Disconnection from a values system, from sense of purpose historically found in community, strong family life, or religion, and the absence of deep and meaningful relationships are bigger drivers of emotional fragility and mental illness than is disordered brain biochemistry.

Interventions centered in principles of positive psychology (promoting mental wellness and human flourishing) tend to inspire more hope and action than approaches rooted in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness -- resulting in more compelling and durable outcomes.

Lifestyle interventions such as nutrition, exercise, sleep, breathing exercises, gratitude practices, and mindfulness practices are essential components of physical and mental wellness.

The body and the mind have miraculous abilities to heal themselves.

There is a powerful mind-body-gut connection that is underutilized in conventional medical treatment -- largely due to systemic design flaws and reimbursement limitations.

Nutrient deficiency is a root cause of many mental health challenges. Even the most disciplined diets lack essential vitamins and minerals (challenges with food supply chain, depleted soils, farming techniques, etc.) and consequently supplementation is essential. In many cases micro-nutrient solutions can be more effective than medications.

Coaching for encouragement, connection, structure, and accountability is often more effective and economic than medical or other therapy-centered interventions (at least, it is an underutilized extender). This has proven true in every population we have served.

Most of the benefits of coaching can be achieved more economically in cohort-model group settings if supported with individualized goal setting. Cohort-model groups also create relationships and peer accountability that is often missing for individuals dealing with mental health difficulties.

Some people need acute interventions like TMS, pharmaceutical therapies, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to help them get to a level of health where coaching and lifestyle interventions will be adopted and efficacious.

Data suggests that environmental or life stressors (acute or chronic) are more frequently the cause of mental/emotional disorders than biological deficiencies.

Insurance reimbursement is a barrier to accessing support for effective lifestyle interventions -- robust outcomes data is the key to addressing this barrier.

In recent decades there has been a harmful bias in traditional psychiatric practice that disordered thinking is a result of problematic brain biochemistry and that pharmaceuticals are the best way to address that.

We over-medicate for mental illness without a good enough understanding of what the medications do to our brains over the long-term -- especially in the developing brains of children.

Mental health can be diagnosed and treated virtually in most cases, however, having at least one in-person meeting early in a relationship accelerates "joining" that occurs between a provider and a patient/client.

The cultural belief that we should always be happy causes people to panic and assume something is wrong if they feel sad or discouraged -- but those feelings can be an important part of a rich and meaningful life.

Developing a sense of mattering through increased meaning -- development of self, relationships with others, and cultivating spirituality -- leads to durable mental and emotional resilience in the face of life's challenges that frequently are causal to issues of depression and anxiety.

Service to another person or to a meaningful cause (especially when done with other people) provides relief from depression and anxiety -- neurochemically and spiritually.