Unlocking Mental Health Resources for Students Insights from Priscilla Vivian

In this episode of The Student Guide, we explore the crucial topic of mental health support for students. Host Jeffrey welcomes Priscilla Vivian, a therapist turned entrepreneur and the founder of Vivified Therapy and Flourishing Founders. They discuss the unique opportunities for free therapy available to students, the importance of cultural competence in mental health, and the challenges of advancing social mobility through mental health support. Priscilla shares her inspiring journey, insights on integrating cultural sensitivity, and practical advice for balancing mental health with career goals. They also touch on the significance of mental health resources within educational institutions, especially post-pandemic, and provide tips for students and young professionals seeking mental health support. Tune in for valuable insights and advice on navigating mental well-being in the student life.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Free Therapy for Students
• 0:37 Welcome to The Student Guide
• 1:08 Meet Priscilla Vivian: Therapist Turned Entrepreneur
• 2:30 Defining Happiness and Freedom
• 5:05 Priscilla's Journey into Therapy and Entrepreneurship
• 12:01 Cultural Sensitivity in Therapy
• 24:44 Challenges in Advancing Social Mobility
• 31:07 Creative Approaches to Mental Health
• 32:02 Streamlining Services for Maximum Impact
• 33:30 Balancing Multiple Roles and Mental Health
• 33:54 BetterHelp Sponsorship
• 35:21 Summary of Roles and Responsibilities
• 39:52 Advice for Students and Young Professionals
• 43:08 Plans for the Future
• 49:04 Mental Health Resources and Support
• 52:39 Final Thoughts and Takeaways
• 56:53 Outro and How to Connect

Transcript

 Being a student puts you in the lucky position that you can get free therapy. Therapy is expensive.  So, and there is a huge waiting list on the NHS. So, being a student is one of the rare times in your life that you'll be able to access therapy quite quickly. And normally you can get more than 12 sessions, which is what you'd be given on the NHS.

So I would say take advantage of that. That even if you feel like you don't need it to begin with, just give it a try. It is free. It will probably never be free again in your life. . So, yeah. 

So, uh, hello everyone. Hope you're doing well. Hope you can ask yourselves. Welcome to another episode of The Student Guide. I have an amazing guest speaker here today. Uh, as you all know, we dive into amazing topics and learn more about how we can develop ourselves. but also the opportunities and chances that are available to us.

Uh, we've got a great guest speaker here today, uh, as I mentioned doing incredible work, but as I always tell you guys, I don't want to do the buyout because I won't do it justice. So instead, I'm going to hand over to our amazing guest speaker. Uh, could we please know a bit more about you and what you do?

Sure. Uh, hi, thank you for the lovely introduction. I'll tell you a bit more about myself. I'm Priscilla Vivian. I'm a therapist turned entrepreneur Um, I run a social enterprise called Vivified Therapy, um, which i'll go a bit more into I also lead a new project called Flourishing Founders, which is also a mental health project  Um, i'm a mom I and just yeah all around great human being at the moment  You definitely are, um, and we will be diving into more about your business and all the incredible work that you're doing just shortly.

But before we do that, we have a Thoughtful Question brought to you by, uh, Amanda from Thoughtful Words. So, uh, as you obvious may know, uh, we get Amanda to submit a question to help us learn a bit more about our guest speaker in a creative and a thoughtful way. And I guess, uh, as you mentioned, you know, mental, you have a background in mental health.

Uh,  it's, uh, in November, November, uh, it's happening, you know, there's important discussions that are taking place about, like, men's mental health. Uh, mental health for us is very important, we talk about it regularly on the podcast. So I think this question is both a great way to start, but it's also one that people may say is a bit of a difficult question. 

But the question that Amanda has chosen is, how can we be happier as humans? 

Yeah, happiness is a hard one, isn't it? Um, it's, there's so many different definitions of happiness. And I guess I would have to start by, um, my personal definition of happiness, which changes in this season of my life. It looks like freedom and being able to do things in the way that I want to do them. Um, yeah, in a way that allows me to, to live dynamically and not boxed in.

Um, so, yeah, how can we achieve freedom? Uh, I guess is by defining what freedom looks like to us. Um, and seeking out opportunities where we can be free, not only, um, through, through work and lifestyle, but where we can be our authentic selves as well. Yeah. So I think that is really key to our wellbeing. Um, and in, in practicing being our authentic selves and having those experiences of like being accepted and being affirmed, um,  hopefully we all have more happiness.

That's incredible. Um, I think two things to highlight from what you just said is first off, as you mentioned, happiness, Like the definition of happiness to the individual can change over the course of your life and can look like different things depending on where you are. Like you said, if, uh, you know, anyone who's at uni, maybe in your first year of uni, that looks like the freedom of like living away from home for the first time and like having that experience.

Uh, someone who's maybe like graduated or it's like moved, uh, you know, they've freshly moved into a new apartment, maybe it's their first like apartment that they've lived in, it's their own apartment, having the freedom of that space. For some people, it might be like, the freedom to purchase the items that they want.

Um, but I think it's really key that you mentioned that, uh, happiness can have different definitions to people. And that's not to say like, one person's definition is right, the other's wrong, or like vice versa.  Um, but I think secondly, like there is, um, like, it's not one of the questions, but it's one of the things that people do say is that there is that like really important question of, uh, what's the difference between happiness and joy.

Um, and like the, the, what does that mean to like,  Each individual because I know like as a Christian from a Christian perspective that can look like happiness is like  the, the, in the moment, whereas the story is more of like the regardless of what's happening, you're like,  you feel, you feel good when you feel content.

Um, so yeah, so I definitely think that that's one of the things that like when I first heard that I was like, yeah, that's a really key thing. Um, yeah, it's a great way of looking at it. Oh, Um, but yeah, like I said, we want to find out more about you Priscilla. Um, so first question, uh, we're going to go back to  You mentioned, uh, Vivafy and Derby.

So we're going to go to start. What inspired you? So a lot of questions are two parted, so if you need anything repeated, just let me know. Sure. Um, but what inspired you to start your own business? But specifically, how does it address the specific mental health and needs of under, um, underrepresented communities in academia and the workplace?

