Dani Parks - Mental Wellness Speaker, Author and Life Coach

Dani Parks is a purpose-driven mental health advocate, certified life and teen coach, author, and community leader who has turned personal pain into purpose and life’s trials into a powerful testimony of healing, resilience, and hope. Through her lived experiences, faith, mindfulness practices, and commitment to self-care, Dani discovered the transformative power of healing from within—and now dedicates her life to helping women and teens do the same.

With authenticity, compassion, and vulnerability at the center of her work, Dani empowers others to prioritize their mental wellness, embrace their truth unapologetically, and walk confidently in their God-given purpose. She is passionate about creating safe, judgment-free spaces where individuals feel seen, heard, supported, and inspired to grow.

Through coaching, peer support groups, mentorship, and impactful public speaking engagements, Dani has inspired audiences both nationally and internationally with her transparent approach to healing, personal development, and emotional wellness. Her message encourages others to break cycles, overcome adversity, and reclaim their voice through intentional healing and self-discovery.

Dani is also the founder and host of Augusta’s Mental Health Saturdays for Teens, a free peer support initiative designed to help young people build resilience, strengthen emotional well-being, and find hope through community connection and open conversation. Her work continues to make a meaningful impact by equipping the next generation with tools for healing, confidence, and mental wellness.

As an author, Dani wrote A Girlfriend’s Guide to Breaking Through, an empowering and practical guide that explores the spiritual and personal power of fasting as a pathway to breakthrough, clarity, healing, and transformation.

Driven by faith and fueled by purpose, Dani Parks continues to use her voice, story, and platform to uplift others, advocate for mental health awareness, and inspire people everywhere to heal, grow, and thrive.

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:06

Welcome to the Forge by Design Podcast. This is your host, Daniel Bondigel. Thank you so much for all your support. You can always find us on Apple Podcasts through Spotify and, of course, our YouTube channel, Forge by Design. Tonight we have an amazing guest. A person that has inspired and impacted so many lives throughout the year that I cannot even start to count. A person that I have known with great testimony, a great journey, a great story, and we can spend hours talking about all the marvelous things that she has done. Without further ado, Danny Parks. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:48

I'm good. How are you, Daniel?

SPEAKER_05 0:49

I'm glad that we share a name, Danny and Danny. Maybe I need to change the podcast to Danny and Danny. Danny and Danny today. Well, maybe Danny and Danny today. It's an honor to have you here.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 1:01

To share with you, to see a glimpse of your journey throughout the social media platforms. And every time I tune in or something pops in my timeline, it's always you excelling, always you smiling through the pain or ministering or having your ministry robes and so many other things that uh, you know, though I'm unable to speak through the social media platforms, I always put a little emoji of happiness and all that, a thumbs up, because you have done great things. So thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Well, thank you for that. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_05 1:33

We have an amazing topic tonight. I was so ready for this because when it comes to uh mental wellness, especially for people that are teenagers struggling through maybe middle school, high school, young adulthood. That's something that we see throughout the uh news outlets, how many people unfortunately uh decide to end their lives because of mental stress, anxiety. And sometimes uh as a as a as a man, you always think about the unknowns. Right. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how did you throughout your journey started to work on mental health?

SPEAKER_00 2:14

So um a little bit about me. I am a military child as well as a military vet as well. And just throughout my journey, um middle school and high school, um, I found myself becoming depressed, um, dealing with anxiety, eventually led to suicidal um ideology as well as suicidal attempts. So this lasted from middle school up until about my young adult years, um, when I was finally, I finally reached out for help. Like I was just like, I don't, I don't want to be here no, not be physically here, but I don't want to be in this mental space anymore. I've been here for too long. So I reached out for help when I was deployed, and they promptly gave me the help that I needed. And from there, um just noticing like the soldiers who came back in the same condition, just reaching back to them and saying, hey, you know, you you are your biggest advocate. You may be stressed out, you may be burnt out, but you still have to fight through this. Like you can't just, you know, let someone take control of your career when you know that this is just a season you're going through. This is not a final stay for you. So just um that's really where my advocacy started. And then when I got out the military and started going to church, um, I realized that there's there's teenagers who are going through those things as well. I noticed that, you know, sometimes like um the Bible says like the spirit recognizes the spirit. So I I would recognize that spirit of depression in somebody. So just reaching out to them, ministering to them, and it just eventually became something that I've been doing since about I will say 2010.

SPEAKER_05 4:09

2010. When you were in the military, what was your MOS?

SPEAKER_00 4:12

So my MOS was patient admin, so that was a 91 golf.

SPEAKER_05 4:17

91 golf.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 4:18

I never heard of it. I believe you, I trust you because you know I'm always around uh like 74 Bravo guys, infantry, military communications, stuff like that. So when you mentioned the uh your MOS, I was like, I'm not I'm not too familiar with that. When you were in the military and going through that period of life, um what what uh you said that they provided counsel, but this would this was not always church counsel, this was more secular therapy, uh hopeful uh medication of some sort or some sort of exercises. Uh what at at that period of time, that window in your life, uh what did what was it that they recommended by default that that so by default they recommended I get out of the military.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

That was their very first saying. There was no um, what's it called? Um no recommendations for outpatient therapy, inpatient therapy, no medication. It was, hey, you you have these symptoms, this is what we recommend. And I believe it was more that was the recommendation because we were in um we were in a at war at war, okay, so unfit for duty, basically. And I was just like, whoa, what do you mean? I was like, I like being a soldier, I like being in the military. I was like, and because I've already had a background in psychology, I knew the steps to bringing somebody back to a normal state of like homeostasis within their mental health. So I said, I so I pretty much asked the doctor, I was like, can I do outpatient therapy for eight weeks? Um, is there some medication that I can go on to help me with depression? Um, and so he took that in consideration and he was like, you know what, we'll do that. We'll see. Okay. We'll do out outpatient therapy for eight weeks. Eight weeks and see how you progress from there. We'll do the medication as well and see how that helps you as well.

