Break|Through: How To Respond When Mental Health Shows Up with Carylynn Kemp Larson, PCC, PhD

We’re taught that coaching isn’t therapy, and that we shouldn’t cross that line. So when clients bring up anxiety, depression, addiction, or paralyzing overwhelm, our internal alarms go off. We don’t want to say the wrong thing, get in over our heads, or unintentionally do harm. So we do what we’ve been taught to do: we suggest talking to a professional.

The problem is, fear paralyzes most people — and instead of getting quality care, many will keep those struggles to themselves. Over time, that reluctance to be fully real becomes one of the biggest barriers to meaningful change. Perhaps it’s time to consider an alternative: staying in the conversation when mental health is in the mix.

In this provocative and compelling talk, Dr. Carylynn Larson, psychologist turned nonprofit founder and executive coach, helps us see that the biggest risk in a mental health crisis isn’t saying the wrong thing—it’s saying nothing at all.