Ah, the joys of summer: The withering heat and school vacations, when your kids give you minute-to-minute updates on their boredom levels. Isn’t summer supposed to be fun and relaxing? If you’ve got summer depression, it isn’t. The warmth, relaxation and flexibility that the summer months bring can be exciting for vacations and sunshine, but for some, summer months can have the potential to trigger feelings of being overwhelmed and losing control. Especially hard is that you feel like you’re supposed to be having a great time. Everyone else seems so happy splashing in the water and sweating in their lawn chairs. So why can’t you? And more importantly, what can you do to make this summer easier? Here’s what you need to know about summer depression.

During the month of June, we celebrate several awareness events, including Juneteenth, Pride Month, PTSD Awareness Month, and Men's Health Month. In 1970, New York City held its first Pride march, one year after the Stonewall Uprising. Since then, we recognize June as Pride Month, to promote the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. The month of June is also recognized as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Awareness month, to bring attention to a mental health condition that affects 7 to 8 out of every 100 people who have experienced, or witnesses, a traumatic event.

In honor of Juneteenth: Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is observed on the anniversary of June 19, 1865. It marks the date when the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas, nearly 3 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the document. The Juneteenth holiday represents a time to commemorate the day while reflecting on the shared history and tradition.

Resources for the African American Community:

• Read more about the history of Juneteenth from the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Resources for Providers:

• African American Behavioral Health Center of Excellence is working to transform behavioral health services for African Americans through collaboration, training, and technical assistance.

• Racial Equity and Cultural Diversity products and resources from across the MHTTC Network.

In celebration of Pride Month: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning Plus (LGBTQ+*) community represents a diverse range of identities and expressions of gender and sexual orientation. While belonging to the LGBTQ+ community can be a source of strength it also brings unique challenges that can impact one's mental health. Recent research suggests that members of the LGBTQ+ community may be twice as likely to experience a mental health condition compared to heterosexual adults. Similarly, transgender individuals, compared with cisgender individuals, may be four times more likely to experience a mental health condition.

Resources for the LGBTQ+ Community:

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

• National Center for Transgender Equality

• LGBT National Hotline and LGBT National Youth Talk-line Resources for Providers

• Check out events and resources sponsored by the MHTTC Network.

• Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity offers providers resources to improve services for LGBTQ+ people in their care.

• SAMHSA's LGBT Training Curricula for Behavioral Health and Primary Care Practitioners provides training for providers looking to care for the LGBTQ+ population.

In recognition of PTSD Awareness Month: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects about 12 million adults every year. Many associate this condition with the experiences of soldiers but it affects many more Americans who have witnessed or experienced life-threatening and/or traumatic events. June 27th is recognized as PTSD Screening Day. 

Resources for the Community:

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD provides information on PTSD in veterans and ways to locate a mental health provider.

• Veterans Crisis Line is a confidential resource available to veterans and military families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Resources for Providers

• National Institute of Mental Health provides an overview of PTSD symptoms, risk factors and treatments.

• SAMHSA's National Center for Trauma Informed Care provides information on shifting to a trauma-informed paradigm, including available interventions and referral resources.

I often design my show topics around popular issues that I see amongst my clients. Lately, I have seen a rise in black female clients who come to me reporting feeling devalued, undermined, treated with less respect, less job satisfaction due to bias and microaggressions. These experiences are leading my clients to feel more symptoms of psychological distress, anxiety and depression. There’s no denying the fact that, no matter your racial identity, being a woman in the workplace is tough. However, being a Black woman in the workplace is even tougher. Why? Because not only are they subjected to gender-driven microaggressions, they’re also being subjected to racial ones from - and here’s the crucial part - both men and women. Understanding black women’s double minority status at work is a necessary part of building inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Today, I am joined by Dr. Michelle Tait-Allen, a diversity, equity, and inclusion professional with over 10 years of experience in corporate and higher education. She is the owner of The Griot Collective which is a consulting firm that provides training on cultural diversity, unconscious bias, and more! She is also a DJ and one half of the Facts and Feelings Happy Hour podcast! In our conversation, we will discuss:

• Stereotyping and Unconscious Bias

• The history/examples of the origins of hate/disdain of Black Women

• Black Women and White Women in the workplace

• How do Black Women thrive in these environments?

Dr. Tait-Allen’s social media handles: @FiyaAngelou-twitter @ffhhpodcast Email: Info@TheGriotCollective.com

Talk Therapy w/Dr. Terra is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too. Subscribe to the Podcast: https://pod.co/talk-therapy-with-dr-terra Send inquiries to drterraspodcast@gmail.com.

