Hi there,

I'm R.B., just a human trying to spread the message that we can survive, live, and thrive with our depression. I am a first-generation college student who graduated from Berea College with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health. After graduating I spent 6 1/2 years in clinical case management. During that time I worked with parents who had complex medical issues, substance abuse, and severe mental illness. I was in this sphere of healthcare when the pandemic hit. 

I've learned from meeting people in their vulnerability that there's a debilitating knowledge gap. This gap exists between someone knowing they have depression and having the tools and the confidence to face it with intention and bravery. That's where I hope I can empower people with the tools to survive, live, and thrive. 

Having this professional experience working with parents gave me a unique insight, but I also wanted to share what I have done to stay alive during the past 20 years of depression (it's lived rent-free in my brain). 

When I'm not writing, I'm tethered to a cup of coffee, dancing or training for races, spending time with family, and spoiling my rescue pittie Laney, and my cat Sir Butterbeer Sparkles Shacklebolt III