Yeah, really good question. Um, I think that, I would say, I would go right back to my own experience of being, um, the patient or client of a therapist. Um, and the first time I experienced that was at secondary school. Um, I had a black female therapist and she was incredible. And, um, just my experience of working with her and seeing how she worked with my friends as well.

I went to a predominantly black school. Um, so just having that representation of a black female therapist was really important. It was a girl's school as well. Um, so. So yeah, having a positive experience with her definitely sowed a seed in me at a young age, in the sense of this is a possibility as a career for you in the future,  and just seeing the impact she had on me and my friends.

So that was the first seed. Um, and then, um, I guess prior to actually getting into the mental health space, I was always in social care related roles. Um, so what that looked like was working with young offenders in the criminal justice system. Um, and that was really what I had set my eye on, um, as a young person, was to be, um, a forensic psychologist.

So, uh, when I did my undergrad, I studied psychology and criminology. And my research looked at youth delinquency and some of the patterns that people who have been incarcerated at a young age, some of the experiences that they have. And I noticed that within the criminal justice system and within inpatient mental health care,  Black and brown people were overrepresented, yeah, with such a tiny portion of the population.

Um, so that always, for me, um, just kind of set off alarm bells as to, um, why are we overrepresented, and why, um, is, is that interaction that we have with the mental health care system, um, Um, it seems to be, um, at the point where things have gotten really bad and not early on. Um, so what can we do around early intervention?

Um, and not waiting until it's like, okay, you know, you've been sectioned or you've had a mental breakdown or something like that. How can we increase mental health literacy? Um, so kind of pivoting a little bit from, um,  Mental health within the criminal justice system and just looking at, okay, how can I help in a, in another way, um, not working just with people who are in the criminal justice system.

Uh, criminal justice system, but outside of that, um, so then I trained to be a therapist, um, and then just naturally, I guess, um, after working with a number of different agencies and organizations, I said, I want to set something up myself. So Riverfly Therapy was born, so I finished my training in 2018. Um, started sort of dabbling in private practice.

So I would say I landed on entrepreneurship. It was never really my intention to say, I'm going to go into business. Um, I just wanted to do therapy, um, but naturally, um, yeah, started the private practice and then lockdown happened, COVID 19, um, discussions around mental health were happening more, um, which was great because it helps open the door, um, for conversations around stigma and what, you know, what is mental health look like.

Um, how can we recognize symptoms of common mental health issues like depression, anxiety, um, and, and there was a lot of that happening, you know, during lockdown. Um, so I guess by some sort of stroke of luck or misfortune at the same time, because honestly people weren't in a great place, but it was at that time that I really went full, um, sort of, Um, and I was able to, to work with a lot of people in our community.

Um, so I think it was at that point, I really made a decision when I first started out, I was sort of like, I'm going to work with everyone as you typically do as someone who is like newly qualified and just getting into business. But seeing the positive, um, response from people in my community sort of gave me the bravery to say, I feel like this is where I serve best.

And therefore I want to work with people from African and Caribbean backgrounds.  So that was really my focus for the first couple of years. And yeah, it went really well. So that's kind of the, the backstory as to how Google Finance was born. That's incredible. Um, and yeah, I think, uh, just a few things to highlight that.

I think one, it was really key that you mentioned in your story that like entrepreneurship wasn't the like dream or like wasn't the plan initially. Cause I do think that's one of the things that when they, when, especially like whether people are young or like whatever stage of their life, they always feel like home, like.

People who want to do business, like, it's been embedded in their minds since they were young. They always had this, and it's just like, no, sometimes it is, like you said, just like, you, you work in the industry and then you just see that like certain things aren't happening and then you're just like, something should be done to change this.

Um, but I think also what I really like is, um, like the, the impact, how you, you saw the work that you were doing, like the impact it could have, and then that sort of led you to them going to like. Like create applied therapy? Yeah. Because I think that, um, yeah, sometimes people don't think about that. They don't think that like the work that they're doing is like having an impact or is like making a difference.

Um, but it's just those like initial conversations and like even arguably, like, just seeing that like even if you make like, like you set up one person's day better or you make them think about their own mental health in like a different way, um, that can really be like.  super important. Um, so yeah, thank you very much for it.

Yeah, yeah. Um, we're going on to the next question, uh, which is all about, uh, your own practices. Um, so how do you, and I think like, if, so these guys know we have a thing called mic checks, like a fact or figure or story that's related. We do actually have like a fact, which I will get into later on. Um, but I would say as well, especially with this question.

So the questions were around like cultural sensitivity, when it comes to like, Counseling and, uh, psychotherapy, like, uh, practices, um, and there is, as you mentioned, like, especially around certain cultures, there can sometimes be, like, a stigma when it comes to discussions on, like, mental health and well being, um, and, you know, like, I'm, I'm grateful that when, like, as someone who has been to therapy, like, that was not my experience with it, but I know that not for every, like, there are some people that have to, like, have been through that and have, like, when speaking about it with family or friends, have felt like this.

I don't know. Like it's raw or taboo to see a therapist. Um, so it would be really interesting to know, how do you integrate cultural sensitivity into your own counselling  and psychotherapy practices? Uh, but also why is this important for student well being? Hmm, yeah, really good question. Um,  I think the first of all, what helped me, um, as I kind of touched on earlier, coming into it, is my own lived experience.

So, having experience being part of a minoritized group, um, I already at first hand had some experience in terms of like, what does it feel like to, um, access mental health services where you don't necessarily feel represented. So I talked about the really good experience that I had when I was in secondary school.

My second, um, sort of experience of having one to one traditional psychotherapy was when I was at university.  Um, and the well being team as a whole were fantastic. Um, but the therapist that I had, um, was German, I believe. Um, and I noticed there was a very different type of interaction between her and the first therapist that I had.

Um, I, and I wouldn't say it was for lack of skill set. Um,  but there was a warmth that wasn't being translated, that was being lost in translation. Um, and, um, The impact that that had on me is that I felt a disconnect, and I didn't feel like I could continue to open up or that the therapy would be beneficial for me.

