I’ve got a word or two about mental health and how to crush its stigma.

Greetings, newcomers (which are all of you if you’re reading this)!

Welcome to the first newsletter edition of MindWatch. What in the world is MindWatch? New Apple product? Sci-Fi indie movie with a cult following? Those both sound fun, but no. Before I get into why I’m doing this, let me tell you a little about me.

I am a husband, a father of 2 energetic boys, a man of deep faith, an optimist that usually sees the good in people and believes that things will work out (even when sometimes they don’t) and for the last 22 years, I’ve been working as a clinical mental health counselor. Sitting with people in their suffering and joys, bringing light and hope to darkness. Not many people can say they’re still passionate about their work after 2 decades of doing something, but that’s definitely me. The way I see it, it’s a great honor and sacred ground of the highest calling to help others.

During the last several years, I’ve also taught as a counseling professor who’s trained hundreds of counseling students on how to be effective counselors. I love teaching. Some of my students would say, “Keith, you’ve always got a word about mental health.”

So, I think that is part of why I wanted to start this newsletter. I have a word about mental health and how to eliminate the stigma around it. What does having a word mean? Not literally a single word. Rather, a message, a passionate argument, a sermon, a speech. Images and sounds of famous speeches from historical leaders come to mind: Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, or Ronald Reagan. My “speeches” will never rise to the level of those leaders, but I feel an urgency in my bones to teach and talk about mental health that inspires others to act, and this newsletter provides a way to express those words, which leads me to the purpose of this weekly newsletter.

MindWatch is a weekly newsletter I created to help crush the stigma of mental health by telling stories and reacting to news, culture, faith, and politics.

I know what you’re thinking. Politics, oh joy!

I won’t tell you who you should vote for, nothing like that. No Taylor Swift style endorsements for politicians here. All my takes and reactions to culture, politics, and faith will be through the lens of mental health and the stigma surrounding it. However, if T.S. comes out with a new album, I can’t promise I won’t find a way to integrate those deep and insightful lyrics into our conversations. And if you aren’t a Swiftie, there’s nothing I can do about that, and you will simply need to shake it off.

Along with personal stories and reactions to culture, faith, politics, and news, I want this to be place where you walk away with something tangible. I want you to have one takeaway or a helpful resource you can utilize to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health.

Thank you so much for joining on this new path.

Ready, set, go!

Wait just a second, here’s your one thing to do.

I almost forgot! Here is one strategy to take home with you.

Ask someone about their story.

Why? People make sense when you get to know their story.

Do you know someone who has experienced anxiety or depression? Let them know gently that you are trying to know more about mental health and ask if they would be open to sharing more of their story with you. And always give the person an out if they don’t want to spill the beans. Asking about someone’s story is a great starting place to not only educate yourself, but every time someone shares their story, the stigma is reduced.

We will have lots of stories here, so what better way to start today than to ask someone about theirs?

Please remember to share this newsletter far and wide with your friends and family and acquaintances and strangers at the grocery store (Hah!), or anyone you think may benefit. And if you haven’t yet, please click the subscribe button above, and thank you so much for joining on this new path.

And be sure to come back…be here.

Until next week,

Keith

P.S. As a special thanks to you as a founding member, I am including my free MindWatch Daily journal ($19 value). Reflection and silence are two of the most underrated skills in our society, and I hope you enjoy this little gift as a thank you. Watch your inbox for it arriving later today.