder Community Crisis Response Team Limerick

“Mental Health Laid bare hosted by Dr Malie Coyne will always hold a special place in my heart. One of the main reasons being, it gave me a voice and a platform to be heard. In my view it brought professionals and those of us with lived experience together to learn from each other in a very unique way.

Dr. Malie’s real open and honest interviewing techniques showed her expertise and wealth of experience when it came to putting me instantly at ease to share my story. Speaking about my depression, suicidal thoughts & anxiety on the airwaves was truly liberating and I am so very grateful for being given the opportunity.

I was delighted to not only be able to share my story of depression but also my story of recovery including some poetry I wrote along the way. Without Mental Health Laid Bare I would never have had an opportunity to share my poetry on the airwaves.

As a result of featuring on the show I have since been asked to write for various websites which I will forever be grateful to Dr Malie for. Mental Health Laid Bare was more than a radio show to me it was the pulse of our mental health community and a voice for the voiceless. Thank you”.

Hannah Lilly – Blogger & Creator #TheJoyProject

“Mental Health Laid Bare is a fantastic platform for people to share their stories. Malie's interview style makes you want to talk & for anyone listening who may be struggling, knowing they are not alone can be life changing.

It was such a positive experience for me and so good to hear from others afterwards who had found listening beneficial too.

I could write thousands of words about how fantastic Malie is as an interviewer and how brilliant her show is. It needs to be on air!!!”

Aindrias de Staic - TV presenter, musician, actor

“I really enjoyed being on Malie’s show and raising awareness of mental health issues, which is a subject very close to my heart. I got the chance to tell my own story and talk about what drives my creativity. Cheers Malie!”

Odhran Allen - Director of Mental Health at G.L.E.N

"I was delighted when Malie invited me to come on her show as I had enjoyed listening to the interviews she had done previously on various mental health themes. The honest, real and down-to-earth tone of the programme as well as Malie's skilled and engaging approach made telling my mental health story so easy.

A show like this would not have happened 10 years ago, she would not have had so many guests willing to share their stories. We need more of this in Ireland".

John Evoy - Founder of Irish Men’s Sheds Association

"I have been on most national radio stations and several international ones at this stage but my experience of Mental Health Laid Bare on Dublin City FM stands out in a number of ways. Malie Coyne is an expert interviewer and has a deep understanding of mental health issues so our interview went places that I would not normally talk about.

My experience there was so inspirational that I looked into getting involved with Dublin City FM on a longer term basis. Since my interview I have taken every opportunity to listen to the subsequent Mental Health Laid Bare episodes.

I find them very useful in terms of educating myself about what is going on in the Mental Health Space."

Ella Lovett & Mary Fanning - Young Ballymun Project & Irish Association for Infant Mental Health

“We were delighted to be invited onto the Mental Health Laid Bare programme by Dr. Malie Coyne as it was a really valuable opportunity to talk about Infant Mental Health to a wide audience. So much media coverage on mental health focuses on adolescents and adults, while crucial information on how to foster mental and emotional health and wellbeing from the start of life, and preventing difficulties from developing later on, is not yet in public consciousness.

The first three years of a child's life is when their sense of security is being established and when they are learning how to relate to their primary caregivers and manage their emotions. These mental health "skills" are core to emotional wellbeing and healthy relationships throughout life. But these first years are also really challenging for parents, who can find their baby's or toddler's needs hard to understand and respond to, so it's a time when parents are especially in need of support and information on how to navigate the often stormy waters of parenting.

Malie gave us plenty of time to explain infant mental health and her obvious interest in the topic translated to questions that parents listening would want to ask. She really put us at ease, which led to a relaxed conversation rather than us being too conscious of being on a radio programme. It was a very enjoyable experience and, according to some feedback we received from listeners, very informative too” (Mary Fanning). “The opportunity of speaking on the radio about Infant Mental Health was both exciting and daunting.

I felt a lot more confident doing it with another person (Mary). We were able to spend some time preparing in advance which really helped us to think about the points we really wanted to get across. Meeting Malie beforehand for lunch was great. She puts at our ease and made it sound easy.

The other staff in the station were also very friendly. I couldn't believe how quickly the time went! One of the station staff commented on how interesting she found the conversation topic as she was thinking of a particular baby/family as we spoke which was lovely. We got lots of positive feedback afterwards. I came away thinking we should be doing more of this!” (Ella Lovett).

Jen Ronan – Writer & See Change Ambassador

"Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Malie and joining her on her brilliant radio show Mental Health Laid Bare to share my own story about how I've been dealing with mental health difficulties in recent years. She was a joy to chat with! I found myself opening up and chatting about my own personal history with anxiety and depression quite willingly, and felt safe and looked after the whole way through. I'm mad to go on again!

It's so refreshing to sit in on a show solely dedicated to covering a topic which, up until recent years, always seemed relegated to a dark or sombre segment of a general chat show, be it on radio or on the telly. Mental health is so much more than a by-line or a token 'serious' topic; it is life as we experience it. It colours our perspective on life, and the world at large needs to become comfortable with discussing all facets of mental health, be they good, bad, or ugly.

With the movement towards destroying the stigma and taboos surrounding mental health issues gathering strength, Malie's show (aided in no small way by her expert knowledge of the subject matter and her natural ability to engage wholeheartedly with whomever she talks with) allows the topic of mental health to expand and take its rightful place in everyday discussion.

She is not afraid to show the darkness alongside the light, and the diversity of guests throughout the show's lifetime thus far demonstrate that there are as many perspectives on the topic of mental health as there are those who experience them. Dr. Malie's show is a true gem, long may it last!"

Judith Ashton & Sam Synott - Buddy Bench Ireland

“We had the pleasure of being on Malie Coyne's radio show to speak about our Buddy Bench Ireland Awareness Programme for primary school children which uses an actual physical bench as a visual tool and aid to promote friendship and effective emotional communication. Malie is as passionate as we are about children's mental health and well being and we all agree that early intervention is key to stop issues spiralling out of control later in childhood.

Discussing childhood matters with Malie was a wonderful opportunity for us to reach a broader audience and it was a real pleasure to share our experiences with her. She is doing a wonderful job bringing her relaxed professionalism, deep empathy and understanding to the subject of mental health.

She has the ability to demystify the subject and open up debate in a way that is easy for her listeners to identify with and feel supported. Malie Coyne is definitely reaching out through the airwaves and making the world a better place for her listeners”.