Today is World Mental Health Day, an annual awareness and education initiative spearheaded by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH). This year’s campaign highlights the importance of increased mental health awareness, services, and care for young people in a changing world.

It's easy to feel like you’re in disarray when your space feels cluttered. Do a quick tidy-up. Throw all clothes in a hamper, wash the dishes in the sink, and make sure everything is in its place! Even if you just take the time to straighten the piles of paper mounting on your desk, it's a start, and will make you feel so much more at peace. 

Set a timer. 

When you set timers, you have dedicated a certain amount of time to solely focus on the task at hand. It's amazing how much you can get done in 20 minutes!

Make your space cozy. 

The calendar tells us it is summer, over halfway through the year, and months past the post-holidays and New Year’s intentions that were going to change your life.

I invite you to pause and recognize that YOU are enough, at this very moment. 

No pressure to do more, or make radical, unrealistic changes.

What do you really love?

This summer, notice how nature embraces the changing of seasons. 

How do you embrace the coming seasons?

If you ask my friends in NYC to describe me, you’ll be painted a picture of a boss lady taking on the city as a full-time professor, writer, and consultant, in addition to being a fitness influencer. They’ll also tell you I’m a people person, excitable, and will always make time to help you move apartments and celebrate your birthday.   

The acknowledgement of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnic background and cross-cultural differences is necessary and vital to building the therapeutic relationship. All of these things contribute towards one’s identity and, in my experiences as a clinician, are always present in the room with clients.

At the NEDA Annual Gala on May 16th, 2018 at the Pierre Hotel in New York City, Becca McCharen Tran of CHROMAT accepted the NEDA Inspires Seal of Approval Award. Her remarks that evening were powerful and we'd like to share them with you here...

Thank you so much Emme for your kind words. I’m so honored to be here with the other honorees Bruce and Mike.

Something monumental happened on April 5th, 2017: for the first time in my life, I spoke openly with my mom about my eating disorder. I had returned home after advocating on Capitol Hill for eating disorder parity and called my mom to recap the day.