[Tanya]

Thank you, Dr. Hayes, for sharing such a powerful and deeply personal testimony. Your willingness to transform unimaginable loss into a ministry of hope is a remarkable example of compassionate leadership. By honoring your mother’s legacy through the Ethel Hayes Destigmatization Mental Health Scholarship and your ongoing advocacy, you are helping to create conversations that can change—and even save—lives.

I especially appreciate your recognition that addressing mental health requires an integrated approach that includes our mental, spiritual, physical, and relational well-being. Your work within the African American community, combined with your commitment to educating faith leaders and creating safe spaces for honest conversations, is helping to dismantle stigma and foster communities where people feel seen, heard, and supported.

As you continue this important work through your scholarship and Time of Healing Solutions, I encourage you to consider how the principles of Mental Health Coaching can further equip the faith leaders and communities you serve. Empowering others with practical skills to recognize concerns, respond with compassion, connect people to appropriate care, and walk alongside them with hope can multiply the impact of the foundation you have already built.

We would love for you to return to the forum and share how your work continues to grow. Please keep us updated on the conversations you’re having, the lives being impacted through your scholarship and ministry, and the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Your leadership and testimony are an inspiration to this community of Mental Health Coaches, and we look forward to seeing how your vision continues to bring hope and healing to others.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a comprehensive and inspiring coaching plan. It is exciting to see how thoughtfully you’ve aligned your vision for a Mental Health Ministry with your church’s mission of restoring and transforming lives. Your plan reflects intentional leadership, careful preparation, and a genuine desire to build a sustainable ministry that will serve both your congregation and the broader Honolulu community.

I especially appreciate your strategic approach to building a strong foundation—engaging leadership, creating a trusted referral network, and equipping current church leaders through Mental Health Coach training. Your experience in healthcare, combined with your understanding of your church’s ministries and community needs, positions you well to help establish a ministry that is both compassionate and well-connected to appropriate resources.

As you continue developing this ministry, I encourage you to think about what your first year of success will look like beyond launching the program. How will you measure the impact on your congregation and community? What stories of hope, healing, or restored relationships will help demonstrate the value of this ministry? Those reflections can help guide your vision as the ministry grows.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your project progresses. Tell us how your conversations with leadership unfold, what you’ve learned while building your referral network, and how your first team of Mental Health Coaches develops. Your experience can provide valuable encouragement and practical insight for fellow Mental Health Coaches who are working to establish ministries of hope, healing, and compassionate care within their own faith communities.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and organized referral process. Your plan reflects the importance of creating a clear pathway so individuals know how to access support while ensuring the process is both welcoming and well-coordinated.

I especially appreciate your emphasis on communication, the intake process, and confidentiality. These steps help build trust from the very beginning and provide a safe foundation for participants entering a support group. Having a designated point of contact and ensuring coaches are prepared before the first meeting also demonstrates excellent planning and collaboration.

As you continue developing your referral protocol, I encourage you to think about what happens if someone is not an appropriate fit for a support group or requires a higher level of care. How will they be connected with trusted community resources or mental health professionals? Planning those referral pathways in advance will strengthen your ministry and ensure every individual receives the support that best meets their needs.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your referral process develops. Tell us what you’ve learned as you begin implementing it, what feedback you’ve received from participants, and any adjustments you’ve made along the way. Your experience can provide valuable guidance and encouragement to fellow Mental Health Coaches as they build welcoming, compassionate, and effective ministries of care.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a practical and compassionate plan. Your desire to educate your faith community while equipping them to respond with confidence and empathy reflects the heart of Mental Health Coaching. By helping others recognize when someone may need support and understand the appropriate next steps, you are creating opportunities for your community to respond with compassion rather than fear.

I especially appreciate how you are drawing from your experience serving the homeless population. That perspective gives you a unique opportunity to help others better understand the realities of mental illness and encourage them to see each person with dignity, grace, and hope. Sharing your trusted referral network is also a valuable way to connect individuals and families with the support they need.

