For many people, asking for help can feel like the hardest step. Speakers at a recent mental health forum hosted by Nassau County Legislator Viviana Russell said changing that mindset — particularly in minority communities — begins with honest conversations about faith, trauma and emotional wellness.
Held in recognition of Minority Mental Health Month, the discussion featured Daniel Lloyd, chief executive of Minority Millennials; Phyllis Carter, a licensed marriage and family therapist; Glenda Momrelle-Clarke, founder of Soul Discovery Mental Health Counseling; and Karl Telemaque of SouthEnd Psychiatry. Together, they discussed breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, the importance of seeking help and the role of faith and community support.
“The reality is, if I’m in a hole and I need to get out and somebody is walking by and I scream for help as loud as I can that is an example of strength,” Momrelle-Clarke said at the Van Ness Firestation July. 27. “But that’s not the message that has been taught to many folks. It’s been, keep it quiet and stay out of trouble – what happens in the house, stays in the house.”
Panelists said one of the biggest barriers to seeking care is the longstanding belief that discussing personal struggles is a sign of weakness. Instead, they encouraged attendees to view vulnerability as a strength and to share their experiences with trusted friends, family members or mental health professionals.
Lloyd echoed that message, saying many people feel pressured to appear successful while privately struggling with anxiety, depression or burnout. Social media and cultural expectations, he added, often make those pressures even more difficult to navigate.
The discussion also focused on trauma, including the lasting effects of grief, family experiences and societal pressures. Speakers urged attendees not to ignore emotional pain, warning that unresolved trauma can continue to affect people’s lives for years if left unaddressed.
Russell, who moderated the discussion, returned to one topic that caught her attention: the relationship between faith and mental health. She asked the panel whether faith and therapy can coexist in minority communities.
Carter said many people, particularly in Black communities, have traditionally turned first to pastors or other faith leaders during difficult times. While those relationships remain important, she said, faith and professional counseling should work together rather than exist separately.
“Faith and counseling complement each other,” Carter said. “When you go to church, you go to church for one thing to meet God and get your faith increased.
“I’m here for counseling, I’m here to find God,” she said as an example for an individual looking for help and answers while finding out new about themselves. “I’m going through something this season.”
Russell shared an intimate story about her own marriage, intriguing the audience.
“My husband and I still date each other and every Thursday we were going on a ‘date’,” she said. “And the kids would say well where are you going? And we would say just a date. But the truth was we were going to marriage counseling.”
She can’t recall their reasoning for keeping it a secret. However, her children would have accepted it and supported them. Russell explained to the audience that her oldest son said he was proud of them in “investing in their marriage”.
“It’s important that we model what it is that we want to see from others,” she said. “We want other people to not feel ashamed about going to therapy, to not feel embarrassed about saying that they’re not okay.”
Throughout the evening, panelists emphasized that mental wellness is an ongoing process, not a destination. By speaking openly about mental health, modeling vulnerability and encouraging others to seek support, they said communities can begin to replace stigma with understanding and ensure that no one feels they have to face life’s challenges alone.
