Stutz, Shrinking, and the Hollywood Awakening On Mental Health.

I love discussing our mental health. The uniqueness of each person’s situation is fascinating to me. Even more than that, I love watching others unlock the key to understanding how they are wired and how to navigate that in their everyday lives.

Mental health as a topic has become popular in the last few years, I believe, with the help of the pandemic isolating us to be alone with our thoughts. “Hollywood” has picked up on this. No, the literal town, but the TV and film industry have noticed it’s a hot-button issue that hits us right in the feels.

Most critics cringed when an underground topic goes viral because they feel it loses its authenticity and becomes so easily distorted. While I agree to a certain degree, I couldn’t be happier that the discussion on our mental health has caught the attention of those who have our attention.

I have recently watched to completion “Stutz,” in which actor/comedian Jonah Hill sits down and discusses the topic with his long-time therapist, Phil Stutz. It’s a beautifully crafted film and strips back the curtain on therapy in a way that I’ve longed for. I have since bought Phil’s book, “The Tools,” which I’m excited to dive into.

Then there’s the AppleTV hit, “Shrinking,” starring Jason Segal and Harrison Ford. This may be one of the most perfect shows I’ve ingested in a long time. The writers, including Brett Goldstein of “Ted Lasso” fame, naturally humanize therapists and juxtapose their own issues against their clients’.

All of this to say, TV, Film, and mainstream media have begun releasing some great content to continue and deepen the conversation around our mental health, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Pay attention. There’s a lot to be learned and even more conversations to be had.