Though mental health has been questioned and to this day, still facing resistance from some, I found it important to reframe the mental health view.

Just as I did when I was younger, hearing about therapy or anything related to mental health, I instantly related it to people who have severe diagnoses and problems. As far as redefining mental health, I will start there.

The need to see a mental health professional does not mean anything is wrong with you. Every day, we face stress at our jobs, at schools, about society, the state of the political world, relationship and even with ourselves. That is the not the limit, and in fact is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to daily stressors. Unchecked stress, as well as unmet needs can put anyone into a mental state that is not healthy or detrimental to enjoying life.

Just as you learn to do math, or learn to play a sport, you also learn various ways of dealing with stressors and having your needs met in the therapy room. For those who are open to it, you also learn to conquer harmful experiences in the past that may also prevent you from enjoying your present life.

It can be scary to start a therapeutic journey for your mental health, but anything worth while will be scary at first and may even be difficult. I always tell those who are new to therapy to give it three sessions with a therapist you like.

• The first is to set the foundation of what you want to work on and connect with the therapist
• The second is to have any lingering questions answered, and further connect with your therapist. You also begin to set the table of what you would like to work on.
• The third is to reassure that this therapist is either for or against not for you. The third session you should begin to open up if you are comfortable and begin the work towards the mental state that you wish to have.

For the sake of mental health and the simplicity that it can have, I am going to provide a tool that I usually have people who think a lot or shut down do. It is called a brain dump:

• Select a song or two that equal about 7 minutes of play time.
• Set the first timer for 5 minutes.
• During the five minutes, you will play music and write every little or big thought that you have about the past, the present and the future. If you have nothing, continue to write “nothing” until a thought comes up.
• After the five minutes, look for themes, thoughts that surprised you and thoughts that feel heavier or lighter than the others.
• Once you have sat with those thoughts, set a one minute timer and write out any lingering thoughts as fast as you can.

This activity can be the catalyst on addressing what needs to be worked on or processed and takes the guessing out of each session you attend. I also recommend this as a daily journal activity to promote mindfulness.

Take your mental health seriously. If you read this, regardless of where you are at, we can help you find some resources. Let me know, let a friend know and let’s get your mental health journey started!

-Malique Taylor

Malique@trailblazer-therapy.com