AFSP Podcast Channel

Although a traumatic brain injury can profoundly change someone's life, it doesn't have to be the end of the story. In this episode, Dr. Jill speaks with Dr. Lisa Brenner, a Board-Certified Rehabilitation Psychologist and leading expert on traumatic brain injury (TBI).

In this episode, Dr. Jill and Dr. Brenner explain why people who've suffered TBIs can subsequently experience depression and suicidal ideation, along w...

Grief is a complex emotion, and for many people, it can often be accompanied by feelings like shame or guilt. But grief can also co-exist with positive emotions like joy — and that’s okay. Everyone grieves differently, and grief can look different from moment to moment. It can also be a motivator to take action.

In today’s episode of Strong Talk, passionate mental health advocateApril Simpkins opens up to host Vic Armstrong about lo...

Mental health conversations are becoming more common in the Black community, but systemic barriers still limit access to care.

In this Black History Month episode, host Vic Armstrong speaks with Shahem McLaurin — a Black, genderqueer, licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and influencer — about the root causes of mental health disparities, and how a strong community can solve them. 

Shahem also shares their journey through grad...

When parents and children are raised in different cultures, they often have very different relationships with mental health—a generational gap that can make communication and understanding difficult. In this episode, host Vic Armstrong speaks with three members of UCA WAVES Youth Mental Health Collaborative, an organization dedicated to bridging these divides in AAPI communities.

Dr. Lily Chen is a first-generation Chinese immigrant...

If you’ve been on social media lately, you’ll notice more and more mental health professionals sharing advice. And while much of it is helpful, it raises an important question: where’s the line between content and care? 

Today, Vic sits down with Shani Tran, a licensed professional clinical counselor, author, and content creator, to explore this phenomenon. In their conversation, Shani shares how she started posting on social media,...

Do you know how many teenagers use AI chatbots for companionship? It’s more than you think. Today, Robbie Torney, Senior Director of AI Programs at Common Sense Media, tells us about his research and why his organization rates the use of chatbots by teens as "unacceptably risky,” in part due to cases that have led to suicide. He also shares practical advice for parents who want their kids to maintain a healthy relationship wit...

We’ve all heard the saying: “men don’t cry.” In today's Elevating Voices roundtable, we hear from three men who prove that being vulnerable and showing emotion is not only acceptable, but healthy.

Dan Egan, who lost his father to suicide, sits on AFSP’s National Loss & Healing Council; Anthony Gaddy, a passionate guitar player, is the President and CEO of the Upstate New York Black Chamber of Commerce; and Eh Doji...

A few years ago, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman learned that a growing number of young, Black people were dying by suicide. To learn more, she and the Congressional Black Caucus empowered a working group of experts to publish a landmark report titled “Ring the Alarm: The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America.” Today, we discuss its findings and recommendations for supporting young Black people’s mental health. 

You can read ...

When Dr. Jill started researching suicide 40 years ago, the consensus in the scientific community was that suicide could not be prevented. Now we know that this is false. In this episode, Dr. Jill and AFSP Senior Manager of Research and Dissemination Chris Munden discuss some of the research that has shown suicide may be prevented, at least sometimes, and they also share some of the practical methods that may help someone in a cris...

Most of the mental health care provided in the United States is in English. Yet many people in the US don’t speak English fluently. So, what happens when they need help? That’s the problem our guest, Dr. Pierluigi Mancini, has been solving since he created Georgia’s first Spanish-speaking mental health clinic back in 1999. But it’s not just about language. As Dr. Mancini explains, if you want mental health care to work in a specifi...

Join the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement Victor (Vic) Armstrong, MSW, for a conversation with Founder and Executive Director of Wellness Action Recovery, Inc., Fonda Bryant. In this episode of Strong Talk podcast, Vic talks with Fonda about her history with suicidality, and how lived experience has informed her suicide prevention advocacy and education efforts.

Strong...

In the latest episode of Strong Talk podcast, AFSP Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement Victor (Vic) Armstrong, MSW, talks with AFSP Minnesota Chapter volunteer Ray Stenglein about mental health and suicide prevention in the construction industry. In 2016, Ray lost his 16-year-old daughter Annika to suicide. In his conversation with Vic, Ray shares how he has transformed his tragic loss into lifesaving advocacy, especial...

The podcast is now in session! Join the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement Victor (Vic) Armstrong, MSW, as he speaks with Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren about her role as the pioneer of America’s first Mental Health Court in 1977, creating a human rights model dedicated to the decriminalization of persons living with mental illness. 

Throughout the discussion, Vic and Justice Wren ...

In this episode of the Strong Talk, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement Victor (Vic) Armstrong, MSW, speaks with Pastor Dr. François Tchidjé about their shared experience in a unique suicide prevention training conducted in Africa by AFSP and Soul Shop for Black Churches.

In March of 2022, AFSP partnered with Soul Shop Movement to convene a group of mental health experts w...

As the first Asian American male to anchor a daily, national cable news show (at CNN Worldwide), Richard Lui knows what it’s like to achieve great success while occupying space in a complex cultural environment. In this episode of Strong Talk, Vic talks with MSNBC / NBC News journalist Richard Lui, author of Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness, about topics including:

• the challenges of growing up Asian in Ameri...

We all know him as Leon, the outspoken and hilarious character on Curb Your Enthusiasm, his appearances in the Barbershop and Spiderman film series, Real Husbands of Hollywood, and as a wildly talented comedian. But J.B. Smoove also has a lot to say about mental health. In this two-part episode of the Strong Talk podcast hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement, Vic ...

We all know him as Leon, the outspoken and hilarious character on Curb Your Enthusiasm, his appearances in the Barbershop and Spiderman film series, Real Husbands of Hollywood, and as a wildly talented comedian. But J.B. Smoove also has a lot to say about mental health. In this two-part episode of the Strong Talk podcast hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement, Vic ...

In this episode, in recognition of Men’s Mental Health Month, Vic and his guest Keon Lewis discuss why men are often unwilling to talk about mental health, the need to create more safe spaces to address men’s mental health concerns, and the unique challenges faced by men of color.

About Our Guest: Keon Lewis first became aware of the need for suicide prevention and support for those affected when, as a student at the Unive...