- May, as we know, is MentalHealth Awareness Month.

Why is it important to acknowledge,

to start talking about it,

and to have this as a month,why is that important?

- Well, it's somethingthat, it brings awareness,

number one, that there is an issue,

and it helps people to realize

that wow, if it's onthe calendar as a month,

it's okay for me to talk up and say

that there's something going on with me.

And it may be something aslittle as, you know, as anxiety.

Well, I'm just anxious about something.

Well, you know, in our culture,

a lot of times, people say,"Well, just take a deep breath

"and you'll be over that."

But they don't understand

that there's this mentalhealth piece of it.

One thing that really is scary to me

is I'm seeing a lot of youth

that are talking aboutmental health issues,

and we're not really talking about it,

but what they're doingis they're acting out

and the parents are like,"Well what's going on?"

And sometimes, it's areflection of that parent.

If the parents have anxiety,

the children are picking up on it too.

And then a lot of times, ourkids don't have the language

to describe what's going on.

So it's something we have to be talking

with our kids about, you know,

with yes, this is a scary time,

yes, we can get through this,

but we wanna talk abouthow you're feeling,

we wanna talk about what'sgoing on in your body,

where you're feeling uncomfortable,

and allowing them to talk,because a lot of times,

we're not giving our kidsthat opportunity to talk.

- Michelle, you know, given the stigma,

especially in the faith community,

about mental health issues,

I mean, if people are feeling anxious,

if people are feeling depressed,

a lot of people arestill working from home,

you know, and a lot of businesses

are still having people work from home,

and just being out of thatnormal routine creates anxiety,

but given that there's a stigma,

what should we do to encourage people,

you know, to begin to open up

and to get the help that they need?

- Yeah, you know, one of the things,

when I actually do training,

one of the things I say to people

is, "So what are the joysthat you've had this week?"

'Cause we always wanna start out

on that positive note, right?

And then I say, "What's thestruggles been this week?"

And you know, we have tobe willing to sit down

and look at people theeye, and listen to them,

and hear with them.

We have to see them as people.

You know, Jesus spenttime sitting with people,

talking with them, and weneed to do the same thing.

You know, I said to somebody, you know,

sometimes we do the, youknow, we're walking by,

"Hi, how are you?"

"Oh I'm good, I'm fine."

And we just walk by.

We never even stop andlook at them, right?

I tell people all the time,

say, "Hey, today is a difficult day."

And I go, I will guarantee you,

you'll get that, "Good,I'm glad to hear that."

And they keep walking,because it doesn't sink in.

- Wow.

- You know, it doesn'tsink in, we don't stop,

but we need to stop and look at people.

And like you said, we need todo things, we need to connect.

You know, when COVID first happened,

what did people start doing?

They start went in through their phones

and they started texting people,

"Hey, haven't heard fromyou in a long time."

You know, and we connected with people.

You know, there are somany times as faith people,

Christians, who are struggling,

and sometimes, you know, atnight, you can't sleep, right?

Well for me, I tell people,"If you can't sleep,

"you know, Lord's put it on your heart

"to be praying for somebody."

And you just start praying,

and when you pray for theperson the Lord wants you

to pray for, you'll fall asleep.

- Just like that, thatis so true. (laughs)

- You know, but you can beawake for an hour and a half

praying for people, personafter person after person,

and then all of a sudden,you pray for, you know,

hey, somebody who is just on your mind,

you know, but if the Holy Spiritputs somebody on your mind,

reach out to them.

- It is for a reason.- I ask everyone--

- It is for a reason.- Exactly.

- They're going through something

that no one knows about, but God knows.

And he's putting it on your heart.

- Exactly, exactly.

You know, sometimes I have people,

you know, I connect withpeople all the time,

and I'm like, "Well, how are you doing?"

Well you know, thetypical answer is, "Fine."

And I'll say, "Well you know,really, what's going on?"

You know, because, oh yeah fine,

if we take fine as acceptable, you know,

tell me what's going on,tell me those struggles,

and then people will share,but we have to be available.

- Sensitive and available.