When I was 16–17 years old, I faced severe mental health challenges while growing up in a family that didn’t believe in things like depression. Mental health was dismissed, treated as a weakness, and surrounded by stigma. Eventually, I was placed in an institution for children. While the quiet offered moments of relief, I longed for someone to truly listen without judgment.

When you’re put on medication, people often assume that’s all you need—and that it defines you. But medication is only one step in a much bigger healing process. You still have to work through your feelings, rebuild your self-worth, and learn healthy ways to cope. I will never forget the sting of comments like, “Did you take your meds today?”—as if emotions themselves were wrong.

I created Mentify Inc. to ensure children, teens, and young adults have a place where they feel safe, understood, and respected. A place to connect with others who have walked similar paths, to relax their minds, and to work with therapists who truly care.

My mission is to help those who have been through, are going through, or may face mental health struggles in the future. Mental health is too often brushed under the rug. Mentify Inc. exists to pull it into the light, to foster open conversations, and to remind every person: You are not alone.