Um, and I had to sit down and really think about that, um, as I was still a student at UD, doing psychology, criminology, where is that disconnect coming from?  Um, and that was my first hand experience of saying, actually,  It's the cultural barrier. Yeah, it's not being able to understand my frame of reference.

Um, and I think that's where cultural competency comes in. It's really being able to say that,  when I'm communicating with this person in front of me, can I take into consideration, Um, where they come from, the history that they come from, um, you know, the, the wider culture and how that impacts them as someone who is living here in the UK.

Um, what does that look like for them in their day to day,  um, at home, the foods that they eat, the music that they listen to, because all of these things that may seem insignificant make us who we are. Um, so I think cultural competence is, is a lot to do with that. Um, When we talk about cultural competence generally, there is  a lot of sort of importance put on racial trauma for very good reason and we understand.

Um, but I think also what I've had to learn through training and then, you know, through practice is that we cannot project our own black experience onto someone else as well, you know, because being black is not a monolith. So that's something that I've had to learn and also practice not to  always put leave with that, you know, like the racial trauma, that is one part of our experience.

So it's also making room for that, is that, I am making space for you, as an example, as Jeffrey, to come into my practice space and for you to define what your blackness looks like without me projecting my assumption that, oh, we're both black people, therefore I understand everything about you. Um, so that's been really, really important.

Um, but also knowing that you have the safety to share anything within our culture. Um, sometimes it looks like, um, An affirming nod,  you know, or, um, someone making a cultural reference. And we have many of them  that are sort of like inside jokes, you know, you only have to look at like black Twitter to see the kind of conversations that we have, or it's like, it could be a gesture, a word, um, and just for you to not have to have that added layer.

Um, I remember another experience I will use to kind of like illustrate that point. I was, um, again, I was a patient or client for a white therapist.  Um, and we had a really, really good connection, actually, we'd been working together a long time, and I remember I came in to talk about an incident that involved colorism, um, and, and, uh, skin lightening, and these kind of issues, uh, within our community, with the specific issues that were happening in my life.

Um, and I just remember his face going blank.  Like,  what's going on?  What are we talking about? And it was the first time that I was like, every other moment, I felt like, Oh my God, you get me.  But then in that moment, there was like a disconnect. And I didn't want to have to do the work of educating him because I thought I'm paying for this time.

I'm really upset. I want you to just understand what I'm trying to say. Um, and it was, it's those moments when I've worked with clients from African Academy of  They just know that I get it, and they don't have to do the extra labor of explaining cultural references. It's like, you get what I mean. Or if I say I'm really stressed because of black tax and I have to send money back home to my village people, I'm not going to look at you strange.

I get it. Like, so that, yeah, and I think cultural competence has a lot to do with that. Can it be learned by someone who, you know, Is it African and Caribbean? I think, yeah, there is room. Yeah, if there's, if there's a willingness to learn practitioners who are not black, um, or are not from minoritized groups, they can learn these skills and ways of holding space.

But I think it takes a lot of effort.  I hope I've answered all parts of your question. Lead me back in.  That was amazing. Um, because I think, like you said, there's, uh, there's like. A lot of time packed there. On the one hand, like you said, there is, um, there's a podcast,  I always recommend it to people. It's called Ain't Got A Clue.

It's not like, a, like, you know,  Science. It's just like two friends having a conversation and just going through their experience. And they brought up the topic of like therapy and they said like they definitely agree that therapy is important. But they did say like you said, one of them joked it's almost like doing like speed dating.

Yeah. Because you're trying to find like the right one for you. And as you said, like sometimes you'll mention like cultural moments or like your lived experiences. And certain people may not get it because they're just like, they don't understand it. Like you said, the different things. With each culture that people can or can't get, um, even arguably, I know, like, for example, um,  Like, with, um, like, even, like, with people from different parts of, like, Like, being in London is, like, a multicultural place, so you've got different cultures here, And even, like, people say, like, sometimes when, like, certain group, like, Certain people from certain parts of the world may be seen as, like, Not even, like, when it comes to therapy, or just having conversations with people, Because of the way they're, like,  They can come off as blunt when they're not, or like cold when they're not.

Um, so even ugly, it's like stuff like that. Cause, um, you know, people say like, you also have to bear in mind that like, in certain like,  like, not to like single out English culture, but like some people say that there is a lot of like,  Like sometimes it can be that you're not, there's not like direct approach.

So if something's wrong, people will like be around the brush. Um, and that's one of the things that a lot of people, the music in the UK say is that that's one of the things that they take, take time to get used to. Cause you might be like, Oh, well this is what's wrong. Like someone did X or someone did Y, we need to fix this.

But like with work culture and stuff like UK, sometimes it can be like, Oh no, we have to like  go like a soft approach or like, we can't necessarily like,  Go straight into that. So yeah, I definitely agree that there is that cultural, um, there are those cultural differences that can, unless you, like I said, like, have that willingness to learn and understand that, like, if someone's doing, like, if someone sends you an email and, like, doesn't put, like, Hi, how are you?

Like, how was your weekend? Stuff like that. Then that's not them being rude. That might just be them saying, you know,  I just have this quick question I want to ask you. I just want to quickly ask you this and not necessarily fluff it up with the niceties. Um, even arguably, I know like sometimes people say that they actually dislike, don't like the niceties because sometimes it can, especially if it's like an email where someone's maybe saying like, oh, you didn't do X, you didn't do Y or, you know, someone's sending like, Someone a message about it.

Sometimes people say well, actually it seems almost fake because you're not really interested to come out weekend You've got you've got this question you want to ask me. So why are you asking this? So yeah, so I definitely agree I think that that's one of the things that um It's just being sensitive, whether it comes to like therapy or even oddly like as a, if you're managing someone or, you know, you are being managed by someone, it's also arguably that understanding of like that cultural difference because your employee, even if they're like,  they could be from a different culture from you, even if they're from the same country, they could be from a different like, Part of, like, that country to you, and every part's got, like, different traditions and things like that.