SPEAKER_05 6:23

To see better, those several sessions during those eight weeks, and they dic dictated whether you were fit or unfit for that. So uh you have a good foundation because one of the things that uh I love about people that uh want to help other people is that they don't speak out of uh hypotheses or theory, are things that they lived, are things that they experienced, and uh that mental space that you struggled with at the time, almost almost like a a cloud is inhibiting your your view, your your your decisions, the the stress levels and whatnot. And so you came out of the military with a specific goal in mind, the objective, or is that something that you were pondering and praying about? Uh, or is something that you said to yourself, this is what I would like to do when you saw those those teenagers again that were experiencing similar issues?

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Yeah, so when I started to work, um, well, not work, but volunteer with the um women's ministry at my church, I just noticed like the girls and how they would act, how it, how they would respond, like their mannerism, the things they would say. And I was just like, you know what, this this is familiar. Like I've been there, I know this behavior, I've lived this behavior. So just reaching out to them and you know, start mentoring one-on-one with girls, and then eventually it turned into a youth group, and then from there it just blossomed.

SPEAKER_05 7:55

What were their their ages range?

SPEAKER_00 7:57

So initially their ages were I was dealing just with teens, so like 13 through 16 years old. Um, but then just through research and experience, you know, depression, those symptoms start a lot younger. So then I lowered my age to, you know, nine year olds as well. Nine year olds.

SPEAKER_05 8:17

Yes. So you when you when you're talking to a a teenager, um, initially there's a lot of silence because to break that shell initially, um, I would assume you would have to first gain their trust. Yes. Uh speak to them, maybe not specifically immediately or charge them about speaking about mental health, but simply talking to them, look um observing their personalities, um, their hip family history, traumas, uh, especially people that you were saying that uh you were born in a military family. And I I've seen how a lot of uh children that are military families and they're one year here, two years there in in their childhood become a little bit more reserved and introverts. Maybe they have a lot of private pain. So when you're talking to a teenager initially, uh you would have to develop some sort of profile to to know what type of therapies uh to give this person.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Yes, absolutely. So like it it depends on the their their personality. So if they have like an outgoing personality, they're very talkative, then we can you know go back and forth and I can ask those deep questions right up front, especially if they've expressed anything like um anything about suicide, audiation, anything like that. I don't I don't beat around the bush, ask very direct questions. So, hey, you said you were thinking about suicide. Can you tell me more about that? Like just get straight to it because that's the most important is preserving life.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

Um, the kids who are more quiet and reserved, um, you just try to find common ground with them at first.

SPEAKER_05 9:57

Have you seen yourself in one of these teenagers?

SPEAKER_00 9:59

Yes, I've seen myself and all of them actually.

SPEAKER_05 10:02

Just in what way you would say?

SPEAKER_00 10:04

Um, sometimes how they express themselves, like how they express their anger, how they um uh what's the word I'm looking for? Some express and some suppress. So I've seen both and I've experienced both myself expressing my anger, and how when I was younger, it was a very relief, it was relieving to express my anger, and then just noticing like there's situations where you can't express your anger. Um, you have to suppress it, and I think that is where the that silent hurt comes in where and you start spiraling down when you start suppressing too much because you're trying to because of society pressure, you don't want to be a sticking out as a like a thumb, a sore thumb or anything like that.

SPEAKER_05 10:53

So these these teenagers um are not always willing to to open up and speak to you. What strategies would you use in order for to approach a teenager that uh you see, first of all, you see their mannerisms, their attitudes, and sometimes they they tend to isolate themselves from that social circle, whatnot. And next time around you say, Well, that's that's not the same person that I've I've seen accustomed to, and maybe falling into into depression, into anxiety, whatnot, maybe things they've shared with their friends. Um what what sort of strategies would would Danny use in order to I guess gather information uh for lack of better words, to to really say, okay, I've noticed XYC personalities, um, but I'm I need to know a little bit more instead of assuming, you know, how how would you find the culprit of that?

SPEAKER_00 11:49

So one thing I've noticed just about people in general, people love to talk about themselves. Okay. Regardless if they're introvert or extrovert, they love to talk about themselves. So I really so I find a common ground.

SPEAKER_04 12:03

Okay, I'm I'm gonna take that mental note because yeah, yeah. I'm gonna I'm just gonna let people speak and say, okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

Yeah, so something like easy. Like um, if I see a young boy, young girl who's an introvert, okay, um, more than likely I know their parents. So it even if I don't, I'll notice something. Oh, hey, those are cool shoes. Where'd you get those from? Oh, my mom bought them. Oh yeah, where'd she buy them from? And just start, start the conversation. Why are you sitting here by yourself? And then, oh, I just don't like talking to people. Oh, why is that? You know, and just start getting them to open up. So always start, I always start with a compliment.

SPEAKER_05 12:41

Um you know always start, always start with a compliment. I think I think you have to have a a gift for observation. Yeah, um, um, maybe it's not part of my trait. I'm I'm a very uh I would say extrovert person. Uh, you know, I've been in in leadership roles for the last 22 years, just in the on the professional side. So I'm forced to talk to a lot of people, and in in fact, I love to talk to people. Uh their backgrounds, personalities, whatnot. I'm not saying that I like all the people that I talk to. Right. I'm just saying that by nature I like to talk to people. Uh so I guess you would have to be um a a skill set that you would have to develop is to first be observant because you have to understand what you observe. You know, sometimes people misjudge, you know, I've I've I've been uh uh maybe uh guilty of misjudging people because XYZ and I find out that that's who they are. You know, they that's their personality, that's you know, they're more than so in in your observing process, what what are the things that you are looking at and and to try to to well I look at their mannerism.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Are they quiet? Are they reserved? Um some people are quiet because no one's talking to them.

SPEAKER_03 14:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

Um, some people are quiet because that's just like their mannerism. Um, so I look at that, I see I I recognize like their nonverbals, are they closed arm? Are they, you know, nervous and bouncing their legs? So those are all things that I notice before I approach them. And then um, once I do approach the teenager, um I always, you know, hey, come come over here and talk to me for a minute. I never talk to them, you know, in a if I really feel like there's something going on with them, I always pull them to the side, you know, how's everything going? Um, you know, um, within my group, we always start with, you know, grade your week. So that also helps me to gauge, okay, this is who I need to talk to after class. This is who I need to pull. And it's not just about, oh, if your grade was, you know, a D or C. If you had an A, I want to talk to you about what went right with in your week, you know. So always taking the good and the bad at the same time. So they're so they know that they can come to you, whether it's good or bad. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 15:10

You said you you you normally know their parents. Uh what if what in some occasions you don't know who their parents are, or maybe they they go to your um to your events and or church, and but they're you see absent parents. How much does that play a role on how you approach that teenager?

