In this episode, Gabriel Nathan, executive director of Recovery Diaries, shares his journey through mental health challenges, the importance of storytelling, and how to advocate for mental health in everyday life. Gabe is an author, editor, actor, playwright, director, and a mental health and suicide awareness advocate. For five years, he worked at Montgomery County Emergency Service, Inc. (MCES), a non-profit crisis psychiatric hospital in the capacity of Allied Therapist and, later, as Development Specialist. At MCES, he created innovative programs such as a psychiatric visiting nurse program, a suicide prevention collaboration with SEPTA, and an Inpatient Concert Series that brought professional performing artists to entertain the patients and enrich their inpatient experience. While at MCES, Gabe also produced and directed a full-scale production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town with the staff of the hospital, as an exercise in teamwork, empathy-building, and creative expression. Gabe writes extensively on mental health and suicide awareness matters on Substack and other platforms and, for five years. Gabe lives in a suburb of Philadelphia with his family. Learn more about Gabe’s experience producing Our Town at a psychiatric hospital: part one and part two. https://betterhelp.com/unhurried BetterHelp is the sponsor of this episode and they are on a mission to make starting therapy easier. I am so excited to announce my newest partnership with BetterHelp because therapy has been pivotal in my own self-love journey. As someone who resisted it for a really long time, I know how hard it can be to start. I actually recently decided to start going back to therapy and kind of start over with a new therapist and honestly, it's not easy. Retelling your story, hoping they connect the dots, but I chose to go back for a lot of reasons. So that I can be a better parent. So that I can be the best mama to Miles that I can be. So that I can safely process emotions I'm experiencing. So that I can give myself grace and compassion when I don't want to. So that I can offer grace and compassion to others when I don't want to, and so that I can feel validated in my own experiences. My therapist has been so helpful with really big life obstacles and also just day-to-day things that we all struggle with. All of that to say, if you're thinking about starting or restarting your therapy journey, I invite you to try BetterHelp. I've been enjoying my experience and it is so accessible. With BetterHelp, you can connect with a licensed therapist online from the comfort of your own home through video, phone, or even live chat. therapy has never been easier. Fill out a questionnaire and you will match with a therapist in as little as a couple days. One of the best features of BetterHelp is that if the first therapist doesn't feel like the right fit for you, you can easily switch to another one until you find someone that you really connect with. They carefully make sure the therapists on the platform are well-qualified and their customer support team is there to help you if have any questions. With over 7,000 reviews, BetterHelp is a platform that you can trust. It's flexible, it's affordable, and it takes away so many of the barriers that usually keep us from getting help. So if you're ready to take that next step or if you're struggling and think you'd benefit from a therapy session, go to https://betterhelp.com/unhurried to get 10 % off your first month. That's https://betterhelp.com/unhurried. Again, you don't have to do it all alone. I used to think I had to and there is so much support out there and so much love. Here if you want to chat, here if you just need a hug. Remember that self-care is sexy and BetterHelp is the perfect way to take care of yourself.
