Talking Off The Couch
podcast focuses on mental health and mental wellness within the
community of color. Tatiana Smith who is a Licensed Professional
Counselor in Dallas, Texas decided that it is time to shed light
and break stigmas about mental health/wellness in the communities
of color. This podcast is a voice for the mental health community
as well as the average person. Talking Off The Couch will make you
feel Ok about not being Ok.
This week's episode I speak
my guest Charles Catchings. Charles and I talk about men and mental
health, how important self-care is to men, cultural and social
identity, we talk about vulnerability, and how a bunch of guys with
problems is helping a bunch of guys with problems.
The Barber Shop Group is an
umbrella organization that advocates for all men's wellness while
creating space for targeted groups to have serious discussions
without fear of reprisal and shame. In today's climate, many people
shake their sticks at such an approach but my professional and
personal experience has shown me the most effective way for our
organization to advocate for men's mental health. Currently, we
have three media ventures: our podcast, a live weekly radio show
allowing listeners to interact with a trained therapist, and an
upcoming WebTV talk show. We host men's retreats around the country
allowing men to engage in group discussions of wellbeing and gain
access to one-on-one counseling and mentoring, all while doing
"guy" stuff.
Charles Catchings has been
involved in mental health-care in a variety of capacities since
2003. I first started working in a boys' group-home setting
providing direct care and mentoring. I quickly found myself swept
up into a world where men were sorely needed but absent. This was
even truer of African-American men as many of the residents were
either African-American or came from inner-cities nearby. Early in
that experience, I learned a bit about my ability to connect and
relate to the clients, in part due to my own background and my
desire to be an open vessel for people in need. Though I maintained
several jobs during that time, I realized I was to work in the
capacity of mental health and healing. Later, I transitioned to
working with juvenile sex offenders. This was one of the more
challenging positions, requiring me to work through some of my own
sexual trauma while trying to understand and guide young men who
were often the victims of sexual violence or sexual avoidance
unbeknownst to the public.
I was commended for my work
with this group and was asked to join a team of clinicians working
with deaf and hard-of-hearing clients with
co-occurring disorders. I was challenged to provide the same
level of care while learning an entirely new language -American
Sign Language- to convey messages of healing and hope. Lastly, I
was given the opportunity to work with male and female AOD clients
and this is my current focus.
Takeaways from this
episode:
It’s ok to be
vulnerable.
It’s ok to focus on mental
health.
Self caress just as
important for men.
Where you can find The
Barber Shop Group:
Email:
charles.catchings@thebarbershopgroup.com
Web:
www.thebarbershopgroup.com
Facebook:
@thebarbershopgrp
Instagram:
@thebarbershopgrp
Twitter: @thebarbershopgrp
Podcast hashtag
#talkingoffthecouch and #TOTCpodcast
Email:
info@talkingoffthecouch.com
Facebook-Talking off the
Couch Podcast
Facebook Group-Talking Off
The Couch Village
Instagram-talkingoffthecouch
Twitter- podcasttotc
If you are interested in
working with Tatiana as a therapist you can find out more about her
services at www.tsmithcounseling.com
If you have questions or
would like to discuss sponsorship opportunities, email us at:
talkingoffthecouch@gmail.com
Make sure to also visit our
website at www.talkingoffthecouch.com