CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In this women's history month, we're celebrating women: locally, across our state, nation, globally...Strong women who are making an impact. But strength is not always physical. It's mental as well.
According to the Office of Women's Health, many mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder, tend to affect more women than men, or affect women in different ways than men.
In this month's On Your Mind, we introduce you to two local women who by their own actions, are taking steps to flip the script on those stats by prioritizing mental health for not only themselves, but helping others to do so as well.
One of those women is Mariah Freeman. She moved to Corpus Christi from Missouri last year in a move that she says was a total "leap of faith."
She works as a CNA Senior with Christus Spohn Shoreline and shared that she's worked in healthcare for 11 years now: a job she loves, but says can be mentally and emotionally taxing at times.
So, she did something about it.
"It's not a big thing in the community in the Midwest where I’m from, you don’t really go to therapy, but it’s something I've always wanted to do," Freeman said. "It's helped me with achieving a work-life balance, but also while I’m at work, taking what I learn outside of work and bringing that into my environment and sharing it with my co-workers and my peers."
She says that going to therapy has made her more of a problem-solver.
"Before, I didn’t really know how to notice when there was an imbalance in myself: 'I feel odd today, I'm just gonna sit in it.'" Freeman said. "Versus now: 'I'm feeling odd today. I'm gonna get out of it.' I'm gonna notice what’s wrong with it, I'm gonna fix it by what I’ve learned, and then I’m gonna go about my day."
She started her mental health journey by going online to Psychology Today.
"And Crystal popped up, and I was like, oh okay this seems like my person!"
That's when she would meet Crystal Kitchen, a hometown girl turned licensed professional counselor and now owner of her own private practice in downtown Corpus Christi, Healing in Motion Counseling Services.
"I was curious about the way the mind works how people feel, how different experiences affect relationships, their goals and their ambition," Kitchen said.
In this Women's History Month, she shared what motivates her to help other women navigate their mental health and well-being.
"Most women want to appear very strong - which we are strong! But at the same time, why not be genuine and say – something’s wrong and say something’s hurting, I’m having some challenges. There’s nothing wrong with that," Kitchen said.
"Self-care is so vital – everyone – not just women, men, also children, taking care of themselves being in tune with what their feeling. Find a healthy space to go to. Find a professional to help you navigate self-care, your identity, trauma from the past...."
Kitchen, a Corpus Christi native, shared that she grew up in the Hillcrest neighborhood and attended Crossley Elementary when she was little and was at the time enrolled in a program that encouraged young students to learn about college at an early age and to one day achieve a college degree.
She shared her mother took it a step further, encouraging her to get not one, but two college degrees instead, which Kitchen went on to do. Kitchen also attributing her mother as a source of her inspiration to become a therapist.
She said her mother was a hair stylist for 30 years. A job that because of all the standing, would later lead to severe back pains. A struggle Kitchen said her single mother was open about.
"'Let me let you know what you I’m going through. We’re gonna be OK, but there may be some challenges in the road.' She was real. So, that just transformed into me – and transformed into my profession, just be real – you know? That’s how you connect with people," she said.
Kitchen's mother passed away last year, but a lesson she learned from her is something she implements in her practice everyday.
"She was present, and I think that’s a tribute to her being present with herself as well," Kitchen said. "I know that she’s smiling down, she’s proud of me."
To learn more about potentially booking an in-person or online session through Healing in Motion, click here.
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