Mental health is important to me because it reminds us of something we often forget: behind every diagnosis, behavior, achievement, or setback is a human being with a story worth understanding. My own experiences have taught me what it feels like to search for connection, to navigate healing, and to realize that our struggles do not define our worth. They become part of the stories that shape us. Those experiences inspired me to pursue my PhD in clinical psychology, but they

My journey with mental health began in college, when I was struggling with the stress of school and being away from my family. I underwent therapy, spent a lot of time editing videos as an art student, and went for long runs in Richmond, VA, to help manage my stress. Understanding and defining my own struggle, as well as who I was becoming, was a challenging but enriching time in my life. Mental health is important to me because I think we all struggle in some way, with inter

If I were a bowl, I would not be lifted new from a shelf. I would be one that shattered, but not from being dropped. From something inside it growing larger than the space allowed. I carry the philosophy of kintsugi with me because it reflects my culture and how I understand healing. Not as a return to what once was, but as an ethical act of repair. Breakage is never random. Some cracks are caused by force. Others by neglect or mistakes. And many by systems that were never de