UpLift’s Post

🌈 Celebrating Pride with Purpose at Ellie Mental Health 🌈 This Pride Month, Ellie Mental Health goes beyond the rainbow graphics and swag giveaway to make a lasting impact. They are not just celebrating but also advocating for change. Did you know that 60% of LBTQ+ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year could not get it? Or do nearly half of the LBTQ+ youth consider suicide? These statistics are not just numbers; they are a call to action. As one of the nation's leading mental health companies, Ellie believes they are responsible for positively impacting these statistics. That's why, for Pride Month, they are educating clinicians and communities about the importance of providing ethical care to the LBGTQ+ community. They are raising awareness about the gaps in care and working towards accessible mental health care for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. Join Ellie in celebrating Pride with purpose. Let's all make a difference together. https://lnkd.in/gBvwhAZQ #PrideMonth #LGBTQ+ #MentalHealthAwareness #EllieMentalHealth #Pride2024

Happy to share the publication of the book "Social Media and Youth Mental Health" 📚 , featuring a chapter I co-authored with Linda Charmaraman and Faith Arimoro. Our chapter, "Sexuality and Media: Exploration and Exploitation," delves into the complex relationship between media and youth sexuality 📱 In this chapter, we highlight the significant role of digital media in facilitating the challenging process of youth sexual development. We explore the impact of youth's sexual digital media activities, including relationship dynamics online, [non-]consensual sexting, and pornography use. Additionally, we focus on the internet's role for LGBTQ+ youth, emphasizing the support it provides. https://lnkd.in/eATjuXeR

Happy Pride Month!! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🎉 Pride is a time to celebrate just how wonderful the LGBTQIA+ community is and to shower the world with rainbows and glitter. 🌈🌈🎉 But we need to remember that mental health problems such as depression, self-harm, addiction and suicidal thoughts are more common among people who are LGBTQIA+. LGBTQIA+ people can experience really tough times linked to their sexual and/or gender identity which affects their mental health, such as discrimination, homophobia or transphobia, social isolation, rejection, and difficult experiences of coming out. A study by Stonewall found that over the previous year: - half of LGBTQIA+ people had experienced depression, and three in five had experienced anxiety -one in eight LGBTQIA+ people aged 18 to 24 had attempted to end their life -almost half of trans people had thought about taking their life. Pretty sad stats. But there is help out there. 👇🏼 Look after each other 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️🌈🫂 and have a great Pride 💕 #pridemonth #proudtobeLGBTQ #mentalhealthmatters #suicideawareness

#QueerClass In week 4, my class on social work practice with LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and communities, we had our first class of two on bodies, minds, and development. For our first session, we focused a lot on how social workers can be a part of reducing loneliness and isolation. To prepare for class, we read Hayden Dawes, LCSW, LCAS and colleagues' systematic review on experiences of queer people of color in mental health care and substance use treatment: https://lnkd.in/gNjwWnHd and Trey Jenkins' piece on (un)belonging and the production of Black trans loneliness https://lnkd.in/g56tqKza We also watched this video on LGBTQ+-affirmative therapy: https://lnkd.in/gQNZikap and heard from trans adolescents about their experiences seeking healthcare https://lnkd.in/g29AhgaM In the first part of class, we discussed identity development using an intersectional approach. Certainly, identity development can involve feeling different or confused, exploration, coming out (or perhaps rather inviting in) or being outed, disclosure, labeling, immersion in queer community, distrust of dominant culture, sexual relationships, romantic relationships, navigating stigma, and internalized oppression. However, there isn't a specific right way to be queer in sexuality or gender and those processes are shaped by a lot of societal and contextual factors. We focused the latter half of class time on pondering a few big questions. 1. Posed by Trey Jenkins: What structural forces work together to isolate Black trans people from broader society, creating conditions for loneliness? 2. What are forces that would create conditions for connection and joy? 3. What are barriers to accessing care for LGBTQ+ people? 4. What are facilitators that would lower or overcome those barriers? In our next class, we dive deeper into both gender-affirming care and what LGBTQ+-affirming practice looks like across settings, contexts, and the lifespan from kids to elders. I'm also currently grading folks' history and legacy assignments and am enjoying seeing how these students are applying lessons from queer movement builders, elders, and leaders to social work practice today.

TW: suicidality and details of mental health crises As a queer person who was raised in the evangelical church and fought suicidal ideations and depression as a teen and young adult, I can assure you that it was not shame or guilt from living a queer lifestyle causing me to feel hopeless. I was living a "straight and narrow" lifestyle at that time. However, the shame I experienced regarding my sheer existence was 100% a result of fear-based theology. It was this shame that led me to feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness and thoughts of suicide. I now know that this is far from what Christ intended for his church, but I also know there are LGBTQ+ youth today struggling with that shame, hopelessness, worthlessness, and suicidal ideations. In obedience to Christ's command in Mathew 19:14, please consider your approach to doctrines impacting LGBTQ+ people in light of protecting these precious children. In order to understand how to best support LGBTQ+ youth, we need to educate ourselves. A great place to start is with the reports put together by Trevor Project based on nation-wide survey data. Below is the link to the report for Montana specifically. The number of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considering suicide is sobering, but the researchers did not stop there. These reports also include ways we can support LGBTQ+ youth and information on what specifically impacts these young people. Please, educate yourself, listen to LGBTQ+ youth, and be part of the solution. They need us. They need you. https://lnkd.in/gaTSZgsx

