Culturally competent mental health care is our priority both internally within our team and externally for our various communities. Taking care of our mental health through therapy and coaching should be as seamless as partaking in other wellness activities such as regular exercise, hair appointments, and hobbies.

We talk about our overall wellness effortlessly, yet many of us still carry stigmas when it comes to talking about our mental health wellness. In celebration of National Wellness Month, which focuses on prioritising self-care, reducing stress, and creating a sustainable lifestyle through active rest and healthy habits, we also advocate for mental health wellness as part of this.

Here at Tala Thrive, we really do practise what we preach. So, I reached out to some of our team members to ask them how they take care of themselves mentally in simple ways which can also inspire you (outside of therapy and coaching):

Fernanda Tolentino

“I try to read a very light book for 15 minutes every night before falling asleep. It distracts my mind from daily problems and gently snoozes me off to sleep.”

Sahar Yusuf

“I wake up and name three things I’m grateful for which gives me a much more positive mindset for the day.”

Gaurav Shah

“My morning yoga routine incorporates affirmations and positive thinking to guide my day. I do it as soon as I wake up.”

Lola Akinmade

“I go offline and read a physical book. I also keep a gratitude journal, pray, and listen to my favourite playlists on repeat. Since I am prone to overthinking, this helps me revel and feel fully present in the moment.”

Brian Wong

“I do positive affirmations. This means reflecting on the positives/accomplishments of the previous week, especially when I have a busy week ahead. I love spending time in nature at least once a week and if I’m on a work trip, I try to get out and do a hike/walk in nature. I take time to do an activity I enjoy destressing and allow myself to take breaks if I’m feeling overworked/exhausted.”

Sonia Kaurah

“I do a 3-2-1 rule: 3 hours before bed, no eating; 2 hours before, no drinking anything; and 1 hour before, no screens. I try to do yoga and breathwork in the mornings for 10-15 minutes when I can and acupuncture for stress relief when I really need to calm my nervous system.”

Are you ready to make your mental health wellness a priority?

Follow us on socials and keep up to date with how we can support your mental wellbeing journey. Be sure to sign up at Tala Thrive to join our community so we can connect you with the right therapist or coach.

Remember, we want you to thrive - mentally, physically, and emotionally - so you can start living the life you truly deserve.

Do you have any mental health wellness tips you’d like to share?

By Lola Akinmade

Let’s face it. No matter how much you try to walk in other people's shoes in a show of solidarity, their experiences are so unique that all you can really do is listen to their stories and offer your support any way you can.

Every July is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Awareness Month, and it focuses specifically on historically underserved and marginalised groups. It highlights our unique

experiences when it comes to discrimination, oppression, and systemic racism, which in turn, can create deep-seated individual traumas.

One thing we do know is that 17 million UK residents have culturally diverse backgrounds, and one in every four UK residents experience mental health problems annually. By spotlighting these issues throughout July, the collective goal is to create safe environments for BIPOC members of our various communities to thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and take care of our mental health.

When workplaces embrace individuals from diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities, they create a culture where everyone feels valued and respected for who they are. And this can be achieved through the power of community. Organising wellness activities can also help foster cultural awareness in therapy.

Fear can inadvertently deter people from seeking the therapy and coaching they need due to cultural insensitivity. This often acts as a barrier to mental health care, which in turn creates a stigma.

So, what is a mental health stigma? It is defined as a “negative or discriminatory attitude” someone has towards mental health. In some communities, it can be seen as a sign of weakness, while others see it as “airing your dirty laundry in public”, an often-used phrase when it comes to BIPOC mental health and therapy.

So, how can you be an ally and help raise cultural awareness in therapy within your own diverse networks?

Remember, many underserved communities come from cultures where there is still a stigma attached to therapy and external mediation. You can speak openly about your own mental health journey, which can in turn create an inclusive and safe space for others to share their own stories with you. While younger generations may be more comfortable speaking about their mental health, older generations may have lived through cultural generational trauma that impacts their ability to

speak, without shame, about their individual mental health journeys.

At Tala Thrive, we fully understand and prioritise cultural awareness in therapy. By acknowledging new perspectives from younger generations as well as traditional wisdom that comes with older generations, we’re also creating a safe space for BIPOC mental health through our platform. We match you to therapists and coaches who understand your culture, language and/or religion, and can provide culturally competent care and support.

Join our community and let us connect you with the right therapist!

Remember, we want you to thrive - mentally, physically, and emotionally - so you can start living the life you truly deserve.

