Sound Mental Health Observes Suicide Prevention Month
An encouraging sign stands in front of the Valdez Courthouse. Photo by Allison Sayer.
by Molly Walker
September marks Suicide Prevention Month and Sound Mental Health utilized this opportunity to share mental health resources and spread messages of hope with the Valdez community. On September 16, they invited community members to the Valdez Senior Center for a discussion entitled “The Power of Perspective.”
Led by Sound Mental Health therapist, Matt Wadsworth, LCSW, the presentation discussed the importance of the narratives, perspectives, and ways we can care for ourselves and our communities. Utilizing four different parables, Wadsworth encouraged attendees to help each other walk through pain and do hard things together.
“It’s ok to hurt and struggle,” said Wadsworth, “but we’re stronger than we think.”
Wadsworth asked attendees to think about their circles and who “has their ear,” meaning who they listen to and who listens to them. The words we hear and the narratives we tell ourselves can have a large impact on how we respond to difficult situations.
One of the parables Wadsworth shared to illustrate the power of perspectives was about three frogs participating in a race. The other animals taunted them, telling them they were too small and would never succeed. The first frog stopped half-way through the race, feeling tired and thinking he wasn’t strong enough to finish. The second frog got just a bit further, feeling the same.
The third frog finished the race strong. When the other frogs and animals asked him how he was able to finish, he didn’t respond because he hadn’t heard them. The third frog had not heard the animals’ taunts prior to the race, so did not know that the others were expecting him to fail. By reframing our perspectives to be kinder and more understanding of ourselves, we are able to complete the race.
“We can do hard things. We can also do incredible things together. In Valdez, we help each other out, but we have to convey that to others. We have to let them know,” said Wadsworth.
Following Wadsworth’s presentation, Sound Mental Health therapist Tahnee King, LCSW, shared that perspectives can serve to justify our experiences and create a narrative. According to King, the narratives we tell ourselves have both a cost and a purpose. This might make us more mindful of how we talk to ourselves and others.
Both Wadsworth and King promoted practicing kindness to yourself and those around you. This month, Sound Mental Health also partnered with local coffee shops to share drinks with the community and spread the message, “kindness is contagious.”
“Suicide Prevention Month doesn’t end in September. It continues and it continues through connection with each other,” said King.