So even, arguably, it's like understanding that. Um, and then, yeah, one final thing to mention, like, as you mentioned on, like, why it's important to, like, understand that, is even, I say, uh, so we do, like, a networking workshop where we teach people, like, if they want to network, these are, like, this is how to, like, Get the skills to network well, um, and one of the things that I mentioned in that, uh, workshop is I say, well, you know, networking also has a cultural element to it.

Um, and I say that, you know, as someone who's Nigerian or someone who's Yoruba, like I would say for a lot of people, Like, not even just Nigeria, but like, in a lot of cultures, you know, if you see two people, like, talking, and you want to talk to one of them, you can walk over, but you wouldn't necessarily, like, butt into the conversation, yeah, interject.

Um, if you would let that conversation finish, or let them bring you into the conversation, but I said sometimes at networking events, So the case you might even have a really great conversation with someone and someone will just walk in and be like look I'm, so sorry  And you just got to and I told people just remember when it comes to like the networking side of things You might not be able to turn around like that might not necessarily be the person being rude or like If you are in a group and you maybe see someone to the side like Try and find a way to like bring them in don't let them just feel like they're being like neglected from the conversation.

Um, but yeah, no, I definitely agree that there, there is that cultural element and being sensitive to see  it not as like someone's being rude to you, someone's ignoring you, someone's insulting you, but like someone's just like  Doing, I guess like, they're doing things their own way, um, yeah, just being sensitive to that is really important.

Yeah, I love those examples that you gave because, um, yeah, even like, within black culture, as you said, like eye contact's a big one as well. Like, um, I know, like, my family are from Uganda, Rwanda, and I know many black cultures eye contact is something like not giving eye contact is seen as a sign of respect because it can seem like too, like too intense or intimidating, whereas in a lot of Western cultures, if you don't give eye contact, then it's rude.

So yeah, I think like that's a huge one for networking because you're kind of like, wait, do I look? What do I do? And I know it's even one of the things that people like you said, like mentioned that when it comes to like, Like, for example, like I said, like, it's a pitching event. If they're not looking at the judges, um, you know, people might be like, oh, it's busters, and how they're not really showing their ideas, stuff like that.

But like you said, there's a cultural element that comes into it. Maybe the buster's not looking because they feel as though, like you said, that's a sign of respect. You know, these people maybe, they're elders, and they don't want to disrespect them. Um, so even as like, in situations, it's just like, that having that like, sensitivity turned on to be like, oh, well maybe, like, This person may be, I don't know, like, they might be at a networking event, they haven't really spoken to anyone because they, they prefer for people to come over and just talk to them because they, like, culturally they, like, they can't put themselves in that, just like going out there all the time.

Um, I know we spoke a lot about culture, but I know also that, uh, you know, linking to like mental health as well, like that can link to, uh, you know, things like, um,  Like autism, like, uh, ADHD and stuff like that, like I know that there are, like, and this, I'm not saying every autistic person acts like this, but like, I know people say like sometimes, you know, uh, certain autistic people may come across as blunt, but that's not necessarily them being blunt.

That's just. Like they might just ask something that way just because they don't really understand things and they're sort of questioning things and it's just being that Sensitive and not assuming like, oh, you know, I'm actually really upset this person asked me this question This is super offensive or whatever It might just be like actually no person's asking because they're generally confused about this comment you put on their document They just want to get a bit more clarity and understanding of why you're doing it this way instead of that way  So yeah, like I said, it's just having that like clarity in the, the work that you, like clarity in the way that you think and what you do when interacting with others.

Yeah. Um, but yeah, we're going to go on to the next question, which is, uh, you know, I think when it comes to advancing, uh,  social mobility, uh, through mental support, there can be some challenges that, uh,  So, uh, with this question, it is what are some of those challenges you've observed in advancing social mobility through mental health support?

And how can institutes as well as individuals work to overcome them? Um, and I guess like a little like extra bit to add on the end is if there are any specific institutions or individuals that you would say, Hey, If you, you know, are doing great work to help overcome this, feel free to, uh, shout them out.

Sure. Um, yeah, social mobility is a big one. Um,  I, I guess as Vigify has evolved,  it has been clearer to me that social mobility has to be something that is at the centre of the kind of work that we do. Um, because again, it touches on, like, some of those early, like, inequalities and inequities that I noticed in terms of how over represented we are, Um, as patients, as clients, also at the point of when things are at their worst,  um,  and then to kind of touch on like social mobility and how that manifests in the structural inequalities,  you don't see the same number, uh, per patient, um, represented in staff or leadership management.

Um, and I think that's a huge issue as well. Um, so. I think that is one of the things that I look to tackle, for example, when I'm delivering like cultural competence training. Um, so one of my part time roles is, um, as a visiting lecturer at Southampton University. Um, and when I speak to, uh, clinical psychology students there, um, around cultural competence is understanding the historical context.

So sort of decolonizing the way that we, we look and understand things. Um, and then, you know,  Present day, bringing it to now, how can we apply what we know and take that into the therapy room, also into therapy as a field, because it still has a huge way to go. I think probably in the last two or three years, we've seen like the highest number of of, uh, people from black and brown, um, backgrounds being recruited onto, um, clinical psychology programs.

But for a long time it's been a very wide space. So I think we start there, um, by looking at the, um, you know, the practitioners in the field at the highest level of, um, representation, um, people who are teaching and lecturing as well because you can only teach what you know and from your own frame of reference.

So making sure there's cultural competency, you know, which Southampton are doing great at. Um, and again, I think having organizations like Vivify, um, in terms of serving the needs of people from black and brown backgrounds. Um, not only from a, uh, uh, psychology or delivering, um, you know, clinical therapy perspective, but all the different areas that like social determinants of wellbeing, whether it be housing, whether it be finance.

Um, and we've come such a long way in that. Like when we look at, um,  I say, like, I was having this conversation the other day, like, finance has never been as sexy as it is now. Therapy has never been as sexy as it is now. And I think that is largely to do with the black and brown community. Like, when we put our sauce or, like, seasoning on something, yeah, we give it, like, that edge, yeah?

