It has been over two years since the start of the pandemic, and we are only just now beginning to see the repercussions. The impact of mental health is often an invisible one, and we may not always see it until later. The pandemic has affected not only the condition of our mental health, but also restricted many of our access to resources that could give us the help we need. This effect is compounded in kids and teenagers, whose access to mental health resources often comes from school, which was shut down for much of the pandemic. When we embrace the notion that all of us have mental health that needs to be taken care of, we can begin to destigmatize reaching out for help for those who need it. Join the engaging and enlightening conversation on our most recent podcast with Liz Llamas and Christina Henderson as we discuss the need to prioritize taking care of our mental health especially as we come out of a world-changing pandemic.

Guests:

Liz Llamas - Liz Llamas has over 20 years of experience as a marriage and family therapist. She got her BA in General Psychology from San Francisco State University and her Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University. She works as a marriage and family therapist supporting youth and young adults with Psychological Services and Personal Counseling at Skyline College. She also spent time as an Adjunct Lecturer at her alma mater, Santa Clara University. She is a co-founder of the nonprofit CASSY (Counseling  and Support Services for Youth) which has established school based mental health programs in 54 elementary and high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Cristina Henderson - Cristina Henderson received her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Cal State Long Beach. Then she went on to get her Master’s with Credentials in School Psychology from Cal State East Bay. She spent a number of years as a school psychologist for the Alum Rock School District in San Jose, California, where she worked with elementary and middle school students. Cristina now works in the full-time ministry along with her husband Ade. She mentors people of all life-stages, from high school to college to young professionals and families.

Reference Notes:

1. Mental Health America - 2022 State Of Mental Health In America Report
2. California Surgeon General – Adverse Childhood Experiences
3. Suicide: The Ripple Effect
4. J Stephenson quote - "Our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. Mental health affects how we think, feel and act."
5. The New York Times - As A Crisis Hotline Grows, So Do Fears It Won’t Be Ready
6. Sherry Turkle - Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age
7. Brené Brown - Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
8. Mental Health–Related Emergency Department Visits Among Children Aged <18 Years During the COVID-19 Pandemic
9. Tara Brach, Ph.D. - aggressive bad “othering”