Mental Health Awareness | It’s more than a month, it’s a lifestyle
Licensed marriage and family therapist Cherlette McCullough joins WESH 2 to highlight Mental Health Awareness Month
MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH AND OVER THE NEXT 31 DAYS, ADVOCATES, EXPERTS AND EVERYDAY PEOPLE WILL AMPLIFY THE CALL TO ACTION, BREAK STIGMA, EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES, AND REALLY SUPPORT THOSE BATTLING MENTAL ILLNESS. JOINING ME NOW WITH THE TOOLS TO DO ALL OF THAT IS LICENSED THERAPIST CHARLOTTE MCCULLOUGH. CHARLOTTE, WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. IT’S ALWAYS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. YES. AND THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO END, YOU KNOW, TO BEGIN THE WEEKEND END THE WORKWEEK MAY 1ST. YES, FRIDAY. EXACTLY. OKAY. THIS MONTH IS A BIG MONTH. TAKE ME THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. SO MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH IS REALLY ABOUT THE AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH. SO THERE MAY BE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY SUFFERING WITH ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND ALL THOSE THINGS. THIS MONTH WE JUST HIGHLIGHT WHERE YOU CAN GET HELP AND WE NORMALIZE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND GETTING HELP. OKAY. SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND YOU AND I’VE HAD THESE DISCUSSIONS, BUT IT’S LIKE, YOU CAN FUNCTION EVERY DAY AND YOU KIND OF GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS, RIGHT? BUT YOU MAY REALLY NEED TO HAVE THAT EXTRA HELP BECAUSE THERE’S JUST SO MUCH THAT ALL OF US DEAL WITH ANYMORE. ABSOLUTELY. I THINK SOMETIMES WE FEEL LIKE IF WE ARE FUNCTIONING, WE ARE DOING WELL, AND FUNCTIONALITY DOESN’T MEAN WELLNESS. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US CAN HIDE OUR PAIN AND OUR PRODUCTIVITY, YOU KNOW, SO REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT WE’RE FEELING? WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE’RE SAYING, HOW WE’RE CONNECTING OR DISCONNECTING WITH PEOPLE? OKAY, SO WHAT SHOULD WE PAY ATTENTION TO? YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT. SO, SO YEAH, WHAT DO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON? PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR MOOD AND YOUR ENERGY. THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT. IF YOU START NOTICING YOUR MOOD IS DIFFERENT OR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU THAT LOVE YOU, THAT YOU TRUST AND THAT YOU’RE BEING MEAN OR LIKE YOU’RE DIFFERENT, SOMETHING IS GOING ON. THAT’S WHEN IT’S TIME TO REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THAT. THOSE ARE INDICATORS THAT IT’S PROBABLY TIME TO GET INTO TREATMENT. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT I FEEL AS THOUGH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MONTH OF MAY, JUST SCHOOLS GOING TO BE ENDING. SUMMER IS COMING. YOU’VE GOT THAT TRANSITION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE KIDDOS. AND THEN YOU’RE ALSO THINKING, OKAY, WAIT, THERE’S A LOT THAT GOES ON. SO IT ADDS THAT STRESS, BUT THEN AS STRESS THEN IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, OKAY, LET ME DO A MENTAL HEALTH CHECK IN OR IS THIS LIKE, I’M JUST STRESSED TO THE MAX? I THINK THAT’S THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR BOUNDARIES, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT THAT GOES ON IN MAY. YOU KNOW, THERE’S GRADUATION. A LOT OF US ARE EXPERIENCING EMPTY NESTING. YOU KNOW, THERE’S A LOT OF GRIEVING GOING ON WITH THAT, WITH ALL THESE BIG LIFE STRESSORS. SO I THINK THAT IS A TIME, IT’S A TIME FOR US TO JUST REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE THINGS AND HOW THEY ARE AFFECTING US. IT’S LIKE NAVIGATING THAT CHANGE. IT’S NOT EASY. CHARLOTTE. IT’S NOT. SO WHAT ARE YOUR IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD ADVISE PEOPLE, IF THEY’RE WATCHING THIS RIGHT NOW TO THINK, OKAY, I FALL IN THAT CATEGORY, I’M GOING TO BE THE EMPTY NESTER OR I’M JUST SUPER STRESSED OUT TO THE MAX. OR MAYBE I’VE GOT SOME OTHER THINGS GOING ON TO OBVIOUSLY REACH OUT TO A LICENSED THERAPIST. ABSOLUTELY. AND THE THING IS, IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY. IT’S OKAY IF YOU ARE FEELING A LITTLE GRIEF, IT’S OKAY IF YOU’RE NOT FEELING LIKE YOURSELF, IF YOUR MOOD HAS CHANGED. BUT THERE IS HELP. