We only can do the best we can do. If we knew better, we would do better. These are some true statements that I have come to understand in my healing journey in mental health. I realized that there was some unhealthy way that I was coping with the anxiety and trauma that I was passing down to my children. I started deep-diving into self-help and realized that the same techniques that were helping me could also help others. This propelled me to study psychology to further understand how to contribute healing of others' mental health. It was in university that I learned the harsh reality that people of color receive inadequate mental health care and discrimination from teachers as early as early as preschool. We are making major strides in society there is always room for improvement, mental health is one area where we need revision for people of color. In my studies, I learned that people of color are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder that involves aggression instead of internal disorders such as PTSD or depression. In turn, they don’t get the proper treatment and their condition will persist or worsen. When I learned this information, I got really upset. Knowing the importance of mental health, it pained me to read that even when trying to find help people of color were being treated unfairly. In my utopia, there would be more people of color in the mental health field who could better serve their community as they have an understanding on a deeper level, and this would void the discrimination. People of color will receive the care they need and deserve. They will be treated with compassion by someone who understands and respects them and genuinely wants to help them heal. I later learned that this unfair treatment starts early on. There are more white teachers than any other race and some of these teachers have predispositions that cause them to treat students of color differently. In our current climate children of color are more likely to be sent to the principal's office for behavioral issues, unlike white children who get sent to the counselor when exhibiting the same behavior. This is a major contributing factor to the school-to-prison pipeline. In my utopian vision of mental health our babies of color will be treated with the same concern as their white peers, and they will get counseling when needed instead of being labeled as problematic. Right now, this utopia is just a vision, it is one that I plan on spending my time, energy, and passion to make a reality. These are just the basics but, with these changes, there could be a wave of positive change. Communities of color getting the proper diagnosis and treatment will allow them to thrive to their fullest potential. They will be able to live their best lives and achieve their dreams. When all people are given the same tools to be healthy and make healthy choices for themselves and their families this is justice. When they receive proper care and treatment regardless of demographic background this is justice. When communities of color are given the same fighting chance to thrive in this life this is justice. Equity is what we need in the mental health field and when this is achieved, justice will be too!

Being a mom of 6 and returning to school is no small feat. After working in customer service for 15 years painstakingly trying to work my way up the latter I finally looked up and asked what am I really after? What did my end goal look like working my way into management in a company? Would it be more challenging because I am a strong willed woman of color in a predominantly white company? The answers were startling to me enough to make me make drastic changes. I was after more money for my family but at what cost? I saw first had what it looked like and it was a salary job with long hours, more stress and no work life balance. And, yes being a strong willed woman of color did make things more challenging in an office with mostly white people. There were many people that were hired after me getting promoted before me. For a while this made me bitter. Then I was able to see it was a blessing in disguise. If I would have gotten the promotions and pay raises that I longed for I may not be pursuing a career that earns my family more and serves the community in a way that will also be fulfilling. I am also breaking down the barriers that my mind once told me were invincible allowing me to see greater possibilities for me and my children’s future. I am leading them by example, showing them that life may not give you the fruits that you ask for but that’s because there is a larger orchard out there will your name on it. I attempted college in the past but because I left a abusive relationship I had to get a second job to support me and at that time my 2 kids. For a long while the dream of college seemed impossible for me especially because I kept having more kids and my income couldn’t keep up. I had to start believing in myself again before my dreams resurfaced and when they did I couldn’t shake them off. I had to make scary choices of working full time and going to community college and then leaving my job to attend university. My dream is to become a cognitive behavioral trauma therapist to help people of color get the proper diagnosis and treatments. Healing is our birthright and I want to be the person that helps people overcome their past to believe in themselves again and rediscover their dreams.