Subscribe to Newsletter https://www.wesagehealthandwellness.com/ Text 1-833-325-1790 RealTalkTherapist to receive my most recent self-help content. Text 33777 DrTerra to come flow with me and receive the latest meditations I have created.

Support Talk Therapy w/Dr. Terra https://ko-fi.com/talktherapywdrterra I started the mental health podcast, Talk Therapy w/Dr. Terra to help people shift the way they think by finding the ingredients and creating personal recipes to happiness, wholeness, and overall wellness. If you enjoy the content that I share and want to support me, feel free to show your appreciation and buy me a cup of coffee. :-) Thank you in advance for supporting me!! You are greatly appreciated!! Removing Negative Beliefs/Blocks/Barriers, Shifting Mindsets, and Creating Personal Recipes to Happiness, Wholeness, and Overall Wellness!

My Products:

a. Wellness Calendar: https://www.lulu.com/shop/dr-terra-griffin-ed-d-lpc-s-ncc/2022-wellness-calendar/paperback/product-y6kr56.html?page=1&pageSize=4

b. Wellness Planner: https://www.blurb.com/b/10913647-my-wellness-planner-a-companion-on-my-wellness-jo

c. Therapy Journal: https://www.blurb.com/b/10834582-post-therapy-notes-journal

For the month of May the show has been highlighting mental health awareness, the stigma associated with mental health and mental illness, and various ways to deal with these issues. For the final episode dedicated to mental health awareness a special guest was invited on to discuss Police Officer Mental Health. Just like every other person on this earth police officers can struggle with mental health issues and stigma whether it is their personal issues or a situation they encounter during the workday. The mental health of law enforcement officers has long been overlooked. Statistics continue to reinforce this fact, painting a grim picture of the current state of those who have sworn to protect and serve entire communities. While being a police officer can be a rewarding job, it can be mentally taxing as well. With every assignment comes the possibility of witnessing something that can be disturbing. Incidences of child abuse, suicide, domestic violence, officer-involved shootings, and more can be a regular part of the job. Over time, it takes a toll. A Rudy Family Foundation study found that police officers experience depression at a rate 5 times higher than the average person. That same year 140 officers committed suicide, compared to 129 officers who died in the line of duty. Being a police officer is an incredibly stressful profession. Officers see the worst that society has to offer and this reality often can hammer one’s mental health. Regular exposure to horrific scenes and heightened levels of stress can have a profound effect on a person’s mind, body and spirit. Yet despite the evidence to these factors, officers are still reluctant or unwilling to seek help, why? What can be done to remove the stigma associated with mental health in the law enforcement community?

Officer Justice Owens, Born in Greenville, AL, Officer Owens earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2018. In 2020, she began her career in law enforcement as a certified police officer in Mississippi. In 2022, she made a lateral transfer to Alabama. She is passionate about law enforcement because it provides her with the opportunity to interact with and educate people. She loves providing people with a different prospective of what a police officer can look like and how they can behave. Throughout her career, she has answered numerous calls and conducted numerous traffic stops. She has heard, seen and even smelled some unthinkable things which is what drives her passion for mental health awareness and ensuring that she is her best self.

Listener Perks:

Talk Therapy w/Dr. Terra is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too.

Subscribe to the Podcast: https://pod.co/talk-therapy-with-dr-terra

Send inquiries to drterraspodcast@gmail.com.

Subscribe to Newsletter https://www.wesagehealthandwellness.com/

Text 1-833-325-1790 RealTalkTherapist to receive my most recent self-help content.

Text 33777 DrTerra to come flow with me and receive the latest meditations I have created.

Support Talk Therapy w/Dr. Terra

https://ko-fi.com/talktherapywdrterra

My Products:

a. Wellness Calendar: https://www.lulu.com/shop/dr-terra-griffin-ed-d-lpc-s-ncc/2022-wellness-calendar/paperback/product-y6kr56.html?page=1&pageSize=4

b. Wellness Planner: https://www.blurb.com/b/10913647-my-wellness-planner-a-companion-on-my-wellness-jo

c. Therapy Journal: https://www.blurb.com/b/10834582-post-therapy-notes-journal

New ways to think about difficult emotions.

Difficult emotions sit at the heart of almost every mental health issue. How well do you understand and work with your difficult emotions? 