Um, and if you've engaged in black Twitter, you'll know what I'm speaking about. There's, there's a certain energy and vibrance that we bring, um, to sectors that are maybe like less attractive. So I feel like, um, therapy is going through that right now. Um, you know, finance and all these other areas of wellbeing, um, that impacts, um, our social mobility, um, and ability to, to change our lifestyle outcomes for generations to come.

These are all changing and we're having like really, really, um,  So, yeah, I think that's really good. Um, in terms of organizations, um,  I can say there are so many, but I'm definitely going to have to shout out Do It Now Now. Um, I, I work alongside them, um, and they are really, really great. Do It Now Now are  giving opportunities to, um, small business owners, um, social enterprise businesses in particular, who are owned by black and brown people.

And each of these businesses are serving one of these needs, um, around, um,  So whether it be, you know, family issues, money issues, mental health issues, well being,  all the different factors that make a person whole, um, you know, do it, do it now, now, and support the businesses that feed into this area. So yeah, shout them out for sure.

Um,  Repeat the question again so I can make sure I didn't miss anything. Uh, so what are some of the challenges you observed in advancing social mobility through mental health support, and how can individuals and institutions work to overcome them? Okay. Yes. So, um, so I mentioned some of the challenges within, um, training, um, and ensuring that practitioners that come into the space are equipped with the right tools, um, so that they are breaking, you know, some of those negative patterns around. 

harming people through racism. Um, and it's not always conscious, but sometimes it's embedded within the way that we practice and within our systems. So I think that's one of the ways, and that can be replicated across different sectors, you know, um, it's really around education. I think that's, you know, a big part of it is, um, giving yourself the tools as practitioners, but also, you know, That can only happen if we have the right people in the system at all levels of practice.

Yeah. So that's a huge thing. Um, also just kind of going back to why, um, so over time, so if I started out just offering, um,  therapy, traditional therapy in person and online, and then we sort of, um,  spread out to doing workshops within the community. And I think that's also to do with the way that African and Caribbean communities respond to mental well being.

It cannot just be the traditional one to one sitting down for, you know, an hour session. We engage, um, in creative ways. Creativity is a big part of our cultures. Um, so one of the things that we did, um, this was really  around COVID time, um, was, uh, we, we started to do events in the community. So for example, we had, uh, like a film night where we watched, um, like classic movies, like baby boy.

I don't know if you've watched Paperboy or Tyrese, uh, so that was one, um, and the theme, um, at the time that we did that, uh, was looking at mother son relationships, um, and the discussion that led on from that was great, and we got to explore some really, really cool themes, um, we also did a movie night for, um, Trying to remember the name of the movie.

It's gone out of my head. Yeah. But yeah, so we've done, um, a few sort of like events like that using like film, using music, um, listening to different albums and discussing the themes of that, um, albums and, you know, artists that are popular within the culture. And I think it's nice to have that in addition to, you know, standards talk therapy.

Um, so yeah, I think just getting creative in the way that we  Um, so that's on the mental health side of things. And then we thought, okay, um, are we giving these services to everyone? Or where can we streamline, you know, because now you're coming into making sure that the business is working in a way that makes sense, um, So, from that, the data that I was getting from those one to one sessions, I said to myself, I feel that we are most impactful when we're working with students, because education, if you're talking about social mobility, is one of the core areas, you know?

Um, if you look at statistics around, you know, how someone is able to improve their life situation for generations, um, you know, Education is one of the core identifiers of that. So student wellbeing is like hugely, hugely beneficial. Um, and then more recently we work with entrepreneurs as well, which I know your other podcast touches on.

So yeah, so those have been our three main areas, um, student wellbeing, entrepreneurship, and then cultural competence as well, tying all of that in together. And when I think about student well being, it's not just university students. We're looking at character development from secondary school age, because I feel like that's a really crucial age to kind of give people that support before they are a fully fledged young adult.

Yeah, definitely. And I think, like you mentioned there, that, um, Yeah, there are a few things. So, I guess one, it's  great that you like, subtly mentioned that you're also a guest lecturer at Southampton, because I was just like, okay, so you're doing a few things, you're doing a few things, you're doing a few things.

Um, I think, it isn't one of the questions, but I think it would be good to touch on is, So first, give us a rundown again of everything that you're doing, but then also, how do you manage, from a mental health perspective, like, all the work that you're doing, how do you manage balancing that and having good  mental health?

Mental health is really important to us at Pick Up The Mic, and we love to share resources that can support your mental health. And that's why we are so glad to have today's sponsor. Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this video.  BetterHelp is the world's largest therapy service. And it's 100 percent online with better help.

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So again, that's betterhelp. com slash pick up the mic, M I C, uh, and start your journey today. Um, yeah, so a summary of what I do. First hat, um, I'm the founding director of Vivified Therapy. I've talked a bit about what we do in terms of, um, psychotherapy and coaching. We, um, deliver bespoke wellbeing programs, um, across academia, and we support founders, and we also have cultural competency training.

Um, and then the other hat I wear is, um, as a founder of Flourishing Founders, um, which has sort of emerged under the umbrella of Fifi Therapy, um, as personalized well being support for founders, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. Um, So that's that. And then I am visiting lecturer at Southampton, um, where I, uh, teach cultural competency.

Um, what else do I do, I guess professionally? Um, I'm also at Renova. Okay. Um, as a behavioral, um, psychology advisor. Rinova is a tech startup in the personal development space and typically I do independent consulting on projects like that. So if anyone has sort of like a well being product that they're making and they might want some psychological insights into how they can make that product better or any just insights that can offer around user research, then yeah, I support that.

Yeah. Um, so then how do you balance all of this, because it's, it's incredible everything that you're doing, but I can imagine at times, like, it can be a lot to wear many hats. It is, yeah. I think that, um, so at the moment, I, Vivify takes up the bulk of my time, um, and because, um, I would say some,  Since last year, um, it's been the main, um, thing that I do.

So before I was doing all of that alongside having a nice effect. Um, so not sustainable.  Um, so I, I kind of, I move, I'm very seasonal. Um, if I give more to one thing, I pull back on other things. I don't try to do everything at level 10. Um, so some things might be at level two or. Um, for example, even now, the way that I work within Vivify, so in the past year, um, we've taken on some associate therapists and coaches who I work alongside.