By Lola Akinmade

In the UK, there’s a particularly disturbing stereotype within the health system that specifically marginalises and, ultimately, harms South Asian women.

Mrs Bibi or Mrs Begum syndrome  is a medical cliche that exists within British hospitals. Usually geared towards older South Asian women, it implies that members of this cultural group tend to exaggerate their symptoms. The name Bibi or Begum comes from the fact that many South Asians, specifically Pakistani and Bangladeshi, share that surname.

Studies have shown time and time again that Brown and Black women often aren’t taken seriously when it comes to their physical and mental health concerns. In a recent study on the aftermath of COVID, it was shown that the mortality rate of South Asians was 20% higher

once hospitalised.

The very existence of this stereotype underscores the importance of cultural awareness in therapy when it comes to dealing with various marginalised groups. From dealing with generational traumas to battling minority stress, both of which can take a physical toll on

the body, culturally competent care is crucial.

“No one using this term has ever intended to understand the health needs of this population in order to improve their public health,” says NHS doctor Dr Harun Khan in an article for Media Diversified. And the attempt to justifiably frame an ill-intentioned term, used solely to undermine the health complaints of minority women, in a positive light is orientalist at best.”

Feeling like you may be battling ill health is already emotionally taxing enough. Now imagine the additional mental health stress you have to endure when medical professionals you’re meant to trust don’t take you seriously.

In an article for MyLondon by editor Unzela Khan, she explores Mrs Begum Syndrome in depth. According to Khan, “South Asian women suffer due to racist 'Mrs Begum' stereotype from being laughed at by GP for trying to speak English to nearly dying of sepsis,” simply because their medical practitioners don’t take them seriously. In the same article, Dr Rima Saini, a lecturer in sociology at Middlesex University further explains that the persistence of the Bibi/Begum

stereotype and its reproduction (consciously or unconsciously) by South Asian doctors highlights the complexity of institutional discrimination in the NHS.

At Tala Thrive, cultural sensitivity in mental health and inclusive cross-cultural therapy is what we’re all about. Our platform matches you to experts who understand your culture, language and/or religion, and can provide culturally competent care and support. We also address the needs of this specific demographic as well - South Asian women and our therapists can provide you with the tools and language you need to confidently advocate for yourself the next time you pay your doctor a visit.

So sign up at Tala Thrive and let us connect you with the right therapist!

Remember, we want you to thrive - mentally, physically, and emotionally - so you can start living the life you truly deserve.

By Lola Akinmade

This was a question I recently posed to a dear friend who has been dealing with a lot of her emotions publicly. She had been getting sucked into fruitless debates online and expending energy trying to educate people who plan on remaining gleefully ignorant.

So, how do you protect yourself mentally? Especially as members of marginalized communities who are often tasked with the work of perpetually educating others?

If you’ve been following some of your favorite accounts and influencers on social media, you probably already know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM). While MHAM is celebrated around the world today, it was initially established in 1949 in the US as a way to increase awareness of the importance of mental health wellness. Beyond awareness, it also celebrates recovery from mental illness.

For more than 20 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) every May to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being and provide resources and information to support individuals and communities who may need mental health support - Source

So, going back to my initial question to my friend, this is one I also ask myself everyday. How am I honouring and ensuring my mental health today?

For me, it looks like starting my day with intention, removing myself from draining conversations online which never advance our collective education, taking adequate time off for rest and rejuvenation, burying myself in a good book, unfollowing/muting several social media accounts, and talking to my therapist every few weeks.

So, to kickstart your daily intentions and prevent mental exhaustion, our platform matches you to therapists and coaches who understand your culture, language and/or religion – for culturally competent care, so join our waitlist so we can connect you.

Remember, while May is our annual push to take care of ourselves mentally, it really should be our reminder to prioritize our mental well-being every single day.

We want you to thrive - mentally, physically, and emotionally - so you can start living the life you truly deserve.

By Lola Akinmade Åkerström

You’ve probably seen posts popping up all around social media celebrating “Earth Month” and urging us to celebrate our planet, reevaluate our relationship with it, and take sustainable actions towards protecting it.

This means world leaders and environmental activists come together once again to find solutions to combat climate change, minimize our collective carbon footprint, and actively conserve the earth’s natural resources.

While dedicating a whole month to pause and reflect is certainly a noble cause because it enables us to intentionally stop and think about how we’re protecting the earth, this is something we should be doing every single day.

We should take care of our planet’s resources through daily consistent steps which collectively have a positive impact. Mother Earth is all we have to nourish us and so we must protect her.

