Mental Health Awareness Month: A Full Circle Moment
This month, as we honor Mental Health Awareness, I find myself reflecting on how far I’ve come — and how far my family has come.
I am a woman on a healing journey. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse. And for many years, I carried that pain in silence. Growing up in the 70s, abuse was the best kept secret. We didn’t talk about it. We buried it. We survived by suppressing, not confronting. That silence became part of my belief system. It shaped how I saw myself, how I mothered, how I moved through life — often depressed, oppressed, and not even knowing the language for what I was feeling.
It wasn’t until June of last year that I finally began EMDR therapy — a powerful, intentional decision that has changed everything. In just one year, I’ve been able to face deeply rooted trauma, reconnect with my worth, and begin to release years of pain I thought I had to carry forever. It hasn’t been easy. Healing rarely is. But it’s been necessary. And it’s been sacred.
I’m also learning that healing isn’t just about me. It’s about breaking generational cycles. It’s about choosing not to pass on pain I didn’t ask for. It’s about freedom — for me, and for my children.
To now sit and witness my daughter, Chantel White, not only walking in her own truth but using her voice as a therapist to help others — it’s beyond full circle. It’s divine. It’s hope realized. It’s proof that the curse breaks here.
This month, as we partner with Chantel and NRPH to bring weekly conversations around mental wellness, I want every woman reading this to know: You are not alone. Your story matters. And healing is possible. We are no longer burying our pain. We are breaking the silence. And in doing so, we’re reclaiming our power — mind, body, and spirit.
