One big thing that we have all been learning more and more the more technology advances and the more time we spend on our electronic devices is that health is both physical and mental. Mental health is much more important than many people think it is, and the people you follow, share, and like on social media can take a toll on your mental well-being.
Luckily, there are many mental health influencers out there who are using their time online to help make sure all of our time online is spent a little bit better and even a little bit healthier. Mental health influencers teach us how to navigate this scary thing we call life a little bit easier.
1. Dr. Nicole LePera
Dr. Nicole LePera was trained in clinical psychology at Cornell University and the New School for Social Research and studied at the Philadelphia School of Psychoanalysis. LePera is a holistic psychologist focusing on the connection between mind, body, and soul.
2. Cinema Therapy
Jonathan Decker, a licensed therapist, and Alan Seawright, a professional filmmaker, comprise the Cinema Therapy team. The duo breaks down your favorite characters, movies, themes, and plots to find things you can use to improve your mental health.
- Instagram – 1M Followers
Self-care is for everyone was founded on World Kindness Day 2018 by mental health influencers Sasha Aronzon-Martofel, AJ Martofel, and Jonathon Martofel. The mission behind the Self-care is for everyone brand is to normalize conversations around mental health and to provide gentle reminders (via the beautiful art on all of their clothing pieces) of people’s inherent self-worth by emphasizing the importance of self-care.
4. Jameela Jamil’s I Weigh
According to the Instagram bio for I Weigh, “I Weigh is about radical inclusivity so that no one ever feels alone.” I Weigh is a movement to ensure that people know they have value beyond the amount they weigh.
5. The Sad Ghost Club
Next up is The Sad Ghost Club, a team of creatives creating comics that promote knowledge and compassion about the many different sides of mental health. The Sad Ghost Club team believes togetherness and acceptance are the keys to understanding our minds.
6. Wednesday Holmes
Wednesday Holmes is a London-based illustrator, designer, writer, and queer community organizer with Voices 4 London and Far and Pride. Holmes has taught a queer illustration tutorial for the Tate London and has had their artwork exhibited by the V&A and the Heller Gallery in New York. Their main project lives on Instagram, where they share artwork, photography, and writing about and for queer people to a global audience.
7. Jessie Paege
Jessie Paege is a YouTuber, actress, singer-songwriter, and mental health advocate. After recovering from an eating disorder, Paege started the “health is mental and physical” Instagram accounts separate from her main Instagram feed because of the backlash she started facing when discussing her recovery. Now, their platform is fully dedicated to mental health, especially for those with eating disorders and those who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
8. Alegra Kastens
Alegra Kastens is an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) specialist and a mental health educator in her therapy practice. She is a writer, and a host on the Sad Girls Who Read podcast and uses her social media platforms to spread awareness about what OCD really is and why making jokes about OCD can have incredibly harmful effects.
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9. Jessica Walsh’s Let’s Talk About Mental Health
Jessica Walsh started Let’s Talk About Mental Health after her struggles with mental health. She says, “Writing down my own story has been incredibly empowering and freeing. This has inspired me to start a website to collect these stories.”
10. Mickey Atkins
Mickey Atkins is a licensed therapist and social worker who “likes to yell about therapy things,” according to her YouTube About page. Her content mainly focuses on useful advice, feminism, fat positivity, social justice, and other mental health advocacy topics.
Concluding Thoughts on These Inspiring Mental Health Influencers
We hope these mental health influencers inspired you to practice self-care in a new way you never would have thought of before! Remember: health is physical and mental, and your worth is not measured superficially. You are always worthy, especially to us. Our mental and physical well-being enables us to be successful in life, so please remember to care for yourself. After all, there’s only one of you!
This article was written by Alyssa Micalizzi