SPEAKER_00 15:31

So for the absent parents, I usually and I do have a few teens who are like that. Like they come to my class, but I've never met their parents before. So it's just um and they open up to me about their parents. So just getting a feel on okay, this is how your mom or your dad is parenting you, um, and then how it um translates or interacts with like their mental health.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

So that's how I kind of sort of get to know their parents just through what they're saying. And I know like everybody has their own opinion, personal opinions about their their situation. So I don't take it like, oh, my mom's horrible, and I don't take that with it like a salt of a grain of salt.

SPEAKER_05 16:13

So when uh when when dealing with these teenagers, one of the things that that I have observed, and I guess it it everybody, the uh the the evolvement or the surge of social media that plays a lot of uh uh a huge role on how teenagers view themselves, whether they have did you know be part of the clique or have a certain imagery about themselves, everything's a lot, a lot of filter going on. A lot of people uh portraying a fal false avatar of success, right, of money, of status, of notoriety, popularity, and so forth. And a teenager that's really genuine, that's really humble, and knows, you know what, I I look at social media and I really don't fit in. And we've seen throughout the news that there's a lot of uh cyberbullying, and many teenagers have unfortunately again ended their lives because they have not been able to withstand the pressure.

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Right.

SPEAKER_05 17:11

Have have you had cases where uh a teenager would come, uh male or female, would say, you know, I'm not like this social group, or whether it be in high school, middle school, and I'm I'm feeling lost because I have lost my identity. How would you uh work with someone like that?

SPEAKER_00 17:30

So with lost identity, I I think like with the teens when it comes to social media, it's it's social it's social pressure.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 17:39

Not really it's the teens deal with peer pressure and they deal with social pressure or society pressure. So society pressure comes from like parents, teachers, mentors, coaches. I need you to be like this, and then peer pressures, of course, um, comes from people their age. Oh, how come you're not dressing like this? Or how come you're not listening to this type of music or acting this way in class? And so when you're mixing those two together, you can lose your identity. So with those teens, you know, I just tell them, okay, you have to sit down and figure out what are the things that you like to do? Um, who are the people you would like to hang around with? Don't look at the popular kids because that may not be your group. And I let them know like everyone has someone. Okay. Everyone, there's someone out there for you. You know, if you are what what are kids into nowadays? Anime. Sure, yes. You may like anime and you may like, you know, looney tunes. There's somebody else who likes those two as well.

SPEAKER_05 18:51

Well, you into the extreme, but anime to loony tunes, you took us way back.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

It does. So you have to find your group, you have to find your own click. Don't try to force yourself into fitting in where you are uncomfortable. So that's the um advice I give them when it comes to like their identity, because as they're going through puberty, puberty usually starts around, I would say, eight, eight years old. So as they're going through those phases in life, um, they're going to those phases also include the people who they hang around with. So who you're hanging around with in middle school will not be the same people you hang out with in high school because you have grown, you have learned, you've experienced different things, and now you realize, hey, I don't fit in with, you know, the group I hung out with in middle school. And that's okay. I have to let them know it is okay to have different friends, it's okay to move into a different season in your life and have different interests and explore different interests as well. So just let them know you don't have to stay stagnant in this particular group of friends, or um if academic-wise, if you say, Hey, I I really like math, but I'm really starting to get into history, then explore that some more. So just encouraging them to find themselves because we we truly don't find ourselves until we're in our young adult years, anyway.

SPEAKER_05 20:20

So you know, uh um, you know, I always struggle in those transitions, going from the transition of middle school to high school. Because some of my friends or the group, the social circle that I always was always with, went to a different high school. And they went to this high school and that high school. So you go into as a freshman to a a new high school with maybe one or two friends that are probably uh in my case were smarter than me, were taking these uh I Ivy classes and whatnot. And so there's that that anxiety separation and trying to find out okay, how do I fit into this new and you'd always in my in my case I was always looking for people that were like-minded, you know. Uh you know, I was never in a gang, never doing drugs or smoking, you know, like-minded people uh that would like to study or hang around, maybe into sports. But I can see that um there may be really deep struggles with people are unable to handle that uh separation anxiety from from friends and maybe succumb into uh a valley of loneliness, and that if no one is is observing, no one is aware uh that they can go for maybe for years.

SPEAKER_00 21:32

Oh, yeah, definitely and do in doing that.

SPEAKER_05 21:35

Uh so one of the things, so let's let's let's take so as you're doing this autopsy of the individual, for lack of better words, we're dissecting first. We observe the individual, yes, and and develop some sort of benchmark. And then uh that what you what you said was a personality trait, what the personality is. So once we know that there's a personality, then there's a deviation from that personality, what this person becomes a Little bit more reserved, a little bit more uh uh what I mean reserved, more silent, uh, maybe a little bit more separated. And that's what that's when you intervene and and talk to them and try to find out what are these underlying issues that may be bothering this person. One of the things that I have seen in the church circles is the fact that you know, when when do we when do we intervene? Uh when I was growing up, it was all about pray, pray, pray. It was seek God, or you got an issue because you don't fast, you have an issue because this and that. And when, you know, I I'm a high believer in and and not everything is is is me going to my prayer closet. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone.

SPEAKER_00 22:45

Right. Yeah, absolutely. Um talk to somebody and then also get out there and do the work yourself. Um, you know, you can pray about it, but after you pray, then what? We have to do the work. Sure. So um interview when it comes to intervention, um, one, just knowing people, like I said, always observing people. I may not talk to you, but I like to people watch. I don't know about anybody else, but I I love people watching. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 23:14

So I'm that's strange, but yes. We'll take it for this podcast.