I wrote a children's book called Tooties Tutus. Is inspired by my daughter who has very eccentric style of clothing. Her father didn't know he's understand her style and tried to get her to change her ways. I could see that his forceful attempts really made her feel like she couldn't be herself. So I wrote a book that rhymes for children to understand that even if the people around you who love you don't understand you and your ways that it's okay to still stay true to yourself. I love writing and I've always been told I've been good at it. I never thought of it as being a career for me until I got inspired to write that book. I now want to make a whole series of different lessons that each one of my children teach me about life. I have six children so that's a lot of lessons lol. Well I haven't got my book published yet I am actively seeking a writing agent. I also recently got accepted to the University of Washington where I will be obtaining my degree in psychology I already have my AA so I'm going for my bachelor's so that I can be a counselor. Early on an experienced a lot of trauma and I live dealing with it was very unhealthy. Unfortunately I passed down a lot of my negative traits to my children until I noticed that they were being affected by it and then instead of blaming children which is unfortunately done I took a hard look at myself. From there it started a whole journey of healing which initially was only about me and what I needed to work on. But once I reached a certain point I realized that these valuable lessons that I was learning I could use to help others that have been through the same things that I have been through. Unfortunately, I wasn't alone when it comes to dealing with trauma and a negative way. It is common for people to numb the pain by using substances or other addictions. It's also easy to suppress these feelings having it turn into passive aggression which ends up becoming explosive. But the reality is it's so much harder to deal with that pain from the past and day to day than it is to heal from it and move on and let it go. It's a scary thing when you first start but it's so worth it! So I hope that my writing and my career allows me to show people the beauty and healing and discover their worth!

Oh man this is a big one for me! Mental health is my thing! I am getting a degree to become a therapist so I can help others in this area as well. Not only have I personally struggled with mental health issues I have experienced it through my family as well. I myself have have suffered from anxiety and depression. For the longest time I didn't even know I had either, I didn't discover it until one day when working and customer service I was ringing up people at the register and just happen to look at the long line of customers ahead of me and freaked out. My vision was going out I couldn't move, I couldn't breath I didn't know what was happening to me. It was one of the scariest experiences I've ever had and it was more embarrassing because of the fact that I was in front of a whole line of people. I ended up having a co-worker take me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with panic disorder. They prescribed me medication which I felt made things worse and I ended up using alcohol to self-medicate which actually made things worse.the people in my social circle hadn't been through anything like this so I felt like it was only me and I internalized it and end up becoming depression I didn't know where to go I didn't know what to do I lived a long part of my life dealing with these symptoms and just suppressing them or hiding them and it only made them worse. I want to help other feel comfortable talking about there mental health and know they are not alone so then there healing can begin.

I feel as if I dealt with adversity my whole life. I am mixed with black and white and I was raised in a single parent low income household. I feel like there are some people from both of my back grounds that didn't like me simply because of my completion and class status. for the longest time I let that bother me and affect how I felt about my self turning into anxiety, depression. My low self esteem and longing to feel loved led me to conceive my first child at the young age of 13. This only added more judgment to my plate. I had many challenges and for most of my life and felt like I was never good enough until recently, I started a journey of self discovery and self love. In doing this, I realized that not everyone is going to like me maybe because of the way I look or the way I talk or dress or even what I eat it could be anything but I will not let that define how I feel about myself. We are all different and to me that is one of the beauties of life. SO I will take all those things that people don't like and 1. love them for they are a part of me 2. use those things to help others that have had the same experiences and show them that if you love yourself despite your faults all of that pain from those judgments will fade away 3. Hope that by being myself and staying positive and compassionate to everyone will inspire others to do the same.

I had a rough life to say the least. I got pregnant when I was only 13 which landed me in a very abusive relationship for many years. I finally got out of it to an extent and suffered bad depression and anxiety which I self treated with alcohol. which lead me to feel suicidal. My life spiraled downward fast. until one day I called my mom in a crying fit and she told me to just open the bible to any page nd just start reading. of course when I did that it landed on a very scary passage so I closed the book quickly. Later thinking about it that fear was shame of the way I was living my life for me and my kids (at this time I had 3). slowly but surly my life got better I stopped drinking started praying more. I then started to listen o the gospel station which was like my mini church sessions which really keep me going. I have 6 kids now whom are happy and healthy and love the gospel station to I work from home and I am in school full time. I am so mu better now then I was then and I know me and my family have a very bright future and it is all thanks to Jesus. We still have our rough moments in life but I have faith and trust that no matter what, gods plan for us is good so I worry no more.