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Writing Updates (Mental Health / A.I. / Fixing Cohesion in Society/ National Publishing): Back to work. I will be focusing on national publishing going forward to get my work out to new and broader audiences. I self-published the last two years as an act of public service knowing others in DC would use them to inform their own ideas. Now its time to take that to other bigger audiences outside D.C. To those lawmakers and thought leaders in D.C. who have relied upon them, you will still be able to find them through my website and subscription list. My first series will focus on #mentalhealth. In short, we are still getting it wrong enough. New insights are coming from me including a #newmodel for overcoming the mental health crisis and payment model too. Working with a multi-disciplinary team on this. Its quite fascinating how very wrong we are on this subject. Magnitudes. On that, one word of caution to the The White House and others pushing #somatics and workforce #professionalization as the solution. Maybe you are right, and I am seeing this wrong, but at best I see this as a great tool paired with a flawed philosophy. Advice: leave door open for a pivot due to this being minimized in hindsight. And thank you for putting a spotlight on this. On #artificialintelligence, I am seeing good work but not sure its advancing where it needs to go. The Paragon Institute piece was great - they get it better than most on the economics via "incident to" and it is definitely going to move the ball forward. I do wish they would have understood it to be an "all of the above" opportunity. I am seeing some missed opportunities on the economics side by viewing the issue as an either/or. Finally, to David. Greenberg and all my fellow humans - the answer to your thoughtful question last week about my experiences over the last five years and what it means for my altruism going forward is: I want to spend the next three decades fixing society with my ideas and insights. Thats driving me now. Before it was "how do I find the money to be an altruist" which was safer but more limiting. Now I am seeking to satisfy them separately so I don't take away from the altruism. I don't have all the answers and certainties I want in life, but now the fear associated with that is gone. And this sense of purpose now driving me is the greatest gift I could have ever given myself. Its magic in a way. This sense of others motivates me to waive and smile at strangers to promote position connection in a stranger's day (paying it forward), and the reason I have self-published the last two years (as a way to help support those consultants and lawmakers in DC like i used to do on Capitol Hill). Now I have bigger sights. Everyone is in scope. Fasten your seat belts. Nothing like seeking to shape national discourses via altruism to get the excitement up! P.S. Huge Thank you to Danielle Ruckert for her wisdom and guidance over the past year. If you don't know her, you should.

After sometime of mulling over a PhD within the climate related distress field, I wanted to revisit my 2022 publication: "Climate change-related distress within the dominant mental health paradigm: Problems, pitfalls, and a possible way forward" from the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)'s peer-reviewed journal, PACJA. Here, I explore the Power Threat Meaning Framework as an epistemologically relevant model to understand climate change related distress. CCRD is commonly viewed within the dominant mental health paradigm in so-called Australia, and pathologises important experiences of First Nations people, activists, and those experiencing systemic power injustices. The solution of "diagnosing" and "treating" CCRD becomes the problem when such "solutions" perpetuate individualising of understandable distress, fracture and police vital community movements and obscure the very systemic problems that contribute to climate change. I continue to wonder about what my contribution in this space will look like in the future: I know diverse contributions are key, whether academic or not.

We were honored to be graced by the presence of Dato Sharifah Mazlina, a visionary leader and the driving force behind AWETA NGO. As we sat together, her impassioned dedication to catalyzing meaningful change resonated deeply within each of us. Not only her words that inspire, but her unwavering commitment to action, to rolling up sleeves and diving headfirst into the challenging yet crucial work of spreading awareness about mental health. As we navigated discussions, it became abundantly clear that our shared mission transcends boundaries and barriers. Our collective vision is anchored in the belief that by amplifying awareness and understanding of mental health, we can foster a more compassionate and supportive society. The exchange of ideas didn't end with the meeting's conclusion; rather, it sparked the flame of future collaboration. Plans were set in motion to synergize efforts, leveraging our respective strengths and resources to maximize impact. The seeds of partnership were planted, with a shared commitment to nurturing them into flourishing initiatives that reach far and wide. Through our collective efforts, we are turning the tide, one conversation, one collaboration at a time. And in doing so, we are forging a future where mental health is not stigmatized but embraced, where support and understanding flow freely, nurturing the well-being of all. #WithTongle #LetsHaveACoffeeTalk #ImpactTogether #ChangeMakers #MeaningfulConnection