SPEAKER_00 23:19

So, you know, I'm just you know, just I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_05 23:21

I can just see Danny somewhere, just people watching with her cup of coffee. Right. It's like, oh my god, there's she is. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 23:29

And why are you doing that? It's so interesting. So just like I might just join. Right. Just people watching, like when, like if I'm in church, I'm watching people. Sure. Um and then with discernment. Yes, with discernment, watching them, recognizing, oh, this person, this person's a hugger. Um, this person's always happy. And so they come into church and they're not hugging anybody or they're not talking. Oh, something must be going on. Let me not just walk up to them and be like, hey, what's going on? But you know, interact with them, see what's if there's anything going on, or let me um see if I can get you to smile because you're a smiler, you're always smiling. So always so we people watch, not to be weird, but to use discernment on how to approach them, right? And then also how to minister to them, because uh, of course, you know, we minister differently to everybody. I I may pray for you, one person, but I may be prophesying to another person, just however the Holy Spirit leads me and using that discernment to do so. So always um watching people, um, measuring them, seeing like, okay, that this the this change in their attitudes. Um, for instance, I had a young boy, he's always quiet, you know. That's just his mannerisms.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

That's his personality.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

I noticed one day he came into class and he was very um distracted. Um, he wasn't paying attention, he was jumping his leg, you know, nervous. And so um I I I pulled him after class, I pulled him in and said, Hey, what's going on? Oh, nothing. But he was fidgeting, he was moving around like, no, there's something going on because this isn't you.

SPEAKER_01 25:21

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 25:22

And he was like, Well, and then he opened up and told me what was going on with him and how he was dish um frustrated and he was angry, and I was like, Okay, because usually you just sit there quiet.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

And you know, you answer the questions, you interact, but only for interacting with you. So just noticing people. Um, and I think that's one thing that society has got away from is just noticing people. Um when you ask somebody, I always tell when you ask somebody, when you're greeting somebody and you say, Hey, how are you doing? It's not that's not a passing phrase that's let me stop and see how you're doing. I asked the question.

SPEAKER_05 26:03

So I think we do it so we do it so much. It's just it doesn't have that weight of really, hey, hey, how you doing? But are we really interested in how we do it? Absolutely. And when they start ask asking, because I've I've again I've been guilty on that. I've asked somebody, how are you doing? And but I have an agenda. You know, I gotta keep on moving, I gotta go to work, and sometimes I I do feel I do feel that guilt sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 26:27

But continue is how when you ask that question and you actually stop and wait for them to answer, it takes them off guard as well, because you're you're letting them know, hey, I see you, I want to hear you. So how are you doing? They say, I'm doing fine. Okay, good. Well, it was nice talking to you. They know, like, oh my goodness, somebody actually saw me, somebody heard me.

SPEAKER_05 26:54

Understood me.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

Yeah, so that's so important.

SPEAKER_05 26:57

You know, because some some people they listen to respond. I've heard this so many times, and and that's so true. Uh, when I have I was a um back in the day, I was a youth pastor. Uh but I I I had supervised 12 youth societies in different states.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 27:14

And uh always a little mature for my age. I think that's why they always chose me to to to lead in in that regard. But there's so much pressure in in the world, and so many, like I said, so many people uh battling with uh loneliness, identity, and so forth. Uh once you have uh developed already a personality trait, what you have a ministry that you work with these young teenagers, and and what what strategies or habits do you uh promote, instill coach, train on so that they can remain above that uh that level of of wellness and not going back into their old mental habits?

SPEAKER_00 28:00

Yeah, so uh talk to us about that ministry.

SPEAKER_05 28:03

I'm I'm so excited to talk about that.

SPEAKER_00 28:04

Yeah, so it's mental health saturdays for teens and mental health saturdays for teens, okay?

SPEAKER_05 28:10

Yes, and they meet how often?

SPEAKER_00 28:12

So we meet once a month.

SPEAKER_05 28:13

Once a month, in person in person.

SPEAKER_00 28:15

Uh right now it's at Chosen Church.

SPEAKER_05 28:18

Chosen Church in Grove Town. Chosen Church in Grove Town every third Saturday of the month. Yeah, you meet in person. No, no teams meeting, no remote watching, no video. We want to see you, we want to see you in person.

SPEAKER_00 28:32

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 28:33

So tell tell me about that atmosphere when people just initially go in. I'm a new person. Just take me as a a new person. I show up to this amazing event.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 28:42

What and what am I uh going in into?

SPEAKER_00 28:45

So um, one, we do um we do meditation breathing.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

Um, the kids know, like when we first started, it was a joke because it's like, okay, everybody sit up. We're about to breathe.

SPEAKER_05 28:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:59

Um, so they always get some laps.

SPEAKER_05 29:01

You don't get all con foo there and start doing Tai Chi and No, none of that. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:06

So we breathe.

SPEAKER_05 29:07

I'm just trying to mention, you know, have a mental image right now.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

Yeah, so we do um we do meditation breathing, we do box breathing that helps with anxiety, any type of anxiety they're having, really. So, um, and kids don't know they automatically do this anyways. They just don't know what it's called. So once you put a name to it, now they can say, Okay, whenever I'm taking a test, I always try to they breathe in slowly, hold their breath and breathe out. That's meditation breathing, that's fox breathing.

SPEAKER_05 29:40

Do you see people resistant to that? Because these teenagers, they're always on a go, go, go, and you're having to, hey, before we embark on anything else, we need for you to stand still. Stand still and we have to do something.

SPEAKER_00 29:52

And we're gonna breathe. Initially, like in the for my kids who always come, they get right into it.

SPEAKER_01 29:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

The new ones, they realize after about a minute, hey, this is starting to really calm me down. Like, I feel more peaceful. And those are the this is what they express to me once I have finished doing the breathing with them. So, how do you feel? Oh, I feel more relaxed, I feel more peaceful, I feel more, you know, clarity in my mind. So we do the breathing, and then I ask them um to grade their week from A to D. And I tell them anything a C or below, come talk to me after class.

SPEAKER_05 30:35

So if I if I'm grading my week, I am grading it based on how happy I was, how engaged.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

How you're grading it on your mental wellness, you're grading on um how you were interacting with people throughout the week, how was how was those interactions, any type of stress you experienced, so uh accumulation of all of it. What was your grade this week? Some kids say, Oh, I have I had an A. Everything went well for me this week. Okay. Some some are completely honest, oh, I had a D. Some even say I had an F. Okay. You know, and so I was like, okay, well, after class, you come talk to me. And it's not about um, it's not a suggestion because I'm gonna find you after class.

