Advocacy

I’ve been fortunate to have connected with a lot of terrific mental health advocates from all around the world over the last several years. I’ve been blown away by their courage, determination, and compassion, as they fight to reduce stigma and discrimination and raise awareness around mental health issues. Despite the great work done by these advocates, they are sometimes not well known to the public. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to periodically highlight some of these advocates …

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If you’ve dropped by here before, you probably know that the topic of advocacy pops up quite often. While my focus has primarily been on mental health advocacy, I think we should take a somewhat broader view of advocacy and who can be an effective advocate. You can find lots of definitions of advocacy but my simple one is that advocacy involves getting informed and getting involved to make a difference. By that definition, I think just about everyone can …

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If you’re like me, you probably have some role models, mentors or idols you look up to that you respect for their awe-inspiring skills, gifts and talents. This is the case for almost every field, whether it be the arts, entertainment, world leaders, scientists, or athletes. If I asked you why you admire these individuals, you would likely be able to quickly list several of their positive qualities, such as honesty, personal integrity, artistic talent, intelligence, or physical abilities. Similarly, …

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It’s very gratifying to me that so many people are interested in mental health advocacy. I’m often asked about ways to get more involved in advocacy, which I’ve addressed to some degree in several previous posts. Another fun and rewarding way to get more involved in mental health advocacy is to start an advocacy group. Several years ago, I started an advocacy group for graduate students in our clinical psychology training program and it’s been a great experience. Here are …

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We are all overwhelmed by each new report of another mass shooting. Time after time, more innocent lives are senselessly lost. As a nation we grieve but no solutions seem to be forthcoming. There are obviously many political issues related to this issue but I want to focus on how my profession of psychology is attempting to contribute to the conversation in a way to facilitate a path toward solutions and healing. In response to the recent shootings in El …

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As you probably know, I’m a big fan of public service and advocacy activities. I’ve written at some length about different ways to get more involved in advocacy. Serving on the board of an organization can be another great way to exercise your advocacy and public service muscles. While my personal board experience has been primarily with non-profit organizations focused on health or mental health, these suggestions can also apply to just about any type of board. The first and …

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