This Is My Brave - Stories from the Veteran Community

THURSDAY,
NOV. 10, 8 PM ET

DEAR FRIENDS,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY!
What a journey it has been since This Is My Brave produced its very first show in Arlington, Virginia, in 2014 – a show
inspired by our co-founder and former Executive Director, Jennifer Marshall. I know that she and her partner, Anne Marie
Ames, never imagined at that time the success that Brave would realize. Since 2014, This Is My Brave has produced 81
more shows in 49 cities across the U.S. and in Australia. Story by story, This Is My Brave is shining a light on mental
illness and addiction and helping end the stigma that has so long surrounded these issues.
The COVID pandemic presented us (and the world) with challenges we never could have expected. While our live events
had to pause, we at Brave were able to pivot our programming to a virtual platform and continue to offer inspiration and
hope to those who need it the most, maybe even those who didn’t need it before. As we all adjust to this “new normal,”
our society is finally understanding the need to prioritize mental health and wellness. And we at This Is My Brave are
here for it! Storytelling has and will always be a path to authentic connection and healing. We are especially proud to
have a platform in place where all stories can be shared and all storytellers can be affirmed and celebrated.
We are thrilled to host this very special virtual event! I am incredibly honored that this cast of amazing Veterans
has come together to be with us here tonight to share their powerful personal stories. I know their stories will bring
a new understanding of navigating mental health challenges following military service. Especially now, opening up
conversations in our Veteran communities about mental health through storytelling will have a lasting impact on all of
us. Whether you are a current military service member, a Veteran, or a family member or loved one of a Veteran, we hope
that the conversations you hear tonight will spark similar ones in your circles!
Every time a story is told — every time we shine a light on mental illness and addiction — we let someone know that
they are not alone. We can give someone the gift of hope and provide them with a sense of community based on
shared experiences.
YOU ARE A VITALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS STORY, TOO.
Mental illness does not discriminate. It could happen to you. It could happen to someone you
love. We need to acknowledge that mental illness is something that we may encounter in
our lifetime. We must break the silence that stigma has imposed on us and begin to speak
openly about our experiences. Together, we can work to end the stigma. We have come
so far in eight years, but we still have so much more work to do. There are millions more
stories to be shared, and we will start by sharing a few more on this stage here with
you tonight.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS JOURNEY.
Erin Gallagher,
Interim Executive Director
2

OUR MISSION
The mission of This Is My Brave is
to empower individuals to put their
names and faces to their personal
stories of recovery from mental
illness and/or addiction.
“So much power in real stories of struggle & hope.”
DAWN LITTLEFIELD, AUDIENCE MEMBER, DEKALB SHOW
OUR VISION
Someday, we will live in a world where we won’t
have to call it “brave” for talking openly about
mental illness. WE WILL SIMPLY CALL IT “TALKING.”
This Is My Brave, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is the leading platform for individuals to share their
stories of living successful lives despite a diagnosis of a mental illness or addiction. Our main event is This Is My
Brave - The Show, a live stage production featuring a cast of individuals who use the performing arts to share their
stories and inspire others. We’re opening up the conversation about mental health disorders in communities all
across the country.
www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 3

Great Science
Deep Compassion
Real Impact
Working together
to address addiction,
serious mental illness
and cancer.
For more information about
Alkermes, please visit:
www.alkermes.com

AbbVie remains committed to bringing
together the bipolar I disorder community.
Visit GettingHereToThere.com to learn how advocacy
organizations, musicians, music lovers, and others come
together to reduce stigma and raise awareness of mental
health. While you’re there, sign up to be notified about
additional support and resources.
GettingHereToThere.com
UNB148562 07/21

