CONTENT TRIGGER WARNING: This episode talks about serious mental health issues and discusses suicidality and self-harm. If you or someone you know are experiencing mental health concerns, please seek professional support as this podcast is not a substitute for addressing immediate mental health concerns. Resources provided below.

We are finally back in the saddle after several months’ long hiatus! It’s been a year since we’ve started this podcast and we wanted to kick off this season with an episode talking about our mental health and faith. Our guest speaker is our friend, Monica Giang, wife of a former guest on this podcast, John Giang. She is a mental health advocate and she has a strong following on social media. We define mental health and trauma and its impact on our faith life. We discuss why mental health issues are not the work of the devil and we talk about our own struggles in our own mental health journey. We also talk about how parents can become more aware of mental health concerns so we can better show up for our children and we also discuss how parishes can be more trauma informed in all aspects of parish life.

You can find Monica on Instagram @healgrowloveyourself.

Resources:
Ask your employer about an Employee Assistance Program that offers free or low cost therapeutic services - don’t wait until a major life event to happen before seeking professional help.
Ask your primary physician or care provider for a referral to mental health services.

Suicide hotlines: 1-800-273-talk (8255)
Suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Iasp.info

Lastly, practice self-care regularly! We share our self-care practices, what are yours? Share with us on social media!