My name is Michele Nelson, and I host the Strength Beyond Struggle podcast. We bring you mental health stories from the frontlines. Our heroes, both young and old, have faced mental health challenges, and they’ve come out the other side, determined to help others. During the pandemic, depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts doubled among teens. The rates have since dropped – but they’re still scary. That’s why we want to help the struggling kids and their friends and loved ones so they know what to do. 

Perhaps 20% of us have the wiring for a mental health condition, which makes us vulnerable to an environmental trigger. That can include trauma, abuse, injury, or illness. Unfortunately, it’s tough to talk about all this in schools. There are a lot of roadblocks to reaching kids in the schools because they need to be careful what content is discussed. So, this podcast reaches out to parents on behalf of their kids. 

We will introduce you to the youth and adult presenters who are sharing their mental health journeys. We’ll also talk to experts about mental health – and its impact on kids, parents, and families through data and research. 

We love these kids. Their strength inspires us. We want to help parents help them. Because one thing we’ve learned. The journey to healing starts when we end the silence.