Tag: mental health speaker

First live event since February was very special.

The Speak Up Reach Out (SURO) event in Edward, Colorado was the first live event I’ve done since February. COVID-19 shut down most live events. However, they did this one outside within guidelines as people sat on lawn chairs spaced apart. Although it doesn’t appear to be so, attendance was great with some 80 people attending this outdoor walk event.

Earlier that week, air quality was unbreathable due to fires. Then it snowed and was stormy. But Saturday, September 12, 2020 in Edward, Colorado? It was gorgeous.

The SURO organization is really amazing and I love how they work together … Read more...

Three weeks in review

This isn’t all of it but it’s most of it. And here I thought February would be a slow month.

Speaking & Book Signing Event at Richmond Wellness Center. Diary of a Broken Mind

Newspaper article about Recovery School

Panel interview on publishing for NSA

Boomer Radio interview

Legislature for HB 928 Recovery School. Looking good for this bill so far.

Emotionally Naked Wedding

A Night For Scott Fundraiser for Recovery Scholarships

Legislature for HB 1063- Abolishing Suicide as a crime. Didn’t pass.

Speaking at school nurse’s conference at VCU

Panel at Jewish Community Center for Screeing of Kevin Hines … Read more...

Do you want me to speak at your high school on suicide prevention and SUD?

testimonial about a high school mental health speaker
15 year old student, Cosby High School

I have a list of high schools, however, you might want to request that I speak to a high school near you. If so, please list the name of the school and add other information about that school on the Google form below. That form will populate a spreadsheet from which I will work those contacts.

I will be sending an actual paper letter in an envelope to the principals of these high schools and follow up with phone call and an email.

At this time, I am focusing on high schools and … Read more...

Episode 43: Emotionally Naked Leadership

See it on the Authentic Leader website

This is a podcast with Christopher R. Jones from The Authentic Leader Show. When I decided to be a mental health speaker and suicide prevention speaker, it wasn’t easy. Those are topics no one wants to talk about. The world is thawing a bit on the subject of late given the rise in mental illness and suicides. I am sorry it took that to get people to listen. But at least they are.

Are you ready to be emotionally naked in public?

… Read more...

My morning speaking at Virginia State University

Suicide is a tough subject but the #2 cause of death on college campuses. In fact I wish I had some magic tricks for the college crowd. A friend of mine suggested eating fire. I thought that posed risk of burning my hair and maybe I’d rather be sawed in half. But that would require talent above my pay grade.

Today at Virginia State University, I told my story about Charles, shared my grief journey, and then we talked about coping strategies. For this we used post it notes and a white board. And for the healthy and unhealthy coping … Read more...

Met with Paul Gilmartin, host of Mental Illness Happy Hour

In my trip to Los Angeles to visit my son, I had reached out to Paul Gilmartin, host of the popular podcast, Mental Illness Happy Hour. Initially, I was interested in being a guest. I still am, however, Paul was booked out for the next few months so he asked if I wanted to get together for lunch. So that’s what we did.

Paul starred in a show called Dinner and a Movie and did a lot of comedy before hosting the his popular podcast.

Each of us shared our stories. He has suffered from mental illness and addiction and … Read more...

How I found my laugh after loss

It had been two days since Charles’ death and my kitchen was packed with people. I was so grateful that all our friends and neighbors knew to come over. From 11am-5pm every day for seven days, our house was filled.

The three hours I spent the day after with just my husband and myself after Charles’ suicide in what seemed like a cavernous house was unbearable. I needed others in the room to absorb some of the overwhelming grief–grief that took me to my knees multiple times per day.

On that second day, standing in the kitchen with friends and … Read more...

Presentation team at pediatric conference

suicide prevention presentation team
L to R: Mary Tipton, Fellow, NIH;, Anne Moss Rogers, Emotionally
Naked LLC; John Campo, MD, WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience
Institute; Jeff Bridge PhD, Center for Suicide Prevention & Research, Nationwide Children’s Hospital & the Ohio State University; Lisa Horowitz, PhD, MPH, Staff Scientist at the NIMH

I was so honored to be a presenter among this distinguished panel of youth suicide prevention researchers and doctors at PAS 2019 (Pediatric Academic Societies). I wasn’t so sure how my presentation would be received in such a strict academic environment. But judging from standing ovation after my talk which shocked me, I’d say … Read more...

Nobody wants me

I am in a rejection business on two sides. On the one hand I have been trying to secure some paid speaking engagements. And the other is trying to get a book published.

From the speaking angle, I’m often “not right for their event,” “time isn’t good,” “not a good fit,” and “I think it’s fine to talk about all this. Just not around my audience,” and my favorite, “can you make your story more positive?” If I played some of these scenes back on video, they’d see it in themselves. They would cringe and say, “What was I thinking?” … Read more...