THE
SHOW
We believe in the power of storytelling to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness. This
Is My Brave - The Show is a live theater presentation of touching essays, original music, poetry,
and comedy created and performed by individuals living with – or loving someone with – a mental
illness. Our storytellers are here to inspire you to find hope in your own challenges or give hope to
someone you love who may be facing similar circumstances. This Is My Brave is honored to work
with volunteer production teams around the country to produce these shows in order to normalize
conversations about mental health, break down stigma, and offer hope.
ORDER OF SHOW
Tonja Myles, Zachary, LA
Elias Munoz, El Monte, CA
Bethany Ryan, Leesburg, VA
Greggory Jenkins, Humble, TX
Sarah Alder, Dillon, CO
Tiffany Freeze, Hagerstown, MD
Ernie Mariscal, Brawley, CA
6

BRAVE AUDIENCE ETIQUETTE
Please DO take out your cell phones during performances and
SHARE on your social media platforms that you are watching!
SHARE your photos, favorite lines or takeaways using the hashtag
#STORYTELLINGSAVESLIVES and tagging us @THISISMYBRAVE
Help us tell the world that we’re here, and you’re watching!
Laugh at the funny, be comfortable with the sad,
be inspired by the resilience.
Need a break during the show? We understand. Things can get heavy.
Please exit quietly, and let your friends and family know that you’re okay.
We’ll be here when you’re ready :)
THIS IS MY BRAVE’S 2022 NATIONAL SPONSORS
www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 7

TELL THEM
I’M BRAVE
In July 2020, we launched our first singer/songwriter
theme song competition and were so impressed with the
touching songs that came in. Ultimately, we had to select a
final winner, and we landed on “Tell Them I’m Brave” which
was submitted by Natalie Layne and Phoebe Scott, recent
graduates of Belmont University in Nashville, TN. While
we’re still using Sara Bareilles’ song “Brave” at many of our
shows, we love having our very own anthem! Be sure to
follow the artists on Instagram @natalielaynemusic and
@phoebeisloud, and download the song on iTunes today!
THIS IS MY BRAVE
MERCH SHOP
Are you looking to add some #BraveGear to your wardrobe?
Check out our new merch shop, and wear your Brave for all
to see! We update the options frequently, so be sure to check
back often. Visit our website to order yours today!
8

A NOTE
FROM THE PRODUCERS
Thank you for joining us for this very special show, This Is My Brave - Stories from the Veteran
Community. We are so very proud of this group of individuals who have stepped forward to be Brave
with us and share their stories of managing their mental health while living well and thriving as
proud Veterans.
We hope that you are inspired by what you see tonight and that you will take this show as a call to
action to start conversations within your own circles about Veterans’ mental health. Silence is no
longer an option. The consequence of it is too great. Every Veteran deserves to know that they are
valued for their contributions to this great nation. We value them for who they are and what they
have to offer their communities and this world as a whole person! We’d like to thank our Brave
storytellers – Sarah, Tiffany, Greggory, Ernie, Elias, Tonja, and Bethany -- as well as our mental health
professional, Dr. Jan, for all they’ve done to make this show a success!
The This Is My Brave Team
www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 9

THE
CAST
SARAH ALDER
Sarah E. Alder (she/her) grew up in Ogden, UT with a large family. She
served in the Army from 2000-2008 and was deployed for Operation
Enduring Freedom (ORF) and Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) for the Salt
Lake City Olympics. Sarah completed two bachelor’s degrees at the
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) in Sociology and
Professional & Technical Writing. In 2017, she started working at the
Department of Veterans Affairs; concurrently, she served as President
of the only LGBTQ Veteran Service Organization (VSO) in the state.
Sarah continues to serve as a leader in the veteran community and
is extremely passionate about Mental Health Awareness, healing and
community engagement. She lives in Summit County with her wife,
daughter and many animals and loves public speaking, cycling, hiking,
coffee, and traveling.
TIFFANY FREEZE
I’m Tiffany Freeze, a Veteran with a struggle like many others. I spent
6 years in the Army as an Imagery Analyst, traveling to Colorado,
Afghanistan, and Germany. I experienced Military Sexual Trauma early
in my career and other trauma from deployment. For a long time I let
that control my life, but I found outlets to release that anger. Fashion
Design became my art outlet. Finding the right therapist and getting
the right medications. Sharing my story with others. I don’t let my past
control my future.
10