As you continue developing your final project, I encourage you to think about how you will engage your congregation in ongoing conversations beyond the initial training. What stories or experiences have strengthened your passion for serving this population? How might those experiences inspire others to become more involved in creating a welcoming and supportive faith community?

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your project progresses. Tell us how your congregation responds, what you’ve learned through these conversations, and what impact you’ve seen as people become more confident in supporting those experiencing mental health challenges. Your journey can encourage and equip fellow Mental Health Coaches as we work together to build communities of compassion, understanding, and hope.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful reflection. You’ve highlighted an important aspect of Mental Health Coaching—understanding that while we cannot control another person’s choices or circumstances, we can control how we show up for them with compassion, professionalism, and consistency.

I especially appreciate your insight about active listening, maintaining a nonjudgmental presence, and the importance of healthy boundaries. It’s encouraging to see how this training has expanded your perspective, particularly regarding note-taking during the early coaching sessions. Being open to learning and adjusting our approach is an important part of becoming an effective Mental Health Coach.

As you continue developing your coaching skills, I encourage you to reflect on how your own experiences have shaped your understanding of trust and boundaries. How will you create an environment where clients feel safe, respected, and empowered while maintaining appropriate coaching limits? Those insights will continue to strengthen your coaching relationships.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how these principles influence your coaching practice as you begin serving others. Tell us what you’ve learned, what has challenged you, and how you’ve grown through this process. Your reflections can encourage fellow Mental Health Coaches as we continue learning, supporting one another, and building communities of hope and compassion.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and inspiring vision. Your mission to serve as a bridge between faith and mental wellness reflects the compassion and hope at the heart of Mental Health Coaching. Recognizing both what you can influence and what is beyond your control demonstrates wisdom and a healthy coaching perspective.

I especially appreciate your commitment to creating safe spaces, partnering with faith leaders, and consistently showing up for others with empathy and encouragement. Culture change doesn’t happen overnight, but your willingness to educate, build relationships, and model openness can have a lasting impact on your faith community and those it serves.

As you continue developing your final project, I encourage you to reflect on how your own experiences have shaped this mission. What first inspired your passion for helping others? How will you invite people into conversations that feel safe, welcoming, and free from judgment? Those personal connections often become the foundation for lasting change.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your project progresses. Tell us what conversations have begun, how your faith leaders and community have responded, and what you’ve learned along the way. Your journey can encourage and inspire fellow Mental Health Coaches as we continue working together to build communities where people are seen, heard, supported, and connected to hope.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing your vision for reducing stigma within your faith community. While your plan is brief, it reflects the core mission of a Mental Health Coach: educating others, creating a compassionate environment, connecting people to appropriate resources, and equipping others to respond with confidence during times of crisis.

I especially appreciate your focus on empowering others with practical tools. When people understand how to respond with empathy, listen without judgment, and recognize when a referral is needed, they become an important source of hope and support within their community.

As you continue developing your final project, I encourage you to think about how you will put this vision into action. What educational opportunities will you create? How will you engage your faith leaders or ministry teams? Are there personal experiences that have shaped your passion for helping others? Reflecting on these questions can help strengthen your plan and increase its impact.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your project progresses. Tell us what you’ve implemented, what you’ve learned, and how your faith community has responded. Your experience can encourage and inspire fellow Mental Health Coaches as we continue building communities where people feel safe, supported, and connected to hope.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a meaningful reflection. You’re absolutely right that ending stigma often begins with one courageous conversation. Your commitment to educating yourself and others is an important step toward creating a faith community where people feel safe to talk openly about mental health and seek support without fear of judgment.

I especially appreciate your focus on being intentional with your words and helping others recognize how media and everyday conversations can influence perceptions of mental health. Speaking with compassion, sharing accurate information, and creating opportunities for honest dialogue can help replace misconceptions with understanding and hope.