‘Bad’ emotions? I think one of the fundamental issues in coping with emotions is the way we tend to judge them as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘positive’ or ‘negative ‘. 

Most people think, for example, that love, and happiness are positive, while anger, sadness, shame & fear are bad. Judging some emotions as bad encourages us to avoid them, rather than work with them. All emotions are essential. While it’s true that some emotions feel better than others, the truth is that all emotions are essential because they give us important information that we need to act on.

If we never got angry then nothing would ever change! Anger has driven all of the important human rights movements throughout history... like abolishing slavery, women’s rights, and freedom of speech.

If we never felt fear then we wouldn’t be able to keep ourselves safe when in danger – all our prehistoric ancestors would have been eaten by predators because they weren’t scared enough to run away to safety.

It is still May, and we are continuing our celebration of Mental Health Awareness by discussing how our parent-child relationships can affect our mental health. A lot of who you are is determined by the people you spend time with, especially those in your family. They tend to have a massive influence on your personality, mental health, beliefs and values, which can have a negative or positive effect. Family relationships play a significant role in everyone's lives and can bring a wide range of emotions and experiences. Often, the impacts your family is having on you can be very evident; for example, abuse or healthy parental relationships. More times than not, this impact is difficult to point out; for example, toxic relationships or emotionally unavailable members. Or what is know as emotional immaturity. What is emotional immaturity? Well stay tuned to find out this and more.

Stress Awareness Activities: https://www.stress.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-SMS-Branded-Stress-Guide-2023.pdf

Talk Therapy w/Dr. Terra is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too.

Subscribe to the Podcast: https://pod.co/talk-therapy-with-dr-terra Send inquiries to drterraspodcast@gmail.com. Subscribe to Newsletter https://www.wesagehealthandwellness.com/ Text 1-833-325-1790 RealTalkTherapist to receive my most recent self-help content. Text 33777 DrTerra to come flow with me and receive the latest meditations I have created.

Support Talk Therapy w/Dr. Terra https://ko-fi.com/talktherapywdrterra

I started the mental health podcast, Talk Therapy w/Dr. Terra to help people shift the way they think by finding the ingredients and creating personal recipes to happiness, wholeness, and overall wellness. If you enjoy the content that I share and want to support me, feel free to show your appreciation and buy me a cup of coffee. :-) Thank you in advance for supporting me!! You are greatly appreciated!!

Removing Negative Beliefs/Blocks/Barriers, Shifting Mindsets, and Creating Personal Recipes to Happiness, Wholeness, and Overall Wellness!

My Products: a. Wellness Calendar: https://www.lulu.com/shop/dr-terra-griffin-ed-d-lpc-s-ncc/2022-wellness-calendar/paperback/product-y6kr56.html?page=1&pageSize=4 b. Wellness Planner: https://www.blurb.com/b/10913647-my-wellness-planner-a-companion-on-my-wellness-jo c. Therapy Journal: https://www.blurb.com/b/10834582-post-therapy-notes-journal

Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the U.S. since 1949. Every year during the month of May, there is a national movement to raise awareness about mental health. Individuals, agencies, institutions, and organizations work together, we fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness. As a part of that movement each week I will provide a different topic to help raise awareness, provide support, educate and reduce stigma. Tonight’s focus is on how respectful dialogue can reduce mental health stigma. Language matters in mental health. Words we use shape how we see the world–and ourselves. We have a choice in the words we use to describe ourselves, others, and the world around us. The words we choose and the meanings we attach to them influence our decisions, beliefs, and well-being. Language is complicated and always changing. Whether a term is acceptable or not depends on your audience, whose experience you are trying to capture, and a person’s own preference.

We better promote mental health when we show respect for people from different cultures, backgrounds, or life experiences. When we practice inclusion, we improve our communication. Effective communication starts with respect.

Once you develop a greater awareness, knowledge, and skills about the culture of mental health, you may be surprised at how often hurtful language and labels are used in everyday conversation. • How do we respectfully talk to someone about mental health conditions? • Do we use person-first or identity-first language? • What are the cultural impacts of the words we choose? You can start by talking with others about the words they prefer. Affirming the preferences of the person you are referring to is always going to be the best way to go. Words matter, after listening, you'll be able to hold stigma-free mental health conversations. Stay tuned to learn tips on how to reduce mental health stigma through word choice.

Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the U.S. since 1949. Every year during the month of May, there is a national movement to raise awareness about mental health. Individuals, agencies, institutions, and organizations work together, we fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the U.S. affected by mental illness.