Um, so they're not full time staff, they work on a freelance basis, but what that allows me to do is to, um, focus on what I love doing, in terms of connecting with new people in the community, and then bringing them into other coaches and therapists. I love delivering therapy, um, but I also don't like that to be the bulk of what I do.

So I like a nice mixed bag of, like, one to one delivery, business development, getting in new clients and then, you know, just putting my hands in a few different pipes. Yeah. That's incredible. Um, yeah, thank you so much for that. And I think it's clear from what you said, like sometimes it is about like that delegation.

So remembering you don't have to do like everything and when that's like onboarding freelancers or like, uh, I know, you know, To pick up the mic like we've got we had interns from Brunel like working with universities to do internship or work experience modules like  Being okay with like giving away work and working on stuff.

I think why it's so important Um, but yeah, we're gonna start before we go to the last question we're gonna start off with um  So as I mentioned, my check is a factor figure that's relevant to the conversation that we're having. And according to a 2023 report from the UK Office for Students, uh, 96 of high education providers reported an increase in student mental health issues Post pandemic.

And this really highlights the need for tailored mental health support, uh, but also for it to be sort of, like you mentioned, that cultural sensitivity to reflecting on experiences of students, both international students and home students, but also them as individuals and who they are. And I think even, you know, I know people that still work at universities and they've said that there is like a clear shift both in like the classroom and the social interactions and like going to like stuff that a student union puts on between a student that like had experience university outside of a pandemic and a university student that's like then possibly even their college in sixth form was when COVID started and they're now just about to graduate.

Um, so yeah, so there's that clear difference in like how they act and like even arguably how they tackle their mental health. So with this, as you mentioned as well, you are both a psychotherapist and a  So what advice would you give for students and young professionals who are seeking to balance their mental health while pursuing their careers and their career goals?

Yeah, I think, um, the first thing is, is prevention. So putting things in place that will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed to begin with. So good study habits, All the boring stuff that you don't want to do.  Time management, um, having trusted people that you can speak to, whether that be a professional or just friends and family in the first instance that you can open up to if you're having difficulties, having good relationships with lecturers and the wellbeing team at your university.

Um, being a student puts you in the lucky position that you can get free therapy. Mm. Therapy's expensive,  so, and there is a huge, uh, waiting list on the NHS. So, being a student is one of the, um, rare times in your life that you'll be able to access therapy quite quickly, and normally you can get more than 12 sessions, which is what you'd be given on the NHS.

So I would say take advantage of that, even if you feel like you don't need it to begin with, just give it a try. It's free. It will probably never be free again in your life. So, yeah, definitely. Well, definitely. I think that's true. And, you know, it's funny you mention that because, um, they're not our NT of the month, the organisation or individual that we're highlighting.

Um, but as you mentioned, like, That was one of the things that, through someone on the podcast actually, uh, uh, you know, a friend of mine, Samuel, he mentioned, um, that he knew about, and I said I had no idea, like, at Brunel that they did that. Uh, and then through other conversations I've had with people who, who utilize the service, they were like, oh yeah, no, it's like, completely free, like, I got advice, I got support, even when it came to exams, they were able to, like, give me, sort of, like, that extra bit of support and help me to figure out, like, my next steps and, like, how I can manage my time.

Even if you mentioned with, um Uh, when it comes to like, mental health conditions, so they were talking, uh, so someone who was on the, used to be a part of our team, she was mentioning how, uh, she only found out in her final year, after her final exam, um, that she was diagnosed with ADHD, so she was saying that, you know, through her first, like, I guess through all her life, but particularly in university, you know, she was like, I'm struggling with like, doing the exams, I'm finding it a bit hard, um, and I'm thinking maybe there's something wrong with me, this and that, and then it was only in her final year that, um, And her supervisor for her dissertation said, Hey, look, I don't mean this in a rude way, but maybe you should just like speak to the service, do the test with them and see, because he said, like, I think this could be it, but I'm like, I'm not trained, just try it and see.

Uh, and yeah, some of those ones were, after a final exam, she got, um, she got a report with it and it was just like, oh my days, um, yeah, like. Yeah, I've been diagnosed. Right. Um, so she was like, all this support that, like, it would've been great to have had. Um, but now that she's in that position, she's able to get all that advice and support.

So she's really like, appreciated that experience. Amazing. So yeah. All of that to just say like, yeah. Do utilize the resources you have. Hundred percent. Yeah. Um, but yeah, now I've come to pass on the mic. Uh, so I, I'll now hand over to pri any question you'd like to ask me. Lemme know.  Hmm.  I guess just what are your plans now that we're, we're, it's December in a couple of days, wow.

Um, what are your plans for 2025 with the podcast? Oof, good question. Uh, there's one, one I, I don't want to talk about yet until like all the ducks are lined up, but we've got a big thing planned to celebrate our  fourth year to pick up the mic, uh, next year, uh, I'm sorting out some details to figure out it's going to happen, but it's just like the scale of how it happens.

I need to confirm, um, but that's going to be really fun. It's been something for a while I've wanted to do is something that's quite close to my heart. Um, so yeah, I don't want to give that to you information, but like, it will be something there's not.  Like, each time we like celebrated a birthday, pick up the mic, it's been very different.

So like, it started off, I think, with just me, because it was, yeah, during the pandemic. So I started off with myself, uh, and my like, uh, two friends that were helping me out. They, we just did like a call and just like celebrated it together. Then it came, became like a meal that we had, um, then second year, last year, we did like a big event.

I don't know what big, but we did like a, like. Live podcast where I was interviewed on like pick up Mike and my journey and all of that  So yeah, this is more about like the community. So I There will either be like the version where my vision in it happening next year Or I'm gonna push that to 2026 because I'll be five years and pick up the mic So it makes more sense for it to be of the bigger thing then And we'll just do a smaller scale version of the of that plan next year Um, but yeah, outside of that, working with more universities, organizations, um, uh, entrepre like entrepreneurial spaces to like deliver these workshops, um, we definitely want to expand our, like we've expanded our offering, but we want to like focus on developing that vision and like growing it.