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE TREATABLE. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MAY BE GOING THROUGH AROUND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH OR MENTAL ILLNESS, IT’S ALL TREATABLE. CHARLOTTE, WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO JUST ABOUT GETTING OUTSIDE? I READ SOMETHING WHERE IT’S LIKE ANXIETY AND STRESS. THEY DON’T LOVE A MOVING TARGET. ONCE YOU JUST GET OUTDOORS AND GO FOR THAT WALK OR YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT KIND OF LIKE DOES PUTS THAT EXTRA PEP IN YOUR STEP. YOU FEEL BETTER MENTALLY. ABSOLUTELY. AND THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE’S ONE EXERCISE THAT I GIVE PEOPLE WHEN THEY’RE EXPERIENCING ANXIETY OR THEY’RE EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION. AND I CALL IT THE 30 MINUTE EXERCISE, TEN MINUTES OF WRITING OR JOURNALING, TEN MINUTES OF EXERCISE AND TEN MINUTES OF SUN, JUST THAT 30 MINUTES ALONE CAN CHANGE THE WAY YOU FEEL. IT CAN BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY. IT CAN CHANGE YOUR MOOD IN A MATTER OF 30 MINUTES. SURE, YOU SEE TOO, ESPECIALLY WITH JUST WHAT YOU WERE SAYING. YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT’S EMPTY NEST OR WHETHER IT’S JUST THE TRANSITIONS OF LIFE OR JUST GOING THROUGH A HARD TIME. DO YOU SEE FOLKS COMING TO YOU MORE AT AT THIS POINT? I FEEL LIKE OBVIOUSLY WITH MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, THE CONVERSATION, I JUST FEEL LIKE IT’S REALLY OUT THERE MUCH MORE RIGHT OUT THERE, MUCH MORE. BUT WE HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO. THAT’S WHY I’M SO THANKFUL FOR INTERVIEWS LIKE THIS TO JUST NORMALIZE THE CONVERSATION AND NORMALIZE GOING TO GET TREATMENT. BECAUSE AWARENESS IS ONE THING, RIGHT? BUT AFTER THE AWARENESS, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE BRING IT TO THE LIGHT AND THE NEXT STEP IS REACH OUT FOR HELP. DO WE HAVE ANY EVENTS THIS MONTH COMING UP? I KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING. WE DO HAVE TOMORROW. WE HAVE THE NAMI WALK. YES. AND THEN AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, WE HAVE THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS LUNCHEON WHERE WE COME TOGETHER AND JUST TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. AND THIS YEAR WE’RE GOING TO BE CELEBRATING THE YEARS OF PULSE. COMMEMORATING THAT. YEAH. OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND FOR THE NOMINEE WALK, AS YOU MENTIONED, ARE VERY CHRISTINA WATKINS WILL BE HOSTING THE MC. YES. SO THAT’LL BE GREAT IF YOU’RE ATTENDING. I WAS THERE LAST YEAR REALLY IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT EVENT. SO YOU CAN GET THERE. THANK YOU MAYOR. OF COURSE. AND THAT’S HAPPENING AT QUEEN’S PARK TOMORROW. ALTAMONTE SPRINGS FUNDRAISING EVENTS SUPPORTING THE MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITY AND PROGRAMS. YOU CAN REGISTER TO DONATE RIGHT@WESH.COM AND ALSO TO JUST IMPORTANT TO MENTION HERE ALL THE LOCAL PROVIDERS, ORGANIZATIONS OFFERING FREE HELP AND SUPPORT THE SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS, JUST TO NAME A FEW. WE’VE GOT A LIST OF THIS ON WESH.COM. CHARLOTTE, ALWAYS THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MAYOR. YES, A WAY TO BRIGHTEN
Mental Health Awareness | It’s more than a month, it’s a lifestyle
Licensed marriage and family therapist Cherlette McCullough joins WESH 2 to highlight Mental Health Awareness Month
Updated: 10:11 AM EDT May 1, 2026
Licensed marriage and family therapist Cherlette McCullough joins WESH 2 to highlight Mental Health Awareness Month.>> Watch the full interview in the video player above.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Licensed marriage and family therapist Cherlette McCullough joins WESH 2 to highlight Mental Health Awareness Month.
>> Watch the full interview in the video player above.