My ‘One Word’ this week is: THERAPY

Think of all the terms that have changed in our lifetime, helping us better understand entire professions and concepts.

Human Resources → Talent management

Diet → Wellness

Stewardess → Flight Attendant

Language is constantly evolving and recontextualizing ideas in an empowering way.

That’s why I propose we rebrand “THERAPY,” starting with the name.

Perhaps a more welcoming, inclusive, and descriptive term, like “MINDSET TRAINER,” could cut through the stigma. Imagine if we thought of our mental health as something we can train, just like our bodies.

That shift could make it easier for people to take charge of their mental health with professional guidance because, let’s face it, what we’re doing now simply isn’t working.

How long do you think it takes from the onset of a person’s mental health struggles for them to do something about it?

This is the question Leslie Weirich asked me during our podcast conversation. Leslie’s son Austin died by suicide in 2016, and she has made it her mission to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

Whether or not you listen to our moving conversation, I’m going to share the answer because we all MUST work together to close this gap:

11 YEARS

As Leslie shares, what would happen if we waited 11 years to get our teeth cleaned by the dentist? Odds are, it’d be too late for a lot of those teeth.

So here’s my food for thought:

I resisted therapy because of the stigma and shame associated with this term! However, I decided to go after my wife’s advanced breast cancer diagnosis in 2011, and I had a breakdown. Even then, I didn’t tell a soul for years.

I still vividly remember scheduling my appointments for late in the evening. I’d parked behind a big tree near the back door so no one would see me.

My mind constantly raced with the consequences of people discovering my secret:

Would I be deemed an unfit parent if my wife died?

Would I jeopardize my career because people would lose fairth in my leadership?

Despite the incredible strides we’ve made as a culture talking about mental health, there’s still a cloud of stigma that surrounds this 7-letter word.

Rebranding the word “THERAPY” could be the next step toward ending the stigma.

Now when I share with my inner circle that I have a trainer for my body 𝐀𝐍𝐃 a trainer for my mindset, they say things like:

WOW! Good for you for taking control of the outside AND inside of your body.

My MINDSET TRAINER is making me a better father, husband, friend, son, and entrepreneur. Everybody needs a mindset trainer…period!

If you could rebrand “THERAPY,” what might you call it?

Please take the time to listen to this life-saving conversation with Leslie…it’s a real game changer.

#HOPE37🏈