Um, and then yeah, finally, I think the most important thing is just like, uh, keep the, keep the episodes coming out. So we're looking to see, we've got, we're having a few conversations at the moment to see for. Okay. Some of the stuff like some of the other channels that we've got to have like dedicated podcast hosts.

So it's not me trying to host things across three YouTube channels. Um, but yeah, it's, yeah, a lot of good stuff to look forward to a lot of things to celebrate. Um, yeah. It's been a good year. Amazing. Love that. Yeah. Thanks for sharing that. And. One thing that you're doing to take care of your well being is you wear a couple of hats. 

Yeah. Um, I think like you said, delegation has definitely been really key. Um, so as, as I mentioned, like we've got, uh, interns through a course, a work experience module based out of, uh, based out of Brunel. Okay. Uh, we also had two interns over the summer. Um, and I think for me, the biggest thing has just been like,  Not necessarily, like, obviously they have work to do, so I have to make sure that they have stuff to do, but it's more of like giving work in the sense of like,  once, uh, for both, well, for the two over the summer, like once I reached a point where they had worked on stuff for like a long period of time, and they weren't new to the role, I was just like, okay, cool, I don't need to, like, I might only need to check this at the end point, I don't need to like, Be over your shoulder and monitor and check everything like, you know, you're doing like just when it's done send it over I'll give you comments and then we can go from there.

But I think it's just that It's just knowing you don't have to like be embedded in like everything that's happening And  just you can delegate and like allow that to happen  But I think it's also like I don't stick to it. So it's not the best I'm giving this advice because I need to take it on myself, but it's like having those days of breaks because I feel like, especially, and that's one of the reasons why I do like my work schedule now.

So I work part time, I only work three days of the working week, and for me I like it because Before, like you said, like when I was trying to pick up the mic full time or like even like do loads of stuff and pick up the mic as well as work at nine to five. Yeah. Like it was just tiring. There were days where like, um, I was working at Brunel at the time, so there were days where I would like come back home.

Uh, and I didn't even live in campus, so like neither bru now. So I was, it would take me like maybe an hour and a half to get home. Yeah. Uh, and I'd be staying late, so I'd finish at five. I'd do like maybe one or two podcast recordings coming back at like nine. Um, it got to a 0.1 time when like. I was, uh, using camera equipment.

So then I was like carrying massive suitcases across London and it was just a lot, but  I think it was like what you said, like having those days of like rest and just saying like, okay, cool. So like  every Sunday, like I'm gonna like not.  Workloads and pick up the mic. Well, I'm gonna just do like the bare minimum if there's something that's like there's an emergency Yes, I'll work on it.

But outside of that I can wait Um, and then yeah, finally, uh, which sort of links to the days of rest and the delegation is like utilizing the tools that are available so I've told people and funnily enough, it's either going to be the episode before this or the episode after this I mentioned it like A lot of social media apps now allow you to schedule, they allow you to like pre make your posts.

So it's something that I need to, like, be more less reactionary and more like planning stuff. So, uh, for some of the posts that we do, I do schedule them, but it's just like making that more like, An apparent thing that we do and just being like, okay, cool, I'm going to schedule. So it might be like, okay, Saturday, I'm going to work on a content plan for the following week.

I'm going to schedule all this stuff to come out at different times. And I'm just going to know that doesn't mean like come Wednesday morning. If I haven't done a post, I'm now like panicking and running around or I'm just like really concerned. I'm like, no, I've already scheduled it. All I might do is just like put it in my story, um, or like reshare it.

Um, but I'm like, cool. The post is out. I don't need to like think about it actively.  So yeah, those would be my three things. Nice, yeah, thank you for sharing that. You're very welcome. Um, we now come to the MC of the Month, organisation, individual, related to the topic that we've discussed. Uh, I think one, the, the, the, there is, I think there's one that I've got to shout out, because a friend of mine recommended it, and I think it sort of links into the argument of, uh, as we mentioned, like, therapy, like, outside of university, not being cheap.

Um, so,  we, uh, like,  Like this podcast, uh, you will have either previously seen or about to see, like, we, uh, do have affiliate links with, like, BetterHelp, so we do mention to people that, especially because it's, like, I've used it myself, it's like an online therapy app, um, you get access to, like, a wide range of therapies, but also, I know, like, like you mentioned, like, financially, it might not be accessible to everyone, um, so one that my friend, uh, friend of mine, Samuel, recommended, um, was the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy, um, so So they're an organization that provide, like, ethical guidance and support for mental health practitioners, but also it's something that you can get involved in as yourself.

You can look through either your borough, um, if you want to do it in your workplace, you can look through that borough, but you can also, so you can look up the, um, The therapist or the practitioner you can book sessions with them So it doesn't so whereas with like stuff like that to help it's like a monthly payment So you've got like those preset like the money's gone out the account and you've got set amount of sessions You can have with them in that month  With the BACP,  it's more like oh if I just need a one session I'll pay for the one session and if I want to go back I can then go back when like Um, so yeah, so I definitely would recommend that, but also outside of that, I think they're not, it's not necessarily like an individual, like an organization, but also check out your workplace.

So I know through my workplace, they have like, That's a mental health service that we get for free, um, they offer, they do offer like counseling sessions, but they also said like, if you just need someone to talk to you, like we have an online chat, we have email, we have like a phone call that you can do, um, and yeah, I guess one final organization that, uh, you know, funnily enough, actually through, like I knew about the organization outside of work, but through work, I've seen that like people have left out like pamphlets from them is the Samaritans.

So, uh, they're an organization, again, they offer like. Support to people it's more of like if you want a conversation, so it's less about giving you advice more about like guiding you on your decision making but uh book, um, you could they're open 24 7 I think the phone number is 116 123. Um, but yeah, if you give them a call they will Basically, like, get back to you and, like, speak to you about, like, what you're going through, how, like, your day's been, and then they'll offer that advice based on, like, what you've said.