SPEAKER_04 31:20

Okay, yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

How how big is your group? Because that's a that's usually um it's about 32 kids.

SPEAKER_05 31:25

32 kids. So you're observing 32 kids.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

And I do have help helpers who volunteer age groups, uh from middle school to high school. So for this particular group, it's just six through twelfth grade. Sixth to twelfth grade, okay.

SPEAKER_05 31:41

So 32 people, sixth to 12th grade. So once they once they have a successful sit-down on on the meditation, breathing, and then what activity uh you degrade their week, and then yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:55

So a few of the lessons that are staples within my group is we talk about um suicide awareness.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 32:03

Um, what does it mean? How can you recognize signs in other people? How can you recognize these signs within yourself? Um, what the resources are. We do um mental health resilience as well.

SPEAKER_05 32:17

Have you had cases within you you've been doing this for 12 years, right? Well, this particular group, four years. Four years. Yes. In in this in the span uh of your history and your journey. Have you had cases where almost led to something so tragic?

SPEAKER_00 32:34

So I've had parents um give testimonies to me saying, Oh, my child was feeling suicidal, but they told me they learned this in your class. So instead of that is amazing, going left, they went right with the advice that you gave them.

SPEAKER_05 32:50

And the fact that they were able to recall and remember those lessons learned and maybe to speak out. Yeah, that uh wow, that's that's very instrumental.

SPEAKER_00 32:59

And I and I just be surprised, like the kids, they really need this. They they need the outlet. It's for for our class, it's not we're not giving a whole bunch of scripture. We're having real talk with them. If it leads to a scripture, it leads to a scripture. But I just want to have a good talk with you for these next 40 minutes.

SPEAKER_05 33:21

That is so great because sometimes the experience that I've had is that it may be so wrong, but sometimes when people need help, they don't need they don't need a a sermon, right? I come here and every time you bombard me with things that I don't understand, with scripture that I don't understand. I'm here because I need to speak to someone. So within that curriculum, within that your agenda, you speak uh um on strategies that really get to the point. That get straight to the point. Who to talk to, pamphlets, information. Um how how did you come up with how to assemble all this information?

SPEAKER_00 34:02

Well, um, just to go back to your point, like m one of my strategies is like I'm Christian, so I'm not gonna beat you over the head with the Bible, like he says, not everything doesn't need to be a sermon. I'm more one of the people who are in a mindset of I'm going to show you Jesus versus give you a ton of scripture. So that's really where the lessons are. Like, how can I show them Jesus through this lesson? And then I go from there. So um I I pick, I I do surveys with the kids to see what what's going on with them. What are some topics you would like to discuss in class? Um, one topic was which was very surprising was um physical, it was um self-image.

SPEAKER_03 34:53

Self-image, okay.

SPEAKER_00 34:54

Surprisingly, most of the boys were interested in this this topic than the girls were. And it it took me off. It didn't it it surprised me because I thought the girls would be more interacting, but it was mostly the boys. So yeah, so just um, you know, taking what they want to talk about and talk about it more in depth. So it's not some things is like we are gonna talk about, we're definitely gonna talk about suicide. We're gonna talk about suicide prevention. Um, that is a staple because a lot of kids um they either suicidal or they thought about being or they thought about suicide or they know someone who is suicidal. Correct.

SPEAKER_05 35:38

Maybe you've lost someone maybe along the way and all that. Well, that that's amazing. With with imagery, you know, I again I go back to social media and I've got to be a millionaire. If I'm not a millionaire, if I have I if I don't have notoriety, popularity, if I don't have ABC, it's always about materialism, it's always about fashion and clothing and whatnot, and how you can lose your identity because a lot of these kids may say, I don't meet the bar, right? I I I don't come from those from uh maybe a high class, whatnot, and and uh just trying to get to that, it can be stressful and say, you know, I I pray that no one throws a towel. Uh and when they come to to to you um your sessions for for help for counsel that it's a 360-degree turnaround and they see the the for lack of better terms, the light, the hope at the end of the tunnel. It that's that's amazing. So once you infuse them with all the suicidal prevention, the the materials, uh you make sure they understand that they can talk to somebody, they can call somebody. Uh do they call chosen? Do they call you? Where where do they get the the how can they call uh somebody?

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Yeah, yeah. So um I always give them 988. So with 988, that's the mental health hotline here in the United States.

SPEAKER_05 36:57

988.

SPEAKER_00 36:57

988.

SPEAKER_05 36:58

Okay. Yes. 24-7, right?

SPEAKER_00 37:00

It's 24-7. They have crisis counselors on standby. Um, they can text this number and have a conversation through text message, or they can call and have a conversation over the phone with one of the crisis counselors. What I love about this particular line is that if you're going through something, I can call for you.

SPEAKER_03 37:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:24

And um, that's what I always tell like our kids like if you if there is if you don't have a trusted adult you can go to and talk to about your issues or a friend who's having issues, then you can always call 988 for them or text them um for a friend as well.

SPEAKER_05 37:40

So so your ministry also connects them with professional help. Yeah. Does do they have local chapters here in the in the CSRA or abroad?

SPEAKER_00 37:49

So I wouldn't say locally, but statewise, there is a a hotline that we can call, but it all routes, it can route through 988 as well. Because no one's gonna remember a 1-800 number, but they will remember 988.

SPEAKER_05 38:02

So it but it is there a physical place they uh for let's say there's someone that's really on a suicidal watch and has all the the symptoms, have spoken about it, has has chronic depression, and you as a professional need to intervene, and you know that you just can't let this person uh go through life as usual. Right. He needs some some critical intervention.

SPEAKER_00 38:27

Is there like a a place, a clinic, uh chapter that um with 988, depending on the severity of the situation, they can send a mobile crisis team out to you. Oh, that's great, which is amazing because sometimes people, if they're having a mental health crisis, regardless of what it is um schizophrenia or um depression or suicide, sometimes um the presence of a police officer is intimidating.

