Dr. John Grohol
2012 Mental Health Hero Cartoon-A-Thon

Drawing done by Chato Stewart

I had the privilege to meet Dr. John M. Grohol, Psy.D. at the Alternatives Conference in Orlando this past winter.  It was the first time we actually talked in person, although we have communicated via e-mail since 2008.

I can truly tell you that he is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met – and I’m not just saying that cause he’s my boss!  Okay, maybe I’m saying a little of that because he’s my boss, but the truth is he’s one down to earth guy and extremely intelligent individual! Yet he does not talk down to you. He treats you like an equal and peer.

That is a very rare personality trait among extremely intellectual people.  Dr. John has been a mental health hero since I started blogging here at Psych Central (May 2010).

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Month’s Cartoon-A-Thon will be Dr. John Grohol’s 3rd Caricature ( Cartoon-A-Thon’s May 7 Mental Health Hero: John Grohol and Dr John M Grohol Mental Health Hero). I want to thank Dr. John for having me here at Psych Central.  I hope to continue to draw many, many, many more caricatures of my hero Dr. John Grohol!

Dr. John Grohol is an expert in online psychology and behavior, researcher, author and CEO & founder of the leading mental health and psychology network, PsychCentral.com. Since receiving his doctorate in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University in 1995, Dr. Grohol has worked tirelessly as an online patient advocate and publisher of independent, objective mental health information designed to reduce the stigma associated with these concerns.

Read his …

Julie Hanks
2012 Mental Health Hero Cartoon-A-Thon

Drawing done by Chato Stewart

A self-proclaimed “social media junkie,” licensed psychotherapist Julie Hanks, LCSW was recently recognized as the #1 online depression influencer by ShareCare for her extensive work promoting mental health resources online.

Hanks has over 20 years in the mental health field, providing outpatient psychotherapy services to children, adolescents, adults, couples and families with complex mental health and relationship problems.

In addition to providing therapy and serving as Executive Director of Wasatch Family Therapy, she writes for PsychCentral’s Ask The Therapist and Private Practice Toolbox, and for her own site JulieHanks.com. Mrs Hanks’ down-to-earth professionalism makes her a sought after TV and media contributor.

She recently appeared on TLC and Discovery Health and has been quoted in national publications including Women’s Health, Parenting, Cosmopolitan, E!, Social Work Today, and others. Ms. Hanks also consults with private practice therapists around the world to help them embrace technology and create a practice that is good for their own mental health. Her most valuable experience has been in the trenches of family life for 23 years as wife and mother of 4 children.

Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec
2012 Mental Health Hero Cartoon-A-Thon

Drawing done by Chato Stewart

Dr. Ryan M. Niemiec is an author, licensed psychologist, and educator. He is Education Director of the VIA Institute on Character (www.viacharacter.org), a nonprofit organization where he leads workshops around the world on the science and practice of character strengths.

Ryan is co-author of Positive Psychology at the Movies: Using Films to Build Virtues and Character Strengths (2008) and Movies and Mental Illness: Using Films to Understand Psychopathology (2005; 2010), and a number of book chapters and articles.

He’s Associate Editor of the journal PsycCRITIQUES, Consulting Editor to the Journal of Popular Media Culture, and is Chair of the Media Watch Committee for the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Ryan Niemiec also blogs at Psych Central:

Character Strengths is a blog about positive psychology and figuring out how to best use your inherent character strengths and the positives of your personality.

He’s a proud new father to his son Rhys, runs half-marathons and plays tennis in his spare time, and has collected hundreds of Pez dispensers.

Today,  many of us so intertwined with technology that, at times, we can reap some serious consequences when combined with psychiatric disorders. Yes, there is technology that can be beneficial and tons more that is just a waste of time. We live in an age that has an “app” for everything; one app can identify Depression by reviewing your text and sequencing your writing with an algorithm that can “conclude”  to what degree you may be depressed.

Then, there are apps and websites all about support and recovery that could be very beneficial to the newcomer and/or the veteran of mental illnesses – such as the writers here at Psych Cental!  Yet, every one of these so-called technological improvements can be abused. Especially if you’re dealing with mania and/or dealing with  hypersexuality (sex addiction) too.
Hypersexuality and “FAILED” technology
Here’s an email I received the other day that is a perfect example of a “FAILED” technology.  It’s from someone who obviously admires me and from all the X’s and O’s I would think she is in love with me. She expresses it by saying:  “I want you so bad you are my only wish!”

Walk for Mental Health Awareness – Mental Health Heroes

I got the month off on the right foot, drawing 11 heroes and their children at my local NAMI walk. I wrote about this day in my post entitled: Mental Health Matters – Mental Health Heroes.

I was honored once again to have this blog post mentioned on Psych Central’s World of Psychology blog: Best of Our Blogs: May 10, 2011 (May 10, 2011).