April was an exciting and energizing month for Mental Health America-Spartanburg as we connected with our community through a variety of important events! Walking Together Toward Hope and Healing Our board members participated in two Out of the Darkness Walks—one at USC Upstate and one at Converse University—joining community members to raise awareness and support … Continue reading Looking Back at April’s Community Events
Category: BIPOC
The Whole Black Woman Podcast Jessica Lyles, LISW-CP, Treasurer of our Board, recently joined Denisha Gingles, MS, LCPC, BCBA, LBA, on her podcast The Whole Black Woman. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0HyOLOs9caNaQ5Auy1cOE7?si=RSkv9fvET-aupxSaZ91VQQ Denisha & Jessica explore the essential role of boundaries in Black motherhood, challenging the expectation to be everything to everyone. They discuss why boundaries are an act … Continue reading Motherhood & Boundaries: Reclaiming Your Space Without Guilt
We are highlighting Black and African American contributions to the mental health movement because they are oftentimes overlooked. Without recognizing the lack of representation of Black and African American people in the mental health movement, we do a disservice and continue to inflict harm. Learning the history of systemic racism in both the mental health … Continue reading Black History Month
This article was originally published by MHA National and authored in partnership with wikiHow, also featured here on the wikiHow website. Content warning: This article contains information about microaggressions and discrimination. Examples of microaggressions are given that may be triggering to those who have experienced them or something similar. We encourage readers to care for their mental … Continue reading Microaggressions: What They Are, How They Impact People, & How to Respond
From MHA-National Racial trauma, or race-based traumatic stress (RBTS), refers to the mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias, ethnic discrimination, racism, and hate crimes. Any individual who has experienced an emotionally painful, sudden, and uncontrollable racist encounter is at risk of suffering from a race-based traumatic stress injury. In the U.S., … Continue reading Healing from Racial Trauma: Understanding Race-Based Traumatic Stress and Finding Support
In BIPOC communities, talking about mental health can be considered taboo. Let's talk about different “myths’’ that may exist in BIPOC communities about seeking mental health support. We'll also provide affirmations you can repeat to yourself to help you think positively about asking for help, even when you might hear messages saying the opposite. Myth … Continue reading 6 Myths About Minority Mental Health
As we gather to celebrate Juneteenth, we honor not only the end of slavery in the United States but also the resilience, strength, and cultural contributions of Black Americans. This day, which commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom—over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation—serves as a … Continue reading Celebrating Juneteenth: Honoring Freedom and Mental Health in the Black Community
This post and associated study is being shared with permission from CounselingPsychology.org. The demand for mental health support from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) therapists is driven by their unique ability to provide a shared cultural experience and understanding. However, there is a significant shortage of such therapists. The majority of therapists (73%) are … Continue reading Addressing the Shortage: The Crucial Need for BIPOC Therapists in America’s Diverse Communities
From Mental Health America National... An Introduction to Community, Culture, & Connection "The theme of Mental Health America’s 2023 BIPOC Mental Health Campaign, developed in commemoration of Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, is Culture, Community, & Connection. Our lives are deeply intertwined with the environments around us. Who and what we … Continue reading The Legacy of Bebe Moore Campbell & BIPOC Mental Health Month