Breaking stigma surrounding Father’s Day
FATHER’S DAY IS A TIME TO CELEBRATE DADS, BUT IT’S ALSO A REMINDER TO CHECK IN ON THEIR WELL-BEING. JOINING US NOW TO HELP SPARK SOME MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT DADS MENTAL HEALTH IS LICENSED THERAPIST CHARLOTTE MCCULLOUGH. CHARLOTTE, SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK. THANK YOU. JASON. I’M GLAD TO BE BACK. YEAH. SO HERE WE ARE ON THE CUSP. I KNOW A LOT OF US ARE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE HONOR DAD, BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT FATHER’S DAY, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT LENSES. YOU MAY LOOK AT IT VERY DIFFERENTLY. AND WE’VE GOT PEOPLE NAVIGATE THIS. SO WHAT ARE YOU TELLING PEOPLE? VERY TRUE. IN FATHER’S DAY, THERE ARE SO MANY LENSES TO VIEW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE CELEBRATING. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE GRIEVING AS WELL WITH THAT. AND SO WHATEVER PLACE YOU FIND YOURSELF IN, ALLOW YOURSELF TO FEEL WHAT YOUR REALITY IS FOR THIS HOLIDAY. YEAH. THAT ALLOWING OURSELVES TO FEEL THAT WAY IS, IS REALLY SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART IN, IN GETTING OUR MENTAL HEALTH IN CHECK. ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU KNOW, JASON, WE DO NOT GET A REWARD FOR PRETENDING THAT WE’RE OKAY. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE’RE NOT OKAY. WE HAVE TO HONOR THOSE LIMITS THAT THIS HOLIDAY BRINGS UP A LOT OF HARD FEELINGS FOR SOME PEOPLE. YEAH. AND LET’S TALK DADS THEMSELVES. OKAY. THEY’RE CARRYING SOME THINGS. SOMETIMES THERE ARE PRESSURES AND CHALLENGES. YES. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TO MAYBE SOME FATHERS COMING TO YOU SAYING IT’S A TOUGH TIME? ABSOLUTELY. I SEE A NUMBER OF FATHERS WITH FAMILIES RIGHT NOW. THEY’RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF PRESSURE, MARITAL CHALLENGES, YOU KNOW, JUST WORRYING ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN IF THEY’RE OKAY, FINANCIAL CHALLENGES AND THEN THEIR OWN MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES SILENTLY. YOU KNOW, SOCIETY SAYS THAT DADS NEED TO BE PROVIDERS. THEY NEED TO BE STRONG. AND THE EMOTIONAL ANCHOR FOR THE ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD. RIGHT. AND THAT ALONE CAN BRING A LOT OF PRESSURE FOR DADS. YEAH. I KNOW A LOT OF PARENTS AND WE’VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN OUR FRIEND CIRCLES THAT YOU SORT OF FEEL THE EMOTIONS OF YOUR KIDS AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY’RE STRUGGLING, IT YOU STRUGGLE, YOU STRUGGLE WITH THEM. I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY, I DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS GOOD OR BAD, BUT IT WAS SAID, YOU KNOW, PARENTS ONLY AS HAPPY AS THEIR SADDEST KID OR SOMETHING ON THOSE LINES. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE FEEL THEIR STRUGGLES. IT’S TRUE. JASON THAT’S WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT FOR DADS ALSO TO NOT ONLY JUST STRUGGLE IN SILENCE, BUT TO SAY SOMETHING TO GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED WITH THE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON INSIDE. MOVE AWAY FROM THAT WHOLE STIGMA AROUND THERE, THE STRONG ONES. AND THEY CAN’T SHOW EMOTION. YEAH. AND THERE ARE TIMES WHERE RELATIONSHIPS ARE STRAINED. YOU KNOW, FATHER, WITH A CHILD OR A CHILD WITH A FATHER. SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO PEOPLE DO TO SORT OF NAVIGATE THAT, THAT GRIEVING THAT THERE IS FOR THAT LOST RELATIONSHIP? SO THAT COPING WITH THAT IS ONE THING. JASON, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOUR FATHER MAY NOT BE HERE PHYSICALLY, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOU MAY HAVE AN ESTRANGED RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DAD, ALLOWING YOURSELF TO FEEL THAT, HONOR THAT, AND SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO REALLY LOVE YOU DURING THIS TIME. OR FATHER FIGURE. YEAH. AND LET’S TALK ABOUT OUR FAMILIES. WHAT CAN WE DO TO REALLY MAKE THIS DAY MEANINGFUL? AND NOT JUST FOR DAD, BUT FOR FOR ALL OF THE THINGS, BUT FOR DADS, YOU KNOW, THIS DAY IS TOTALLY ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGING DAD, RIGHT? SO BEING ABLE TO ASK YOUR DAD AND ASK HIM, WHAT WAYS CAN WE LET YOU KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE YOU, THAT WE VALUE YOU, YOUR SACRIFICES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? DOING A FAMILY TRADITION, SOMETHING THAT HONORS YOUR HOUSEHOLD. YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN DO THAT’S FUN, THAT’S RELATED TO YOU ALL, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT PLACE OF CELEBRATION FOR DAD. YOU KNOW, I GOT TO TELL YOU, AND THIS JUST POPPED INTO MY HEAD. I WASN’T PLANNING ON SHARING THIS, BUT MY DAD, IT’S ALWAYS, HOW DO I HONOR HIM? GOT HIM A TEE SHIRT ONE YEAR, I THINK IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, 10 OR $15. I GOT IT MADE AT A PLACE LIKE RIGHT UP THE ROAD HERE. AND IT WAS JUST THE GRANDKIDS PRINTED ON IT. YEAH. NO OFFENSE. IT’S KIND OF UGLY. I WAS A LITTLE EMBARRASSED. THAT THAT MAN HAS SPORTED THAT, THAT WAS THE GREATEST GIFT THAT YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN HIM REALLY NICE GIFTS AT OTHER TIMES, AND NOT AS MUCH MEANING AS THAT PICTURE SOMETHING SENTIMENTAL OR EVEN WHEN THE GRANDKIDS MAKE HIM SOMETHING. SO MAYBE THOSE ARE SOME GOOD WAYS TO TO THINK ABOUT THAT. PEOPLE WANT TO CONNECT WITH YOU. THERE ARE SO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY LOOKING FOR HELP. HOW DO WE DO THAT? HOW DO WE REACH ALWAYS REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE. THEY CAN CALL US AT (407) 230-4582, OR THEY CAN GO T THE WEBSITE W W W DOT CENTERPIECE THERAPY.ORG. OKAY. AND WE’RE GOING TO SHARE ALL THAT ON WESH.COM. OKAY? SURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Father’s Day serves as a reminder to celebrate dads while also checking in on their mental health and well-being. Licensed therapist Cherlette McCullough joined the conversation to highlight the different perspectives people may have during this holiday.>> Watch the full interview using the video player above.
Father’s Day serves as a reminder to celebrate dads while also checking in on their mental health and well-being.
Licensed therapist Cherlette McCullough joined the conversation to highlight the different perspectives people may have during this holiday.
>> Watch the full interview using the video player above.