SPEAKER_02 39:03

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 39:04

But if you have a counselor coming to your door, that's better. So instead of, I wouldn't say don't call 911, but try 988 first because they can send a mobile crisis team out to you before they send a police officer out to you. So if if I'm going through any type of mental crisis, the first person I don't want to see is somebody walking up to my house with a gun. Yeah. Um, so that's where the mobile crisis is. It can be intimidating, yes. Yeah, it is intimidating and it can be quite scary too. And then also there are local facilities within every city. So you may have um, like here we have Serenity Behavioral Health. Um, that's an inpatient facility. You also have um, of course, the ER where you can go and be treated and possibly um admitted um to their their mental, I wouldn't say their their mental health ward. Sure. So there's there's places for everybody.

SPEAKER_05 40:03

You guys are the bridge to someone's uh recuperation, the bridge to someone's else's life. So other than suicide prevention, how do you continue to form these individuals?

SPEAKER_00 40:15

So outside of um suicid prevention, we talk about self-image, we talk about self-confidence, we we talk about Do you put them on the front to uh to go ahead and speak, you know, like public speaking to break the shelf?

SPEAKER_05 40:28

Not public speaking. Within the group, right? Within the group is uh I don't want to use uh you know alcoholics, uh alcoholics anonymous around the table, but saying, you know, hey, uh I'm I'm not feeling uh I have a D this week. I need some this is what happened to me in all confidence.

SPEAKER_00 40:45

So we do um we act out things. So act out, okay. Yeah, so I'll have them do exercises where they'll come up to the front and act out a scenario, maybe how to help a friend, um, how to give advice to a friend, how to do active listening. Um, and then also we have um I don't know if this is just a military term, but we have round round robins where there's different stations stations that they go to with their groups and they have group activities as well.

SPEAKER_05 41:17

So do hopefully uh you know I guess the the the end goal would would be that this person overcomes that mental health or those suicidal thoughts or now feels has found their identity, has found their voice, their uniqueness, and they can no longer uh have to attend, I guess. That's that will be the triumph when when they don't have to no longer attend the the sessions because you've empowered them to become productive citizens, uh productive people within society.

SPEAKER_00 41:51

Oh no, I want them to always attend it's it's about it's about making if I'm a 40-year-old person and I'm gonna go to chosen.

SPEAKER_05 41:59

I'm looking for Danny. And because she's you know, it's like uh you you've uh you probably need some other coaching, yeah. Coaching. So this is this is okay, no longer you know one-on-one. You need some other other intervention.

SPEAKER_00 42:13

Yeah, you can't come into the the youth group, but we can do one-on-one coaching.

SPEAKER_05 42:18

You're being a little biased, but that's that's okay. Well, you do uh events throughout the CSRA, so uh outside of the the chosen location, do you go throughout the CSRA? Uh whether it be uh promoting, advocating, how how does Danny uh work around the CSRA in abroad um uh promoting this this uh particular ministry and chapter?

SPEAKER_00 42:42

So um I do advocate, do a lot of mental health advoc advocating um at colleges.

SPEAKER_05 42:48

At college which colleges?

SPEAKER_00 42:50

Um so the last college I went to was Wittenberg and oh god, not Chicago.

SPEAKER_05 42:57

Um and if if you haven't uh uh Wittenberg University, yeah, you you have to go to her uh webpage because I found out that she has uh a great uh Linktree. Is it Tree Link? A Linktree? I'm not sure it's a Link Tree. All right, my my my producer didn't yell it out to me. He's always corrected me, but that's okay. I'll forgive him for that one. So it's a Linktree. Thank you, thank you, Kevin. Uh so it's a link tree, and with that, they go to your Instagram, to your professional webpage, and if you guys don't know, she has a very impressive uh uh LinkedIn account, so very, very, very professional, very I uh GQ in that photo. I'm just like, all right, uh outstanding. So uh they go through all these um uh link tree connections, and that's how you promote your your chapter.

SPEAKER_00 43:50

Yes, that's how they can get in contact with me if they want me to come and speak about um just different topics about mental health. Um, when I went to uh Wittenberg. They also wanted me to do a sermonette in their chapel. So they knew I was a minister. So I did that as well. But mostly my advocate is about around mental health. So if they want me to talk about depression, suicide, even um, I do have experience with bipolar disorder as well. So um just any type of topic surrounding mental health.

SPEAKER_05 44:27

Do you see that there's uh an increase in mental health needs uh and there's a disparity in mental health awareness? Or whereas throughout the years, uh because the society turmoils, uh the the the volatility of emotions and and all this, that uh there's you see that there's more and more and more need for mental uh mental health intervention.

SPEAKER_00 44:56

Yes, absolutely. There's definitely a need for mental health intervention with this with where we're at nowadays, everything's about self-care. Um everybody's on their self-care tip, and oh, I'm doing this for self-care, I'm doing this for self-care. But um really teaching people what self-care is. Self-care isn't always, you know, going to the spa and getting a massage. Self-care can be um decompressing from the day, turning your phone off, um, not getting on social media, not turning your TV on, just really owning what happened during the day, how did it make you feel? Why did it make you feel the way it made you feel? And what can you learn about that? What were the triggers that regardless if you oh, this made me happy? Well, why did this make me happy? This made me frustrated. Why?

SPEAKER_05 45:46

And do you advise on people um advise on that note? Do you would advise people to keep maybe a personal journal? Because I try that, I tried that once, right? And uh I'm not sure if I went to to Staples or somewhere, but I found myself, I'm gonna tell it on myself now. I found myself this thick notebook with I don't know, maybe 300 pages, and I'm like, okay, I got some issues going on. Uh the best thing that I've that I've heard to do with with regarding self-care is to to jot uh have a like a daily journal, weekly journal, and and and and that just so when you put it on paper, you can develop strategies around this the what, when, where, how, with whom, why did I let this offend me? And and and because if it was not about the offense, it was about how I reacted it, right, or took ownership of those words and let it do me so much harm uh regarding uh whatever that event may have been.

SPEAKER_02 46:44

Right.

SPEAKER_05 46:44

But you know, as as uh as I grew older as a man, right, as a as a as a man, as a professional, right? Right, I found it kind of, you know, you know, it's okay, you know.

SPEAKER_00 46:55

Sitting down, let me journal.

