Title: Navigating Grief and Loss: Championing Others While Caring for Oneself
Date: Friday , July 28th, 2023
Time: 9:00am-11:00amCST//10:00am-12:00pmEST
Presenter: Mekel Harris, Ph.D., NCSP, PMH-C, CAGCS
Description:
Supporting the health of others is necessary in order to promote individual and community well-being, in addition to being an honorable undertaking. This is particularly true when providing support to those who are navigating loss, who benefit from emotional validation, practical care, and community. Nevertheless, as a supporter, it is equally important to extend similar validation, care, and community to oneself. The current presentation seeks to highlight potential scenarios that infant mental health and early childhood professionals may face in their roles as community providers, particularly focused on loss. Further, the presenter will offer micro- and macro-level perspectives with regard to loss impact. Finally, the presentation will outline practical strategies for providers to consider as they simultaneously champion others' needs and engage self-care.
Biography:
Dr. Mekel Harris received a B.A. in Psychology from Baylor University, M.A. in Psychology from Houston Baptist University, and a Ph.D. in Clinical/School Psychology from University of Houston. Further, she completed her pre-doctoral internship and two-year post-doctoral fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Since then, Dr. Harris has served in higher education, along with community- and hospital-based mental health programs. She currently works in private practice as a licensed psychologist and CEO of Harris Psychological Services, LLC, offering mental health support across the lifespan. Dr. Harris also provides training, education, and consultation to organizations around the globe, focused on an array of mental health themes. Finally, she is co-founder of Bloomwell Partners, LLC, a consulting firm that equips corporate entities with the skills necessary to afford grief-informed leadership and care within the workplace.
Throughout the past decade, Dr. Harris has presented at >30 domestic and international conferences and has been interviewed on several podcasts, with topics ranging from grief and loss to community mental health and trauma. In June 2016, she authored a memoir, Relaxing Into the Pain: My Journey Into Grief & Beyond. Throughout the past two years, Dr. Harris has created The Grief Anatomy Toolkit – an e-book and mini-course, an 8-week immersive online course, Re-Imagining Life After Loss, and Mindful Grieving, a therapeutic curriculum for coping with grief and loss.
Dr. Harris has been featured as a mental health expert on FOX13 Memphis several times throughout the past three years and has published articles in Equanimity Magazine, Healthy Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, Wondermind, Mental Health Talk Magazine, SheKnows, and Urban Media Today. She has served in a similar capacity on WYXR Crosstown Radio 91.7’s Real Talk Memphis. Dr. Harris has also contributed to articles, as a mental health expert, in Washington Post, Care.com, and SELF. Finally, she currently serves as Vice President of the AIMHiTN board. In her personal time, Dr. Harris enjoys spending time with her family, traveling the globe, writing, volunteering in her community, and collecting all things butterflies.