World Mental Health Awareness Day
Give yourself permission to feel and express your feelings without feeling guilty. The truth of this reality is that we tend to repress them so others don't feel uncomfortable with our stories. You owe it to yourself to be open and genuine, if it brings inner peace and emotional wellbeing.
Diana Moscoso, MA, LCMHCA, NCC
Mental health, often stigmatized or ignored, is extremely important for all human beings. Together with physical and spiritual wellbeing, it makes for wholeness that creates a better life. Because mental health is less obvious than physical health, it has often been largely ignored by insurance companies, government agencies, employers, and the general population, as well as many other entities. Slowly, mental health has become less stigmatized and more promoted. However, like treatment for physical illness, treatment for mental illness continues to be largely unavailable or affordable for too many people, and major reforms are needed to provide access to many more people.
Garry Cook, M. Div., LCSW
As we consider World Mental Health Day, I am reminded of just how powerful a word of encouragement can be. It is easy to see the impact of harsh words on a co-worker yelled at by the boss, but we often never know how the positive things we say nest in the hearts of those who need to hear them. In therapy, I frequently have the privilege of hearing how the seemingly little things that people share with one another, family, friends, and even strangers, lift them up for years to come. Find a smile or a kind word to share today--someone you love or just encounter, will be better for it.
Shelton Davis, M.Div., M.A., LCHMC, NCC
There are misconceptions around what actually happens in a therapy session. Many of my first- time clients express their surprise at how relaxed and comfortable they find themselves in therapy. It is very seldom like what clients see in the movies and on tv where someone is lying on a couch. I allow my clients to guide the process and set the pace. This seems to make it easier for them to relate and share details about their lives. I often end up asking clients if they felt heard or if they are happy with the direction we are going. Normally, they find this to be reassuring.
Jay Cobb, M.A., LMFT, LCMHC
We often hear that it is unacceptable to have weakness. But, it is one of the few universals about being human. As much as we want to, we cannot do everything, yet there are so many voices that seem to demand more than we can or are willing to give. This doesn’t make you a bad person or a ‘failure’ or ‘lazy,’ it simply means that you are human. Take some time today to allow yourself to be a person, do something you love without being ashamed.
Thomas Barker, M.S., LCMHCA, NCC
Mental health matters, as we see in Philippians 4:7 “And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. Guard may tell us two things: first, attacks may come and battles may be forged and second, the heart and mind are valuable and thus worthy of fighting to protect. If you are struggling with the battle, it's ok to reach out. Share your journey with a friend, pastor, or a counselor.
Todd Matson, D. Min., M. Div., LMFT
Mental health is the capacity to be vulnerable enough to say "I hurt," "I need," "I feel sad," "I feel afraid," "I feel lonely," along with the capacity to be vulnerable enough to say it out loud to those who can be trusted to care. Mental health is the opposite of what many people think it is. Mental health is the courage and strength to reach out in the face of emotional pain for resources beyond oneself, whereas mental illness grows in the petri dish of rugged individualism, internalizes emotional pain, pretends everything is fine when it's not, lives as an island to oneself. Mental illness sends painful emotions into exile and seeks to isolate and kill its host, whereas mental health embraces every part of oneself and seeks to connect with others in bonds of love and life.
JoAnn Mullinix, M.A., LMFTA
World Mental Health Awareness Day reminds us all that mental health needs are universal. Persons can struggle with mental health no matter their gender, race, sexuality, class, or nationality. Even with our efforts to reduce stigma, many individuals never get appropriate mental health treatment. On this day, join me in praying for all those struggling alone and spreading awareness for ending silence around mental health.
Katherine Sherrill, M.A., LCMHCA, MT-BC