As you continue developing your final project, I encourage you to think about how you can turn these conversations into ongoing opportunities for learning and connection. How might you engage your faith community through a discussion group, educational event, or personal testimony? Those personal connections often have a lasting impact and encourage others to share their own experiences.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your project develops. Tell us what conversations have started, what you’ve learned along the way, and how your faith community has responded. Your experience can encourage and inspire fellow Mental Health Coaches as we work together to build communities where people are met with compassion, understanding, and hope.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and relational approach to reducing stigma. Your plan recognizes that meaningful change often begins with creating spaces where people feel safe to be authentic, heard, and supported. Those intentional conversations can help transform the way a community views mental health.

I especially appreciate your emphasis on leading by example, integrating simple emotional check-ins into everyday interactions, and partnering with faith communities and other organizations to expand awareness. Your focus on using compassionate, inclusive language and combining education with practical tools reflects the heart of Mental Health Coaching—meeting people where they are and helping them take their next step toward hope and healing.

As you continue developing your final project, I encourage you to think about how you’ll create opportunities for ongoing engagement beyond the initial workshops or gatherings. What conversations do you hope people will continue having? How will you help participants feel confident supporting others while recognizing when to connect someone with additional resources?

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your project unfolds. Tell us which conversations had the greatest impact, what you’ve learned from your participants, and how your community has responded. Your experiences can encourage and inspire fellow Mental Health Coaches as we work together to build communities where people feel safe, valued, and supported.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful reflection. You’ve captured an important principle of Mental Health Coaching: an effective referral network is built with intention, not simply by collecting names. Your focus on creating a resource that truly reflects the needs of your community demonstrates both compassion and a commitment to serving people well.

I especially appreciate your consideration of language accessibility, financial options, and the diverse needs within your faith community. These details can remove significant barriers to care and help individuals and families feel more confident taking the next step toward support. A well-developed referral network is one of the most valuable tools a Mental Health Coach can provide.

As you continue developing your referral plan, I encourage you to think about how you will build relationships with local providers and keep your referral list current over time. You may also consider including community resources such as support groups, crisis services, and organizations that provide practical assistance, creating a more comprehensive network of care.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your referral network develops. Tell us what you’ve learned while connecting with providers, what resources have been especially helpful, and any insights you’ve gained along the way. Your experience can encourage and equip fellow Mental Health Coaches as they build trusted referral networks to better serve their own communities.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and practical overview of de-escalation techniques. Your response demonstrates that effective de-escalation is about much more than what we say—it also includes how we listen, how we communicate nonverbally, and how we help someone regain a sense of safety and control.

I especially appreciate your emphasis on active listening and preserving a person’s dignity. When we validate emotions, maintain a calm presence, and offer appropriate choices, we create an environment where individuals feel heard rather than judged. Those skills are foundational to the role of a Mental Health Coach and can make a meaningful difference during moments of distress.

As you continue developing these skills, I encourage you to reflect on how your own experiences have shaped your communication style. Which of these techniques feels most natural to you, and which would you like to strengthen? You might also consider how grounding strategies, such as guided breathing or the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, could complement your de-escalation approach when appropriate.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how you begin applying these techniques. Tell us what you’ve learned, which approaches have been most effective, or any insights you’ve gained along the way. Your experience can encourage and equip fellow Mental Health Coaches as we continue growing together in our ability to respond with compassion, wisdom, and hope.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a compassionate and inspiring vision. It is evident that you have a genuine heart for serving adults with special needs and recognize the unique opportunity to provide support that honors their dignity, strengths, and individual needs.

I especially appreciate that you’ve thoughtfully assessed where your faith community is today—recognizing both the readiness to begin and the need for additional training. Your plan to equip leaders through **Empower**, adapt **reImagine** to meet the needs of your ABLE ministry, and establish a strong referral network demonstrates a well-rounded understanding of the Mental Health Coach’s role. Meeting people where they are while adapting resources to best serve them is a wonderful example of person-centered coaching.