SPEAKER_05 46:57

Let me journal, let me get with my feelings, right? Put a chick flick in a cup of coffee or some tea. You know, it just did not uh go with go with what uh who I am. I guess it worked for a little bit, and then you know what, Danny? I was so scared that I would lose that journal. Right, and somebody and somebody find it and and a friend, family member, whatnot, and then I had some a lot of explaining to do, you know. Right. So yeah, so I I started to do that, and um it it and it helped, and and I guess uh you know I write I write books, so I I went in more into the the writing uh of these of these books. So you would see more uh when you talk about self-care. First of all, it's a very important topic. Yeah, I don't I don't see it uh portrayed or uh promoted that way from the platforms that we minister, right? We always go on the biblical route and whatnot, and to to tell somebody you need self-care, what does that mean? Like you have we like you have enumerated that turn the cell phone off, uh whether it be a spa, a retreat, a walk in the park, uh somewhere where you can actually uh meditate on on relationships, uh, on letting go, on disassociating yourselves, because sometimes we need a whole new circle, right? Of friends and and whatnot. Oh, how what else can you elaborate on this uh self-care? How does Danny let me put you on the spot? Oh lord, what is your self-care technique? So my self-care you know, superficially, you know, just just of you know right.

SPEAKER_00 48:36

So my self-care, and I like that you mentioned journals because some people they get journals and has 300 pages, they're just completely blank.

SPEAKER_05 48:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:44

Um I made it to like 25 pages.

SPEAKER_05 48:47

I made it, I made it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:49

Yeah, but um, it can be intimidating because it's like, okay, I got this blank paper. What am I supposed to do? But now there's guided journals.

SPEAKER_01 48:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:59

So um I suggest to anyone, if you don't know what to write, get a guided journal.

SPEAKER_05 49:05

Has pre like uh pre-questions, like prompts and everything in there for you.

SPEAKER_00 49:10

So get a guided journal that works. I've been using a guided journal for about two years now. And I sometimes I'll actually answer the prompt, or sometimes I'll just like write because I'm feeling like writing. But how I decompress, um I actually didn't have a TV in my house for years.

SPEAKER_02 49:31

Really?

SPEAKER_00 49:32

Yeah. So we would watch TV from the computer, it's easier to put away. I always feel like when you have um a TV in the house, you're inviting the world into your house. Yes. So I don't I don't have a TV in my room at all because that's that's supposed to be my sanctuary for me to think, for me to um reminisce on what happened throughout the day and to really listen to myself and learn the lessons I'm supposed to learn, like acknowledge the lessons that I'm supposed to learn and remember them. Because sometimes we don't always have to journal. As long as you're self-aware, okay, this is this made me upset. Why did it make me upset? And then the next day you can remember, okay, this triggered me yesterday. So today I'm going to be more proactive in how I react. Sure.

SPEAKER_05 50:25

So you have to be more aware of self-aware, yes.

SPEAKER_00 50:29

And that's what I do. Like, I'm always questioning myself. Okay, Danielle, is this making you upset? Is this um is this triggering your anxiety? Like, I'm always talking to myself.

SPEAKER_05 50:40

Sure, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:41

Talking to myself in my head.

SPEAKER_05 50:43

Two things that you learn, two things that you learn that she's very observant, very observant with people. She's people watching while she's talking to herself. So if you have a camera or a lens on her, you pull out your iPhone or your Android and put it at Danny.

SPEAKER_00 51:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 51:00

Like, what is going on today?

SPEAKER_00 51:03

Always talking to myself, always self-aware. Um, and that's how, well, actually, so I did deal deal with depression for a while, but I only dealt with depression because I was misdiagnosed for almost 15 years. I was misdiagnosed, and the real diagnosis was bipolar disorder.

SPEAKER_01 51:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 51:26

So as I was going through the depression stage, I realized like, hey, I'm keep I keep going in circles with my emotions, with my behaviors. Something isn't right. What is going on? And it got to the point where um I was in my late 30s and I had started to have um thoughts of suicide, which hasn't happened in almost a decade. So I'm like, okay, what's going on? So I finally went to the doctor. She and I believe everything is always ordained by God. So this doctor was supposed to be there that day. She was supposed to read my records that day, and she um read my record. There was a tiny little blurb from 2007. I found out I had bipolar disorder in 2022. Oh, wow. So she found that tiny little blurb from 2007 that said bipolar disorder. And that's when she told me, hey, the reason you feel like you're going in circles is because you have bipolar disorder. And I'm like, No, and I broke down crying. I'm like, okay, this makes sense now. Um, and how I survived through those years was being very self-aware, was always questioning myself, okay, Danny, how does this situation, how does this environment make you feel? Oh, it makes you feel anxious, it makes you feel like you need to maybe remove yourself from this situation. So that's what I would do. Um, what I was even public speaking during that time. So, okay, Danny, um, you know, when you're public speaking, you have about a good 30 minutes after to interact before you start feeling anxious. Before, okay, Danny, you're feeling um, you're feeling angry because with bipolar disorder, there's a lot of anger and frustration. Okay, you're feeling this way, so what should you do? Should you interact with people when you're feeling like this? And the answer would be no, I should go do this instead. So always talking to myself.

SPEAKER_01 53:34

Correct. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 53:35

When she put me on a medication, everything got better. Like I didn't have to question myself as much because I wasn't dealing with those feelings and those emotions as much anymore. So self-awareness, um, the decompress, self-care, the decompression, it all helped me throughout those years to really truly like this works. Like, yes, the meditation, the praying, seeking help when you need help. Correct. Um, being well, being bold enough to ask for help, whether it's from a trusted friend or you're going to the hospital to do it. Um, you have to put your pride aside and just just go for it. Because um when I start telling my story, there's a lot of people, especially women, who come up to me, oh, I have those same symptoms. Um, should I go? I was like, Yeah, go see somebody.

SPEAKER_05 54:28

Do you speak on that on your book?

SPEAKER_00 54:31

Um, not in my book, but um I do speak about it when it comes up.

SPEAKER_05 54:36

So it's a it's a powerful influence on the the subject matter that you talk because you feel that you've you've now overcame this despite the the the potentially the ups and downs. You have a better control, yeah and now you want to empower other other young teenagers, other women, saying, you know, I'm a living testimony that if if I'm I've I've I've overcome, you can overcome as well.

