Community hosts free wellness events during Mental Health Awareness Month

JACKSON, Wyo. — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Jackson Hole is offering free services and events to promote mental wellness.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, since its inception in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has addressed challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions. This national movement is dedicated to eradicating stigma, extending support, fostering public education and advocating for policies that prioritize the well-being of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, Teton County Library, in partnership with Heart Revolution Therapy and Counseling and the Teton County Health Department (TCHD), is presenting a literary discussion featuring topics in Susan Cain’s latest book: Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole.

The event will be held on Thursday, May 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Teton County Library in the Ordway Auditorium. This event is free but registration is required as space is limited. The Teton County Library has limited copies of the book available now. If participants are unable to get a copy of Bittersweet and still want to attend, they can listen to the two-part podcast on Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us. 

Cain states about the book, “Light and dark, birth and death—bitter and sweet—are forever paired. If we realize that all humans know sorrow and loss, as well as joy, we can transform personal and collective pain into creativity, spirituality and love.” 

According to Public Health, the discussion will explore the book’s theme of “bittersweet” and how it fits into the spectrum of human emotion. The event will be facilitated by Leann Dzemske, MsC., LPC, ATR of Heart Revolution Therapy and Counseling. Dzemske will use art activities to expand on the book’s themes of emotion and creativity. The Teton County Health Department will share Mental Health books, assessments and resources featured on the platform CredibleMind. 

The Wellness Health Collaborative will also host a series of free discussions in May. The Collaborative offers its monthly Redefining Wellness Discussion Group on Wednesday, May 1 at 12 p.m. The group will discuss articles, book chapters, podcasts and other forms of media focused on redefining what “wellness” means. May’s topic is how to remove weight as a metric of health and focus more on the things that allows one to feel truly “well.”