Ah, sorry. They'll offer you advice, but they'll allow you to, like, come to decisions, so it'll be more of, like, asking you questions of, like, okay, so You know, what do you think are your next steps, or how do you feel that, you know, you want to go about the situation based on what you've shared, um, which I know from, like, not only, like, my own experience with therapy, but I know from people that have discussed it, people who, like, friends, uh, who, like, use therapy, like, they have said that sometimes, and this isn't, like, me saying all therapists are like this, but, like, they have said that sometimes they've met therapists that they've had to unmatch because it's been like, Oh, you should do X, Y, and Z.

And you have to do this, this, this. And they were just like, well, no, I want us to come to therapy as someone that could guide me with my decision making rather than telling me what to do. Um, so yeah, so those are all like examples that I've mentioned. Um, As always, uh, we can put the link down if you guys want to know a bit more, um, but yeah, definitely feel free to check out all of them.

Um, but yeah, before we wrap up, we always have the takeaway section, which, as I always joke, uh, we, I, I, I know I keep mentioning we'll get sponsored, we will get sponsored by a food person at some point, I've said it too many times on camera to not be held accountable. But, um, yeah, we, we offer a message for you to go home with, um, and I think it's been really great, like, discussing mental health is something that we really love.

Um, I might have to like, pause the tape. Actually, I might, first time ever, I'm going to customize the takeaway. So, um, essentially I was going to say, mental health is really important. It's also, as I mentioned, we're recording in November. I think I'm going to like, double it up. So I would say, what is a message based on everything we've discussed?

So that you would like always go home with, but specifically, I think like when it comes to men's mental health, that in itself can be its own podcast episode and can be a whole discussion on how  that's perceived. But I think in addition to like what advice you would give to people who have listened to or like have watched this episode, what takeaway message would you say as we're literally at the end of November, what is a session, what, what's the takeaway you would say for people?

We're caught up in. mental health. It can be advice for men who maybe want to discuss mental health. Uh, it can be advice in general about like just people who want to sort of support partners, brothers, friends. Um, yeah. What advice would you give? I would say as early as you are able to.  Keep an eye out for men who represent the type of masculinity that feels healthy to you  and build a relationship with them.

Because I think it's really important to have role models. We don't always have those within our immediate family or close network. Um, and it's, it's just the, the most accessible way to learn, um, coping mechanisms by someone who is, um, Five, ten years ahead of you, um, who has a lifestyle that you may not have the language for it and to say, Oh, this person has, you know, good mental health tools, but you might look at the way that they're living their life and saying, you know, as a young man, this is someone who I would like to be like, don't be afraid to reach out for them, reach out to them because a lot of, um, You know, men are open to supporting younger men.

So I would say, yeah, build yourself a, a team of advisors, whether they be virtually or in person, don't be afraid to reach out. And that can be your first point of call. And then professional help and, you know, all these other things and amazing resources that you've mentioned today. But yeah, I would say build yourself a team of solid men.

Yeah,  perfect. And for anyone who's like, listen, So the, what about, would the advisory be the same, like holding that advisory and support group? Yeah, I think, um, you know, outside of that, because that's not always accessible, some people, um, for a myriad of reasons, you may not be able to, to have five or more people, but even if you just have one person, who's your first point of call, um, and then second to that, getting professional help.

Yes, there are really long waiting lists, NHS. Um, if you're a student, as I said again, please utilise the free therapy that's available to you. Um, almost every secondary school, college, university will have some form of wellbeing support that you can access free of charge. Um, and they, they have to  support you.

So don't feel like you're, you're putting anyone out of their way. Um, so yeah, I utilize the support that's available to you, but also, um, make note of when you feel most at peace and most joyful. Like I try to make a note, even if it's just quickly in your phone or sending yourself a voice message. Um, and just saying, like, I, I had a really good day today.

What was it about my day that made me feel at peace or joyful and do more of that? Hmm. Yeah, perfect. Um, yeah, I've got nothing else to say. Um, uh, but I mean, I've got nothing else to say except, um, thank you. Uh, thank you for everything that you shared. It's been amazing to learn more about your business, your journey, but also the advice.

And like just discussing mental health. Um, I'm sure these guys loved it. I did. Uh, we, before we like wrap up and do our outro, we always give our guest speakers the opportunity to like share anything that's coming up. If there's any ways that you, people could connect with you, maybe learn more about the work that you're doing.

Um, anything that they should sort of like put in their diaries, whether it's this year or next year, what is the best way for them to, you know, wrap all up? Absolutely. So first of all, www. vivify. org. Therapy. com is where you can find our main services. Um, through that you're able to book a free consultation session and find out if myself or one of our team or therapists or coaches are a good fit for you.

Um, so I'd say definitely that the second thing, um, is more of an ask. So as I'm building out our new offering, flourishing founders, I'm looking for interns, um, who can support with social media management, um, any skills that you think would be, um, relevant to this. development of a digital platform. Um, if you think I've got something that you haven't even mentioned, please reach out to me, um, flourishing founders on LinkedIn, www.

flourishingfounders.  com. Um, there as well, there'll be links where you can contact me. Um, but LinkedIn's the best place, Priscilla Vivian on LinkedIn. Um, I'm really keen to have some intern support, um, and we can discuss what that looks like. So yeah, throw stuff at me. Um, and yeah, that's it really. Um, hopefully you'll see us at your university or college soon.

Um, and we'll be there delivering some programs. Thank you so much, Jeff. You're very welcome. Uh, and yeah, to our wonderful audience. Uh, if you like this episode, like, comment, subscribe. We always appreciate it. If you want to make sure that you don't miss it. any other episodes of the student guide or any other episodes on pick up my youtube video if you want to receive some merch you want to support the work that we do please do check out either our patreon page or our youtube channel membership which is linked down below and finally if you want to know about some of the other podcasts that we do whether it's our gaming one our anime or our sci fi and fantasy one Then head to the main YouTube channel to pick up the mic and you'll see all three listed at the top of the page.

Um, but yeah, we're going to close this chapter of the student guide. Uh, it's been great having you guys with us and we will see you all next time when we have a new guest speaker and discuss a new topic. So bye from us here. Have a great day. Bye.  Perfect. Thank you very much.