Now imagine if we applied this same reasoning to our holistic wellbeing.

If we actively paused to celebrate and protect our bodies every day? This means taking intentional time to prioritise our mental, emotional, and physical health. Putting this in practice could look like conserving our energy, time, and resources, and only allocating them in sustainable ways and within safe environments.

And how can we sustainably take care of our physical health and actively rest too? Nurturing our bodies and minds is essential to our self-development and renewal. Even the sun sets and rests for the night.

So, as we celebrate Earth Month, remember to also celebrate, nourish, and protect every inch of you.

If you feel like you’re struggling with this, we can support you on your journey towards self love and actualisation. Our platform matches you to therapists and coaches who understand your culture, language and/or religion, and can provide culturally competent care and support.

So, join our waitlist so we can connect you!

Remember, we want you to thrive - mentally, physically, and emotionally - so you can start living the life you truly deserve.

Tell us on Instagram, how do you harness your resilience?

By Lola Akinmade

As we celebrate the incredible achievements, historical importance, and modern tenacity of what it means to be a woman navigating this world, I want to take a moment to reflect on the word “resilience”.

Resilience is often described as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.

It is often seen as a certain toughness or grit that keeps you going and going despite all odds. This also means that some of the most resilient people have historically been and still are women in an inequitable world.

But the point I want to make is that resilience isn’t limitless.

The only way we can stay resilient is to keep replenishing it from its source. Our why. Our purpose.

We need to keep filling up in small ways every day through self-care and self-development, so we have a reservoir of resilience to pull from when the time calls for it.

Imagine this… A full pot of water is heavy. Sometimes it takes a lot more effort… using both hands… to pour all that hot bubbling passion out of it.

That pot is your reservoir, and we can keep it full by replenishing it from a source - your purpose.

If you’re struggling to identify your source of resilience, maybe it's time to talk to someone who can support you on that journey. Our platform matches you to therapists and coaches who understand your culture, language and/or religion – for culturally competent care, join our waitlist so we can connect you.

Because when we pour hope and empathy into others, we pour back into ourselves.

Happy Women’s History Month!

Remember, we want you to thrive - mentally, physically, and emotionally - so you can start living the life you truly deserve.

Tell us on Instagram, how do you harness your resilience?

By Lola Akinmade

At the beginning of each year, we often create long lists of resolutions with good intentions, but they can actually cause undue mental stress. I looked for an alternate solution which would allow me to accomplish all those wonderful things I set out to do in a mentally, emotionally, and physically sustainable way for me.

Every year since 2009, I have been picking a focus word instead of creating resolutions. Choosing a single focus word each year has allowed me to thrive, and at Tala Thrive, we want you to begin to fully thrive in life without putting additional pressures on yourself.

Lola Akinmade

My word for 2023 - “Grace” - created a seismic shift in the way I think about my mental health and holistic wellbeing. When I lived my year of Grace, it meant I was moving through life with harmony, presence, and alignment. It was a quality of being thoughtful and intentional. Of easing into decisions, opportunities, relationships, and situations with a lot less pressure on myself to show up perfectly. Of not being disappointed in myself if I missed a gym session or reached for an extra handful of crisps.

Living my year of Grace meant finding the right balance for me.

I was finally thriving in ways that were mentally sustainable for me. I was kinder to myself after failed decisions. I held space for people to feel completely seen and safe. I was growing in my craft and evolving emotionally.

This is also why, here at Tala Thrive, we’ve decided to choose a focus word each month starting with our month of Grace. You’re already living that word by giving yourself grace if your schedule slides a bit or plans you have put in place get delayed by a few days.

Each month, we’ll share tips, resources, and ongoing support to help implement our word of the month in your life. As always, we’ll also connect you to therapists or coaches who can support you in setting your intentions in a sustainable and manageable way.

Remember, we want you to thrive - mentally, physically, and emotionally - and so we’re here to slowly peel off those layers of constant hustling to survive, so you can start living the life you truly deserve.

Our platform matches you to therapists and coaches who understand your culture, language and/or religion – for culturally competent care, so join our waitlist so we can connect you.

Personally, I am still easing into the new year and letting it unfold naturally. Above all, the peace of mind that has come with this new pace has given me the space and grace to continue showing up as my authentic self in every situation, relationship, and circumstance.

So tell us on Instagram, what did you give yourself Grace for last year and how do you plan on giving yourself Grace this year?

By Lola Akinmade