I believe we can teach mental health the same way we teach physical health. We can use lessons to teach people about brain development, vocabulary, coping skills, healthy relationships, how to help others, and most importantly, how to take care of their minds. I use my story with mental health disorders and trauma to help others feel comfortable addressing challenges in their own lives.

My passion for mental health comes from personal experience

I visited my oldest brother in the psychiatric ward of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital when I was 11. During the year following that visit, I experienced the deaths of two of my grandparents and one of my friends.

At age 16, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder with anger control problems and psychotic features. In my senior year of high school, I was hospitalized for attempting to take my own life and, later that year, had to take a leave of absence from American University due to a relapse with bipolar disorder.

I returned to American University 4 years later and graduated with a B.A. in psychology. I went on to get an M.A. in Educational Psychology. I started speaking about my story of bipolar disorder when I was 17.

Sharing my story has also helped me achieve balanced mental health.

I served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Botswana from 2010 to 2012. When I got home from the Peace Corps, I saw that there were a lot of gaps preventing people from getting the vital mental health messages they need. In 2013, I started Human Power Project, a mental health curriculum company, to address those needs.

In 2016, I became a founding faculty member and Wellness Director at Geffen Academy at UCLA, which is a school for students in grades 6-12. We created a program for students to have a weekly class to learn about their mental health. In 2021 we launched the Mental Health Education Institute to teach other schools how to implement mental health education. The Institute focuses on providing a common language for all schools to use for mental health and guidance for educators to use their personal stories to normalize conversations about mental health in the school community.

A social innovator who has pioneered the youth mental health movement

I also have three keynote presentations. Behind Happy Faces reduces stigma, empowers others to seek help, and educates people about mental health. Mixed Drinks, Mixed Emotions focuses on the main reasons people cope with substances and examines the ties between substance abuse and mental health. Creating a Life-Changing Connection focuses on the vital role that adults can play in helping young people with their mental health.

Award-winning mental health advocate

I wrote a book titled Behind Happy Faces; Taking Charge of Your Mental Health that sold tens of thousands of copies and was used as Common Reading at multiple universities. I also wrote A Kids Book About Anxiety, which was recently featured as a series of books on Oprah’s Favorite Things List for 2020.

I’m happy to help in any way I can to educate others about mental health.