Every Day in May: 121 Series
Everyone has mental health, and this Mental Health Awareness Month we are going 1- 2 -1 with your favorite influencers & mental health advocates every day in May to help change culture and destigmatize mental health.
Click in to watch the videos below, and tune in at @mentalhealthcoalition on Instagram every day in May.
Saturday, May 1st
Katie Couric started off the series in a conversation with Kevin Berthia & Sgt. Kevin Briggs, where they discussed how listening is an important part of supporting the people we love.
Katie Couric also spoke with poet and activist, Aija Mayrock, who performed an impassioned, profound spoken word about the power of words.
Sunday, May 2nd
Vic Mensa and Lauren Jauregrui exchanged breathing exercises and talked about the power in realizing that feelings are temporary, joined by Dr. Luana Marques of Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Monday, May 3rd
Michael Strahan and D-Nice opened up about the encouragement that music and online community gave them during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were joined by Dr. Kenya Hameed of Child Mind Institute.
Tuesday, May 4th
Charlamagne tha God talked about Black mental health and self-care with his friend Devi Brown, joined by Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble of the AAKOMA Project.
Wednesday, May 5th
On May 5th, National Silence the Shame Day, Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child spoke with Silence the Shame’s Founder Shanti Das and Executive Director Dr. Jewell Gooding about the importance of telling our stories to silence the shame of mental illness.
Thursday, May 6th
Kalen Allen and friend Toree Weaver got real about the impact of imposter syndrome and supporting friends through tough times, joined by Dr. Tia Dole of the Trevor Project.
Friday, May 7th
Property Brother Drew Scott and his wife Linda Phan opened up about communicating and setting boundaries in their relationship, joined by family mental health expert Dr. Shefali.
Saturday, May 8th
Dr. Laura Berman spoke with her friends David Kessler and Paul Denniston about how to navigate grief and loss in healthy ways.
Sunday, May 9th
Peter Farrelly and Alyssa Milano spoke about living with anxiety and learning to be open about mental health, joined by Dr. Debra Kissen of Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Monday, May 10th
Josh Richards and Griffin Johnson went 1-2-1 about how difficult it can be for them to be vulnerable and open up about their feelings. They were joined by Dr. Stephen Schueller of One Mind Org.
Tuesday, May 11
Chris Hubbard spoke with his friend Mark Harrison about the difficulty men feel opening up, the importance of therapy, and how they lean on one another during tough times. They were joined by Dr. Ken Duckworth of NAMI who spoke about how “vulnerability is strength,” how to support your children’s mental health and much more.
Wednesday, May 12
Whoopi Goldberg went 1-2-1 with ICU Nurse Celia Nieto, who bravely shared about her breaking point on the frontlines and the thoughts that filled her with fear. They were joined by Dr. Mona Masood, founder of the Physician Support Line who shared her reasons for creating a physician-specific support line, the similarities in experience between first responders & veterans, and more.
Thursday, May 13
Sydel Curry-Lee and her husband Damion Lee spoke about how they have learned to effectively communicate and support one another’s mental health and wellbeing over this past year. They were joined by Dr. Allie Sharma who shared some of her own clinical wisdom on healthy communication in relationships and more.
Friday, May 14
B Simone went 1-2-1 with Erika de la Cruz to chat about how they take care of their mental health and how they’ve made it through moments of darkness. They were joined by Bea Arthur who shares some insights on women’s mental health, how “rock bottom is a beautiful place to build” and more.
Saturday, May 15
Doc Rivers and Kevin Love went 1-2-1 about how coaches can best support players’ mental health, how taking care of your mind is as important as taking care of our physical injuries, mental health in the bubble and more. They were joined by Dr. Michelle Craske at UCLA Grand Challenge who shares some wisdom around men’s mental health and the importance of speaking up about how you are feeling.
Sunday, May 16
Chasten Buttigieg spoke with his friend & campaign body woman, Emily Voorde, about how they relied on one another for mental health support while on the campaign trail. Joined by Sam Brinton of Trevor Project, they discussed “vulnerability fatigue,” allyship, the importance of welcoming spaces, inspiration porn and more.
Monday, May 17
Senator Cory Booker went 1-2-1 with Tamron Hall about how they managed their mental health during the pandemic, mental health in Black culture, and much more. They were joined by The Confess Project to discuss how they’re building a culture of mental health for Black men and boys, one barber chair at a time!
Tuesday, May 18
Bachelorette Hannah Brown went 1-2-1 with Life Coach Nora Dekeyser about look to one another for support. Joined by Bea Arthur, they discussed the pressures of social media, the importance of difficult conversations, navigating therapy, using pain as a teacher and much more.
Wednesday, May 19
Leah McSweeney and her sister, Sarah McSweeney went 1-2-1 about their mental health journeys and how labels & diagnoses have affected their own self perceptions and realities. They were joined by Dr. Roger McIntyre of Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance to discuss the science and experience of Bipolar Disorder and more.
