My name is Lydia Frey and I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. I’ve lived in the same house my whole life, just one minute away from the high school I attended, Turpin High School. I walked to school and after school activities every single day and had an enjoyable, supportive, and encouraging high school experience. I was a …
Finding Purpose Through Service: How Nonprofits Have Helped Me Cope with My Mental Health
Mental health can make even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming. For me, living with anxiety, depression, and ADHD means there is no quick fix or basic solution. Some days I feel motivated, productive, and excited about what lies ahead. Other days, just getting out of bed feels like an accomplishment. My mind races with anxious thoughts, and the hobbies and …
The Impact of Dance on Mental Health: A Personal Reflection
Thinking about my past with dance and its impact on mental health, it wasn’t always a positive relationship. I didn’t always have the space to express myself freely or receive full support and encouragement. Over time, however, I found a community that helped me rebuild that relationship. Dance became something I could turn to no matter what I was feeling …
Becoming Mom, Becoming Me
Becoming a mom has hands down been the greatest joy of my life, but it has also been one of the most humbling experiences. Like many new parents, I expected sleepless nights and endless diaper changes. What I didn’t fully anticipate was the emotional roller coaster that comes with postpartum life and the way motherhood would challenge me to rethink …
The Cost of Having it All Together: Unpacking the Fear of Failure
When I was 21 years old, like most young people, I thought I had it all figured out. On paper, my life looked like the blueprint for early success. I had just graduated from college with a dual degree in only three years, secured a job straight out of school, and bought my very first house. To the outside world, …
The Power of a Summer Soundtrack
Summer is here! That means different things to different people – pool days, family grillers, sleeping in (all of the above?). One thing that it means to me is a change in playlist. Listening to music has a profound impact on my mental health. It is a protective factor for me, meaning that it provides a buffer against stress, trauma, …