SPEAKER_00 55:02

Absolutely. Just teach them like, hey, this works, like all of it works, but you have to work it. You can't like if you do have any type of mental um illness, I always say, like, take whatever the doctor tells you to do, do it. If they put you on medication, take the medication. If it's not working, let the doctor know, hey, this is not working because that may not be the right medication for you. So let's try something else. Let's try either a different brand or upping your dosage. And then also you have to do the work, you have to go to your therapy, you have to be open and honest with your therapist about what's going on. You have to um exercise that self-awareness. Um, because I don't believe like blaming your behavior on a diagnosis when we can be self-aware and be more proactive to circumvent certain behaviors and reactions that we have.

SPEAKER_05 56:02

So do you see yourself um um as you know, you do you see yourself this is your long uh life's journey uh regarding the the ministry, empowering wanting to be a full-time therapist, maybe, or counselor on on this specific uh subject matter?

SPEAKER_00 56:21

Yeah, I would definitely like to um talk more to um mostly like women about the the women who do have bipolar disorder, because it can be very intimidating. I and I think it's more of a like a cultural thing, um regardless if you are black, white, Hispanic, sure, um there's always some reservation about going to see a psychiatrist or a psychologist because now if I get a diagnosis, then I am officially like crazy. But we have to get out of that type of stigma.

SPEAKER_05 57:02

Wow, that's that's amazing. I never thought about it that way.

SPEAKER_00 57:05

Yeah, so a lot of us, that's why like um a lot of us here in America and overseas, we deal with a ton of mental health issues um that go undiagnosed every single year because we're afraid to go to the doctor and get and get that help that we need.

SPEAKER_05 57:24

I'm a I'm a big advocate on on that, on that uh seeking guidance, seeking help, seeking a diagnosis, getting yourself checked overall. You know, and that's probably in some religious circles or denominations, maybe a taboo because they they they either you are spiritual or you're not, right? Right. And then uh, and of course the lukewarm lukewarm, you know, yeah. So um, but I always counsel that sometimes not not everything is is in spiritual man man manner that you do have to seek uh, you know, if you break an arm, you know, you're not gonna go to the altar, you're gonna go to the hospital, right? The same thing when you see things that are not in your normal personality, uh your conduct, whatnot, to to get that professional help and and so forth. So this will be your lifetime journey uh to empower people. And you say that for the last four years, chosen has that ministry in chosen has been active. How do you how do you end uh the that that night once once everything's wrapped up, you do all these exercises, you give them all the information. How does the night end uh during that uh activity that Saturday?

SPEAKER_00 58:33

So for a Saturday, we always end, of course, kids. If you bring food, the kids will come.

SPEAKER_05 58:40

Bring food. I think that's uh that's my producer.

SPEAKER_00 58:43

They will come.

SPEAKER_05 58:44

Yeah, if you bring if you if I bring food, he will come.

SPEAKER_00 58:48

Yeah, so we always end with some type of snack or even a meal. Okay, and then they end their entire night because chosen does have um their service right after. Okay. So they go into service and they get the word and then they go home.

SPEAKER_05 59:05

But you steer this and you you prepare the agenda for the year, and every every time, every certain season is a little bit different, yes to bring different flavor, uh, different uh techniques and whatnot. Yeah. That's that's I I am so in awe that you have empowered so many lives. And I I do believe that you know, once they reach their adulthood, they can always look back and remember Danny and all her encouragement and so forth. I have a question that I like to always ask is if a teenager listening today feels hopeless, overwhelmed, or alone, what message would you want them to hear and truly believe about themselves and about their future?

SPEAKER_00 59:44

Um, I would want them to know that they're not alone. Everyone is going through something, and what they're going through is just something they're going through. Sure.

SPEAKER_05 59:59

It's a season.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:00

It's not, it's a season that they're going through. And once they overcome whatever obstacle that they're dealing with, they can always reach back and help somebody else with. Um, the Bible tells us that um God wants to prosper us and not harm us. So what you're going through right now isn't something that you'll you won't be there for long. It's not to harm you, it's to build you up, it's to give you a testimony, is so you can always turn back around and help somebody else. So um I know sometimes people go through things that they feel like this isn't fair, why is this happening to me? But you have to know that God will never put anything on you that you can't bear.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:45

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:46

And they have to truly believe that like what I'm going through right now, I am strong enough to go through it, and I am strong enough to overcome it. So that's what I want them to know that you are strong enough to go through what you're going through, and your testimony is going to be impactful to somebody else.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:04

That's great. You know, uh Danny is a life coach. Uh, she is uh not only a an amazing public speaker, as you see, she's an amazing public speaker, she's also uh an author. And if you don't have her book, uh you can go through her link tree and find that book. I know I have it, and of course, uh a great resource for anybody, not only a CSRA, but also abroad that to talk about mental awareness, suicidal prevention, and so many other topics that have to do with the mind, with the soul, and she has a passion to for intervention on time. That's what she uh works with teenagers at a very early age, so she said nine, nine years old, all the way to sixth grade, sixth grade, all the way to high school and and and beyond. Believe me, she says these ages, but you know, if you give her a call, I'm pretty sure she will uh she will respond to that call. So again, LinkedIn, so many other platforms that we can spend all night speaking about all the the benefits that are with mental wellness. And this platform has allowed these listeners and these viewers to really hone in on the the type of resources that not only you bring through chosen uh through that program and how you custom custom made and uh that program for not only individuals but as a group, but also the the resource that you are in order to steer that uh that platform, those resources, that information. So I just want to thank you so much for this podcast. It's amazing. Uh I we've we've got so much information out of it, and I'm pretty sure people will be uh going into to see what resources are available for uh a mother that has a teenager that's going through this right now, whether it be male or female, and has tuned in to by divine connection, put it that way, to get this information. So thank you so much for listening to this amazing podcast, Forge by Design. You can find out about more information through our podcast channel on YouTube, Forge by Design, Apple Podcasts, Spotify. You can listen to this uh amazing interview, and of course, you can look at the video through our YouTube channel. As always, thank you so much, and I will see you on the next episode.