Ask Susan- Can you explain what you mean by mental wellness?

The mental health field has done a lot of work to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. However, a sense of shame, denial and secrecy continues to impact people. Mental wellness shifts our focus toward preventing and reducing symptoms of mental illness. It uses a positive and empowering approach in considering how we can feel, think, connect, and function better. It emphasizes our capacity to build resilience; to reduce suffering; to find inner peace and joy; and to seek meaning, purpose, and connection. In the words of Maya Angelou, “And still, I rise.”