S2E1: Men’s Mental Health Awareness, Continued
Welcome back! I am so happy you have joined us for this BRAND-NEW season of On What Brings You In!
Whether you are a first-time listener or a returning one, thank you so much for being part of this process! For the last few months, I have been working closely with The Co-Lab Studios to bring this season to production.
We present to you what we feel is an interesting and insightful lineup of mental health topics, advice, and expertise from a wide panel of both community members and professionals.
We ended season 1 with an episode discussing men and mental health, specifically, why men don’t like counseling. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a guest to join me for this episode to discuss men’s mental health awareness.
When we wrapped, I challenged any heterosexual, cis male who was up for the challenge to join me in the opening for the next season. Well…the wait is over!
Ironically, my guest, AJ Payne, was under my nose the entire time. I’ve known AJ and his family for years!
When I worked in hospitality, they were what we called “hardcore” regulars (which basically meant everyone in the restaurant would fight each other to take care of them because they were such a delightful bunch to be around). AJ responded to a social media post, we did a quick screening interview, and here we are!
When it comes to men and mental health, we recognize how men often struggle with feelings of vulnerability, which explains how counseling is often viewed as a weakness.
In fact, I doubt most men realize how the month of June represents men’s mental health month, which encourages all men to analyze and readjust their health routines. Though vulnerability is uncomfortable and often unnerving, it is usually the main ingredient for change, and change inspires growth, and this is exactly what AJ and I discuss throughout this episode.
Again, a major thank you to our audience, all of my guests from this new season (including AJ), and of course my mentors at The Co-Lab Studios for making this show possible.
