Double dose of Perspective

There was a glitch with the first blog email sent out in January, so if you missed it, you can find that here -->Holiday Hope Letter.
I promise it will make this email make A LOT more sense! A quick read, hopefully... 
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Hey there!

I am astounded at how fast these days are passing!  But hey, I am seeing more sunlight every day! We will be in daylight during the evening before we know it!
Despite my innate resistance to honorary "months" for full-time existences, I wanted my second blog post to speak to one of the pillars of what Perspective Counseling is based upon...racial justice. 

In recognition of Black History Month, this blog post will highlight the intersection of Black History Month and Mental Health Awareness, with a twist of perspective, of course!

Black History Month 2023 could easily be a grim one considering the headlines thus far. The news and social media will make sure to let you know ALL the things working against the greater good.
I am hoping what life is taken from this world results in receiving meaning for those affected by it. If we take loss seriously (and don't avoid feeling it), we may see that it gives us life to be grateful for. Every loss must be honored before love, growth, and resilience can prosper. It is then that the past has less likelihood to repeat itself.

So, in honor of the lives lost, I would like to highlight the lives that have been saved by and will be saved as every moment there is new Black history emerging. My profession has an influx of passionate and wise trauma-informed clinicians of color. This is essential for my field as we are experiencing a mental health crisis globally due to the overt pressures of global happenings.

My very talented colleague, Blaise Harris, is leaving his impact on history (and the mental health world) as THE Dope Black Therapist. He has fought his way through fires (literally), having been a first responder for Raleigh, NC fire department, now leaning into the healing of trauma as he pursues his licensure as a clinical mental health counselor and addictions specialist.

I wanted to highlight him this #BHM because his work and his podcast are a blessing to the public as it represents a big step in the acceptance of mental health in common marginalized populations. He is leading the way for men, but specifically for men of color, to take a different approach to take care of themselves. Blaise’s approach to showing up for his listeners is simple…he is himself. He is able to connect with listeners in a way that makes them feel heard and seen, a holds a space to be accepted if they haven’t found therapy fitting quite yet.

Just so happens that he featured me on his podcast this month, and you can check out that episode here!
Take a moment to watch his latest news appearance, where he sheds some light on the impact of #TyreNichols and make sure to check out his podcast for some other great content on mental health tips!

 I could not let this go unnoticed (and unflexed) to my network!

Selfishly, that is my friend, y’all! I am so proud of him and the work he has put in on building himself, and his craft, and I am privileged to have the opportunity to know him.

Next up, you have some new content to check out!
I spoke more in-depth about how the values of the 12-step recovery community have shaped my life's transformation on last week's live stream, touched on how we can be more considerate of the content that we share on social media, and begin to make small shifts in our world views that actually will help us decrease stress!
Check out my most recent live where I speak on the values of transformation and creating sustainable change in our lives on Youtube!


In my perspective… needless to say, is in its infant stage and is still forming its true purpose. Mostly because it is going to be catered to what YOU need to hear! Send me a note on what you may want to hear more about from a mental health therapist's perspective, and I will work it into what I have planned! 

Your support for this blog is something I am very grateful for and I kindly ask you to consider sharing this with at least one person who you think would enjoy or benefit from being exposed to the content.

Thank you!

Peace and talk soon!
Sara