As you continue developing your project, I encourage you to think about how you’ll tailor your coaching approach to accommodate different learning styles and abilities. What modifications might help participants engage more fully? How have your experiences serving in the ABLE ministry shaped your passion for this work? Those insights can become some of your greatest strengths as you build this ministry.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your project progresses. Tell us how your leadership team responds, what adaptations have been most effective, and what you’ve learned while serving your ABLE ministry. Your experience can encourage and equip fellow Mental Health Coaches who are seeking to create welcoming, supportive faith communities where every individual is valued, heard, and connected to hope.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such a well-developed and thoughtful plan. Your approach reflects a strong commitment to educating your faith community with both compassion and accuracy. Beginning with your pastoral leadership and small group leaders is an excellent way to build a foundation for a culture that responds to mental health with understanding and hope.

I especially appreciate your intention to consider the different cultural perspectives within your multi-ethnic congregation. Recognizing that beliefs and experiences surrounding mental health can vary across cultures will help you present the information in a way that is both respectful and meaningful. Your background as an educator is a wonderful strength that will help make complex topics approachable and engaging for others.

As you continue developing your project, I encourage you to think about how you might invite dialogue in addition to providing information. What questions do you anticipate from your leaders? How might personal stories or testimonies complement the facts and help people connect with the message on a deeper level? Those conversations often become the catalyst for lasting change.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how your educational sessions unfold. Tell us what myths were most common, what conversations emerged, and what you learned from engaging with your leadership and congregation. Your experience can encourage and equip fellow Mental Health Coaches as we work together to build faith communities that respond with compassion, wisdom, and hope.

[Tanya]

¡Gracias por compartir un proyecto tan completo y bien fundamentado! Tu propuesta aborda de manera clara varios de los mitos que, por muchos años, han impedido que las personas busquen ayuda y reciban el apoyo que necesitan. La educación es una de las herramientas más poderosas para reducir el estigma y fomentar una cultura de comprensión y esperanza.

Me parece especialmente valioso que presentes la salud desde una perspectiva integral, incluyendo el bienestar físico, emocional, relacional y espiritual. También es muy importante que ayudes a diferenciar los mitos de la realidad y expliques que los trastornos de salud mental son comunes, tratables y que, en muchas ocasiones, requieren un enfoque colaborativo que incluya atención profesional, apoyo espiritual y una comunidad que acompañe con empatía.

A medida que pongas en marcha este proyecto, te animo a seguir reflexionando sobre cómo puedes involucrar activamente a los participantes. ¿Qué preguntas o inquietudes son las más frecuentes en tu comunidad? ¿Cómo podrían los testimonios o experiencias personales ayudar a fortalecer el aprendizaje y derribar prejuicios? Esas conversaciones suelen ser el punto de partida para transformar la manera en que las comunidades de fe responden a la salud mental.

Nos encantaría que regresaras al foro para compartir cómo avanza esta iniciativa. Cuéntanos qué temas despertaron mayor interés, qué mitos encontraste con más frecuencia y qué aprendizajes obtuviste durante el proceso. Tu experiencia puede animar e inspirar a otros Coaches de Salud Mental que también desean construir comunidades de fe más informadas, compasivas y preparadas para acompañar a quienes más lo necesitan.

• This reply was modified 1 week, 4 days ago by  Tanya.

[Tanya]

Thank you for sharing such an honest and deeply personal reflection. It takes courage to acknowledge the impact of past experiences while also recognizing the ongoing journey of healing and growth. Your willingness to examine what is—and isn’t—within your control demonstrates meaningful self-awareness.

I especially appreciate your insight that we cannot control other people, only how we respond to them. As Mental Health Coaches, one of the most important lessons we learn is to walk alongside others with compassion, encouraging and supporting them without trying to take responsibility for choices that belong to them. That balance of empathy, healthy boundaries, and hope is a powerful part of the coaching relationship.

As you continue reflecting on this topic, I encourage you to consider how your own journey has shaped the way you’ll support others. How have these experiences strengthened your empathy, your ability to listen without judgment, or your understanding of healthy boundaries? Those personal insights can become some of your greatest strengths as a Mental Health Coach.

We’d love for you to return to the forum and share how these principles influence your coaching practice as you continue your final project. Tell us what you’ve learned about empowering others while respecting their autonomy and what has helped you grow along the way. Your story can encourage fellow Mental Health Coaches as we continue learning, serving, and growing together.