This episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, hosted by Dave Roberts, features clinical psychologist Michelle Sherman and her mother, mental health advocate DeAnne Sherman. The conversation centers on their book, "I'm Not Alone: A Teen's Guide to Living with a Parent Who Has a Mental Illness or History of Trauma." The guests discuss their personal and professional journeys into mental health advocacy, the lack of resources for children of parents with mental illness, and the importance of early intervention and community support. They highlight the need for resilience, accurate information, and supportive adults outside the family. The episode also explores the challenges of updating mental health resources for a new generation, the impact of technology and misinformation, and the importance of kindness, awareness, and open discussion to break the stigma around mental illness in families.

Michelle’s Bio

Michelle (she/her) is a clinical psychologist who has dedicated her 30+ year career to supporting families dealing with a mental illness or history of trauma. She was named the American Psychological Association’s Family Psychologist of the Year in 2022.

Michelle has served as a therapist for over 30 years, providing individual and couples psychotherapy to adults in a VA medical center, urban primary care clinic, community clinic, inpatient psychiatric unit, and private practice. As an educator, she served as a Full Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the University of Minnesota Medical School, teaching and supervising trainees from numerous disciplines. She enjoys public speaking, having given over 250 workshops nationally and internationally. She conducts research and serves as the Editor in Chief of the journal, Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice. She has published over 75 articles in peer-reviewed journals, over 80 book chapters and articles in other sources, and four books for the lay public.

She also enjoys volunteering, having served on the board of the Oklahoma National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for 14 years and currently volunteering with the Minnesota NAMI affiliate.

Grounded in the research she conducted while at the University of Minnesota, she also volunteers as a Behavioral Health Consultant with professional and community theater companies as they produce musicals with psychological themes, thereby merging her love of psychology and theater.

Deanne's Bio

DeAnne (she/her), Michelle’s mother, is a mental health advocate and educator. She graduated from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, with degrees in French, education, and speech and theater. She volunteers with NAMI-Minnesota, gives workshops with her daughter about mental illness in the family, and mentors people of all ages in the performing arts as a choreographer. DeAnne's mission is to affirm, educate, and empower others. She has strong passions for combating stigma, offering hope to people who are hurting, celebrating diversity, and promoting open discussion about mental health.

Learn more and find resources: Seeds of Hope Books

To find out more about Dave go to davidrpbertsmsw.com and his author page psychologyprofessorandminister.com