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David Woods Bartley

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY” Learning the Language of Mental Health In this WORKSHOP, attendees will learn: 1. How to leverage curiosity to create a space of understanding. 2. The well-intentioned things we often say that are harmful to others. 3. How to recognize the hidden need behind a person’s words. 4. A variety of expressions that are helpful to someone suffering Mental health is not the privilege of a select few, but rather the birthright of us all. And yet mental illness is one of the greatest health crises our society has faced in decades.The impact is massive, and the ripple doesn’t stop at the front door where we work, worship or live, it moves inside. But there is a way to halt the flow and help those we live alongside to journey from mental "hellness" to mental wellness, and one of the most powerful ways is to leverage the power of language. Words have great power, and can be used to convey support, reflect empathy and even help facilitate healing. But, when it comes to the issue of mental illness, we often hold our mouths shut for fear we will say the wrong thing and make matters worse. Instead of stepping forward to voice our support and understanding, we either stay silent or avoid the conversation altogether. But what if there was a simple way to know what to say and thus let go of our fears? This workshop teaches how to harness the power of words so we can most effectively speak support into the lives of those living with mental illness.   LOCATION & DIRECTIONS  Suggested love offering: $20 BIOGRAPHY Currently, David is a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the International Association for Youth Mental Health, the National Storytelling Network’s Healing Story Alliance, and Active Minds. David holds certifications in Mental Health First Aid for Adults and Youth, SafeTALK (Suicide Awareness for Everyone), and is a national trainer for the groundbreaking suicide prevention technique known as QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer). David has been invited to speak before a wide range of domestic and international audiences, giving keynote speeches and leading workshops on a variety of aspects of mental health, including suicide awareness and prevention, the power of connection to create hope, and the use of language as a tool for healing. In addition to giving a TEDx talk in the fall of 2018, David has been invited to present to organizations such as the United States Food and Drug Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers, Novartis, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Lyft, Sutter Health, Vision Service Plan, the University of Connecticut, the California Northstate School of Medicine, UC Davis, Sacramento State, William Jessup University, along with various faith denominations, law enforcement agencies and community organizations at the local, state and national level.