How Teens View and Manage Social Media's Influence on Their Mental Health A new report explores how teens perceive social media's impact on their mental health, detailing both its benefits and drawbacks. Conducted by Common Sense Media and Hopelab the research highlights the complex role social media plays in young lives, including those of people of color, LGBTQ+ youth, and those with depression. Teens value social media for its social connection, self-expression, and information, but they also report negative effects on attention span, confidence, and overall contentment. The study found that nearly half of the participants experienced depression to some degree, with LGBTQ+ youth particularly affected. However, many teens use social media to find supportive resources and curate their feeds positively. The findings emphasize the need to listen to young people's experiences to improve their well-being. Parental involvement and open communication are crucial, as many young adults regret early social media use and wish their parents had set stricter boundaries. https://lnkd.in/eSUDVf_A #lgbtq #mentalhealth #psychotherapy #psychotherapist #youthmentalhealth #socialmedia

My practice, Vada Counseling, specializes in therapy for and by queer Texans. Read below to learn about the four core values that inform everything we do! 🌈 1. Accessibility - We believe safe, supportive, affirming mental health care is a human right. Healthcare in this country has been (and is) designed for and by very privileged groups: namely, white, middle- and upper-class, cisgender, straight individuals. We work to actively disrupt this pattern by minimizing gatekeeping and centering historically oppressed groups and their mental health needs. To increase accessibility, we offer teletherapy options, flexible schedules, free consultations and services including support letters for gender-affirming care, and a wide variety of payment options, including sliding scale. 2. Authenticity - As queer Texans, we understand all too well the negative psychological effects of suppressing or hiding our true selves. We also know that living authentically is difficult and even unsafe in the face of the dominant white, cis- and heteronormative, capitalistic standards of “respectability.” With that in mind, we prioritize the physical and psychological safety of our clients and staff; we aim to offer therapy as a space for folks to be their true selves, free from invalidation, hatred, and harm. We believe clients are the experts of their own lives and our role as therapists and advocates is to listen, support, educate, and empower them to live authentically and in alignment with their own values. We encourage all clients and staff to express themselves in ways that affirm their various intersecting identities. 3. Community - We believe community is an important component of health and wellness. None of us can survive without the support and care of others, so we’re intentional about how we interact with and contribute to our local communities as well as the larger LGBTQ+ community in Texas. Strong communities foster social connection, trust, resilience, a sense of belonging, identity, and purpose, and protect against stress, mental illness, and suicide. As an organization, we actively participate in community events and outreach, volunteer our time and services, and donate a portion of our income to local LGBTQ+ organizations. 4. Social Justice - We are dedicated to acknowledging and dismantling oppressive systems that only serve to create and exacerbate trauma, destruction, violence, exploitation, separation, inequality, and psychological pain. These systems include but are not limited to racism and white supremacy, sexism, cis- and heteronormativity, ableism, capitalism, (settler) colonialism, imperialism, medicalization, and the prison-industrial complex. We openly and loudly stand against these harmful systems and advocate for liberation, justice, and self-determination for ALL.

The debate about trans rights has intensified in recent years, and this is often fueled by harmful and toxic rhetoric. However, all too often, those involved in the debate seem to forget that at the heart of these conversations are real young people, who are seeing their life played out in the media and their very existence in society questioned. And this all has an immediate and long-lasting impact on their mental health. In our new blog, we shine a light on the impact that discrimination, stigma and prejudice can have on the mental health of children and young people. If we are serious about improving the lives of ALL children and young people, then why does it seem that trans young people are the exception to this rule? All young people deserve to be treated with compassion and care. But most importantly, we must remember the young people behind these debates. Read more ⬇ https://lnkd.in/eW6rvzhA

Register to Attend Our Webinar: Understanding Stigma and Discrimination as Drivers of Mental Health Disparities for Diverse, Rural, LGBTQ+ Communities

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek: 13th to 19th May 2024 - So let's think about Anti-Trans Rhetoric on Mental Health too..... 👉 During this week of awareness, can we focus also on understanding the impact of anti-trans rhetoric on mental health. 👉 Discriminatory rhetoric can significantly harm the well-being of transgender individuals, exacerbating feelings of isolation and distress. 👉 As we raise awareness about mental health, let's also acknowledge and address the damaging effects of anti-trans rhetoric. 👉 Additionally, incorporating movement into our daily routines is essential for mental well-being. Whether it's going for a walk, practicing yoga, or playing a sport, physical activity can uplift our mood, sharpen focus, and promote better sleep. 👉Let's prioritise mental health and inclusivity by moving more and advocating for positive change, lets think of others too, prioritise your own mental well-being and encourage others to think of others and be treated a the person they truely are.... 🙂 💗 https://lnkd.in/d-zCb4wz #Gender #Transgender #Inclusion #GenderIdentity #LGBT #MentalHealth #Allyship #LGBTQIAPlus #Transition #AntiTrans #SEEChnageHappen #PositivePeopleExperiences #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #TransRights #InclusionMatters #MovementForMentalHealth