Thursday, May 20
Jeremy Fall went 1-2-1 with meditator, writer & speaker, Yung Pueblo and special moderator, Keo Motsepe, about the importance of being honest with ourselves, how our cultures impact our mental health experiences, our superpowers and more. They were joined by Dr. Luana Marques who shared her own clinical insights, including how mental health is in fact brain health and the importance of connection.
Friday, May 21
Delilah Belle Hamlin and her boyfriend Eyal Booker went 1-2-1 about Delilah’s experience with panic attacks, medication stigma, how social media impacts their mental health, and how they support one another during difficult times. They were joined by Dr. Allie Sharma who shares her clinical insights around managing panic attacks, navigating affordable mental health resources and the differences between a psychiatrist, therapist, coach and more.
Saturday, May 22
Julianne Hough went 1-2-1 with her best friend Maude Hirst about how they’ve been there for one another during their 20+ years of friendship, as well as the power of movement and how they both look to dance and yoga to support their mental health.
Sunday, May 23
Alan Cumming and Monica Lewinsky spoke about how they separate public perceptions from their personal identities, prioritizing self care, how humor helps them get through challenging times and more.
Monday, May 24
Jewel spoke with her friend and colleague Aphrah Brakow about their individual mental health journeys, grieving processes, being there for your loved ones and more. They were joined by Dr. Blaise of Inspiring Children who provided some clinical wisdom, including an outline of his DBT process and how to assure your therapist is right for you.
Tuesday, May 25
Kelly Marie Tran went 1-2-1 with Director Carlos Lopez Estrada about their experiences growing up in immigrant families who didn’t speak much about mental health and their shared growth and appreciation for poetry and community through the new film they’re working on together called Summer Time. They were joined by Dr. Jenny Wang who added some context as to mental health for communities of color and the importance of opening up about mental health in an effort to wipe away the shame. Paolina Acuna-Gonzalez finished the conversation with an uplifting, thought provoking spoken word piece.
Wednesday, May 26
Peloton instructors Jess King, Anna Greenberg and Matt Maggiacomo went 1-2-1 about the importance of movement for their mental health, how they engage with and separate themselves from their “inner gremlins” and more. They were joined by Dr. Marc Brackett who shared important clinical insights, including how to introduce social emotional learning for kids and how we can all better articulate what we’re feeling inside through a tool he developed called The Mood Meter.
Wednesday, May 26
Lionel Richie and Governor John Kasich spoke about their similar familial dynamics and circumstances as they’ve both grieved the loss of parents and are loving fathers trying to understand how to best support their children’s mental health during this time. They were joined by Dr. Parker Huston of On Our Sleeves who shed light on how we and our children can learn and grow from these times.
Thursday, May 27
Deepak Chopra and Gabriella Wright went 1-2-1 about their Never Alone Movement, the need to address mental distress, and how we as a society can go about writing a new story through shared vision, complimenting each other’s strengths, emotional and spiritual bonding within ourselves, and transparency about what is working.
Thursday, May 27
Joseph Altuzarra and Nicole Richie spoke about their shared mental health experiences as business owners over the past year, feeling the need to be strong and have it all together when they were actually feeling anything but that. They also discuss self-care while parenting, the importance of going to therapy when you’re feeling good, how social media affects their mental health and more. They’re joined by Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble of Aakoma Project who emphasizes the importance of prioritizing yourself and connecting with resources.
Friday, May 28
NFL veterans, Ryan Mundy and Rashad Jennings, went 1-2-1 about how their transitions out of playing professional football impacted their mental health. They were joined by Paul Bashea Williams who shared his clinical insights as they discuss men’s mental health, cultural competency, setting boundaries and more.
Saturday, May 29
Lily Cornell Silver and her mother, Susan Silver, spoke about the generational differences in approach to and acceptance of mental health and how Susan helped Lily to build her own mental health toolbox starting from a young age. They were joined by Dr. Marc Brackett who elaborated on the importance of preventions vs. interventions, the validity of distraction as a coping technique, and more.
Sunday, May 30
US Army Veteran J.R Martinez went 1-2-1 with US Air Force Veteran Tahlia Dos Santos about their mental health experiences as they’ve been overcoming trauma, learning the importance of community and connecting with veteran resources including The Headstrong Project. They were joined by Jason Phillips who shared his insights around how best to support the veterans in your life and more.
Monday, May 31
Oprah Winfrey went 1-2-1 with Dr. Bruce Perry to conclude the Mental Health Awareness Month #121Series. They discussed the importance of asking the question ‘what happened to you?’ in order to better understand yourself and others, how to “turn your post traumatic wounds into post traumatic wisdom” and much more