You cannot “be the change you wish to see in the world,” without identifying that there is something off with the world itself. Through education we unearth understanding. Through humanity we are reminded of our fundamental ability to innovate, evolve, and create change. Through connection we can start the conversation. At Human Builder we vow to show up for those who are ready to ask the big questions, while patiently holding the reflection for those who have yet to spark that bravery in themselves. We vow to LIVE LOUDLY, BOLDLY, AND AUTHENTICALLY so others may do the same. We vow to commit our lives to educating, guiding and igniting others towards un-broken living that catalyzes real, lasting, impactful change that ripples well beyond the individual. We vow to ask the hard questions and not rest until we’ve found the answers. We vow to fight, lead, and defend the war FOR the freeing of minds, expansion of expression, unbridled consciousness, compassionate community, and radical change, in the way we approach the mental and physical wellbeing of future generations. Moreover, we vow to listen more than we speak, act more than we theorize; we vow to put ourselves on the front lines of The Mental Health Revolution. Are you with us? #mentalhealthadvocacy #mentalhealth #mindbody #mentalwellbeing #communitybuilding #communityhealing #selfhealing #brainbodyconnection #mentalperformance #lifestylecoaching #mindbodyperformance

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a seventy-five-year legacy rooted in the movement to increase public awareness of mental illness and mental health. In addition to initiatives and policy changes, this campaign has developed a vast library of tools and support resources. Approaching my thirty-year anniversary (eek!) in the mental health field, I have had the privilege of witnessing various levels of healing and reformation in people who had been labeled as intractable, chronic, and beyond real change. The ingredients to support such transformative work are many (I’ll return to this in a later post), yet this metamorphosis shares nearly the same features that roll in on the springtide. Dreamt-up seeds of promise and potential, fresh beginnings, new growth, and renewal.  New journeys often feel risky—the fragility of a tiny young sprout, the vulnerability of visibility, and the weight of anticipating how it is all going to turn out. It can be a challenge sometimes to stay anchored in the belief that what is emerging is worth the work of being seen, supported, and allowed to grow into the authenticity and meaning held deep in the heart of our dreams. Enter the TLC of cultivation... Read more on my SUBSTACK where you can follow my weekly Found Feathers: https://lnkd.in/d9ea7ifU #Community #Healing #NarrativeMedicine #Fiction #Author #Writer #Story #MentalHealth #Publishing #AnewTreatmentCenter #SavedByStory #DrPleasants #FeathersFromTheFire #VisionQuest #DrPleasants #MentalHealth #HealingStories #ImagineThePossibilities #StoryBehindTheStory #AlwaysMoreToTheStory #ReachOut

We were honored to be graced by the presence of Dato Sharifah Mazlina, a visionary leader and the driving force behind AWETA NGO. As we sat together, her impassioned dedication to catalyzing meaningful change resonated deeply within each of us. Not only her words that inspire, but her unwavering commitment to action, to rolling up sleeves and diving headfirst into the challenging yet crucial work of spreading awareness about mental health. As we navigated discussions, it became abundantly clear that our shared mission transcends boundaries and barriers. Our collective vision is anchored in the belief that by amplifying awareness and understanding of mental health, we can foster a more compassionate and supportive society. The exchange of ideas didn't end with the meeting's conclusion; rather, it sparked the flame of future collaboration. Plans were set in motion to synergize efforts, leveraging our respective strengths and resources to maximize impact. The seeds of partnership were planted, with a shared commitment to nurturing them into flourishing initiatives that reach far and wide. Through our collective efforts, we are turning the tide, one conversation, one collaboration at a time. And in doing so, we are forging a future where mental health is not stigmatized but embraced, where support and understanding flow freely, nurturing the well-being of all. #WithTongle #AWETANGO #LetsHaveACoffeeTalk #ImpactTogether #ChangeMakers #MeaningfulConnection

