Celebrating Pride Month: Addressing Mental Health in the LGBTQ+ Community

June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ community. It’s a month filled with joy, visibility, and affirmation of identity. However, it’s also a crucial time to recognize and address the mental health challenges that many in the LGBTQ+ community face. As a proud mother of a daughter who identifies as gay, and as an advocate and ally, I am dedicated to raising awareness to this important issue.

Searching for “Happiness”

I’ve watched nearly every YouTube video, listened to dozens of podcasts, and read a ton of self-help books in an attempt to find the answer to the question, “How do I find happiness?”  

A few things I’ve realized from all this research is that happiness will never have one single source. Happiness is multidimensional and should come from finding beauty in the various things around you.

A Major Milestone

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, which is at the core of all we do at The Kim Foundation. As each year passes, it is encouraging to see more of the city embrace the importance of mental health and celebrate this month alongside us.

Inspiration from NatCon

Have you ever attended a conference for professional development, and walked away wondering if it was worth your time or what you gained from it? I know that I have a time or two, but this year’s National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s NatCon (NatCon) was anything but that! This is a conference I have been attending for more than a decade, and it is always good, but this year’s felt even more relevant and meaningful. There were at least 60 Nebraskans among the sea of 6,000 plus behavioral health professionals in attendance, and every Nebraskan I spoke to, felt the same about this year’s conference.

Bike With Mike

My younger brother, Mike Kutilek, would have turned 32 on April 19th had mental illness not taken his life almost four years ago, on May 22nd, 2020. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in light of his recent birthday, I wanted to share part of our family’s story.

The Feeling of Being Enough  

Do you ever find yourself questioning your own worth, and not feeling good enough? You’re not alone in that. In fact, one of my personal limiting beliefs is that I am not good enough. That belief is typically the root cause of a lot of my mental distress. When things go wrong, I often point blame on myself, even if I had no control over the situation.

You Got a Friend in Me

Friendship is a crucial component of our mental health and overall well-being. Having supportive and caring friends can provide us with a sense of belonging, a source of comfort and joy, and a strong support system during challenging times. Being a good friend to others can also help us in our own mental health journey, as serving others can often foster positivity within ourselves.  

What Makes Us

The Nebraska Expressive Arts Therapy Foundation

As a social worker and mental health practitioner, I have been in the unique position of helping those experiencing complex trauma, family disruption, and grief for over two decades. Early on in my profession, I worked directly with young people impacted by the devastating effects of sexual abuse.