🚀 Big Problem ➡️ Big Solution! 🚀 🗓 In late 2021, fueled by our academic studies, volunteer work at Raise Foundation, practical experience at school, private practice, and personal journeys, we embarked on a mission to tackle a significant issue: #internationalstudent #mentalhealth. Introducing our brainchild: a comprehensive 6-week program focusing on crucial mental health topics such as stress and anxiety and challenges faced by international students. What set our initiative apart was our unwavering belief in the power of #creative and #expressive #artstherapy. Having witnessed firsthand the transformative effects of these approaches, we integrated them into our program with a creative arts therapy intervention. Gratitude is owed to Dr Sophie Lea for her generous support, enabling us to launch a pilot program for the Masters of Counselling cohort. The impact was profound: participants reported greater improvements in their mental well-being during the 6 weeks of the program. We discovered more insights and made greater strides during the 6 weeks of program implementation than we did in the preceding 6 months of planning and creation. #LessonLearned: Embrace the leap of faith. Despite grappling with impostor syndrome and doubts about its success, we pushed forward. Every "what if" was overshadowed by the knowledge that progress only comes from taking that initial step. 🌟 When was the last time you took a leap of faith? How did it turn out? Share your experiences in the comments below. Let's inspire each other to embrace boldness and drive positive change! 💪 #MentalHealthMatters #Innovation #CommunityImpact #LeapOfFaith #Inspiration

Last week my colleague in the realm of #wealth and #mentalhealth, Ruschelle Khanna, LCSW, asked me on LinkedIn what's the biggest 'misconception' people have about an #UHNW identity. I responded with a reference to the fabled Emerald City from the American classic, The Wizard of OZ. Over the weekend, I had the chance to rewatch the film. It deepened my conviction to the metaphor and my observation that wealth is neither the panacea nor the nirvana that people think it is. Like the Emerald City, wealth frequently manifests as follows: 1. A symbol of aspirations: Just as Dorothy longed for a home and a sense of belonging, people believe wealth will provide a nirvana that will protect them from the pains of life. It certain areas of life it provides elevated protections. In others, it doesn't and simply- can't. 2. An illusional endpoint: While sparkly from the outside, the Emerald City was a place that temporarily held people's fantasies of being a terminus. Once arrived in, however, its residents found a recalibration was required as they realized it wasn't what they had been promised or expected. Same is true for wealth. Once obtained, people find it doesn't provide them all they had hoped or were promised. 3. A path of growth: Just as Dorothy and her mates encountered challenges on their journey to the Emerald City, so too do #entrepreneurs and wealth inheritors encounter unexpected challenges and threats to their individual and relational #wellbeing on their journeys of accommodating an identity of wealth into their lives. When mental health and relational disorders exist in the context of an identity of wealth, clinicians and advisors need to approach the work with #culturalcompetency and #culturalhumility. Fragile Power explains how to start. #author #nonfiction #psychology #Mentalhealthmatters 4 everyone, everywhere #fragilepower #nextgen #familygovernance 2.0

In Western messaging, you may be encouraged to just avoid these difficult relationships, but as a culturally-informed therapist, I know that some of these relationships are important to you and you don’t want to forego them completely. So how do you sustain and navigate these complicated relationships in your immigrant family? Join me for a one-time live workshop where I will walk you through the ABCs of sustaining and navigating these complicated relationships in your immigrant family. This includes: -- Reflections for ACCEPTING what you are willing to tolerate and what you want to (and can) change in your relationships -- Tips on culturally-responsive BOUNDARY SETTING -- Skills to identify and disrupt CYCLES that you get caught in within these relationships -- And more – including practical tools for grounding yourself I truly believe this is the perfect opportunity for us to set aside some time for ourselves to be able to step into this season with support and guidance. When: December 16th, 7–9 PM (ET) Where: Online (link provided upon registration) As an expert in bicultural mental health and identity, I’ll help you understand how to honor yourself and your cultural values while maintaining the relationships that matter most. This live format also allows for direct engagement and questions. Learn more or sign up here: https://lnkd.in/ej6K24Dc #workshop #holidays #familystruggles #mentalhealth #therapist

🌟 Exciting Announcement! 🌟 In honor of Mental Health Month, I'll be sharing the findings from my latest research on whether mental health dimensions are considered in disaster and climate change interventions in Saint Lucia. 🏝️ This research holds immense importance, given the myriad of disasters, whether natural or unnatural. It's crucial to ensure that people have access to mental health and psychosocial support before, during, and after disasters. Throughout May, I'll be sharing my research findings to advocate for the integration of mental health in all disaster and climate change interventions in Saint Lucia. Stay tuned for insights and let's work together to prioritize mental health in resilience-building efforts! 💚 #MentalHealthMonth #SaintLucia #DisasterResilience #ClimateChange #ResearchFindings #Advocacy