GREGGORY JENKINS
Greggory Jenkins was born in Jasper, Texas. As a young boy, his family
moved to Los Angeles, CA for several years before returning to Jasper,
Texas, where he attended Jasper High School. He participated in
many extracurricular activities such as sports and school leadership
organizations. Shortly after graduation Greggory enlisted in the United
States Marine Corps at 17, where he retired after over 20 years of
honorable service. During his various deployments, he served in combat
and humanitarian endeavors, while receiving a combat promotion and
the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Upon retirement,
Greggory found himself adjusting to various corporate environments
which both ended after a short period. His experience of a lack of
stability, the emotional rollercoaster of being unvalued, and a sense
of being no longer relevant, led him to start his businesses where he
can use his skills, experiences, and knowledge to help others. He has
spoken at many worldwide engagements concerning Substance Abuse
Recovery and Living a New Life. He was contracted by the State of
Louisiana’s Capital Area Human Services Department to work with men
who wanted to break from various addictions. He is a strong advocate
for higher education and is a student at the University of Houston. He
is a man of faith and currently serves his church. Greggory volunteers
with the All Glory Honor Guard of Houston for Veterans and enjoys
reading, fishing, coaching, and bowling; but his greatest passion is
helping others achieve their goals.
www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 11

THE
CAST
ERNIE MARISCAL
Ernie Mariscal is an inspirational speaker who endured abuse as a child,
experienced homelessness as a teen, and eventually dropped out of
high school. After facing a near-death experience that changed his life
for the better, he went back to school, graduated, and joined the United
States Army when he was 19 years old. Ernie proudly served his country
for 21 years with two deployments to Iraq. His first deployment was
from 2004 to 2005 with the 1st Cavalry Division; and his second from
2009 to 2010 with the 1st Infantry Division, as a combat advisor to Iraqi
forces. However grueling his life and military career had been up until
that point, Ernie was yet to face his most difficult task after retiring
from the Army in 2012—figuring out how to adjust to civilian life. Ernie
went through five different jobs within one year in his attempt to adjust
to normalcy, but severe depression slowly crept into his life. Ernie began
drinking heavily to cope with suicidal thoughts while his mental illness
consumed him, until fate stepped into his life one day in the form of
a phone call: A local high school administrator who had heard Ernie’s
story invited him to speak to a classroom about his military career.
The instant Ernie stood and spoke in front of those students, he felt
something he had never felt before—his calling. Ernie realized that day
that he was born to motivate and inspire others to do better in life.
Today, Ernie has spoken to staff at many corporations about Veteran
transitions and overcoming PTSD, workplace leadership, healing from
abuse, maximizing your opportunities in life. His motto is “ I am addicted
to inspiring the world!”
12

ELIAS MUNOZ
Elias Munoz served in the US Army from 2000-2013, 11B Infantry, SFC,
with the following deployments: Kosovo 4 Rotation, Operation Enduring
Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served in 101st Airborne Division,
Drill Sergeant Ft. Benning, GA, 2ID 4th SBCT. Currently, Elias works at VA
Long Beach Healthcare System, CA -Environmental Management Services.
TONJA MYLES
Tonja served in The Louisiana Army National Guard for 9 years as a military
police officer. Her military training and dedication to serve her state and
country enhanced her servant leader skills and ability to mobilize to action
quickly is a part of what makes her so successful today.
She is one of the founding members of The Bridge Center of Hope board,
which is the first crisis stabilization center in the city of Baton Rouge. She
is also trained in some of the country’s top suicide prevention programs
such as ASIST and SafeTALK.
Tonja gets her “hand on the pulse of the community “in her role as a weekly
radio talk show host for Cumulus media in Baton Rouge called The Tailgate
Show. She discusses topics related to her listeners’ concerns, with her
“real and raw”communication style. Tonja believes”it is vital to educate
and encourage others so that they can do greater works than I have
accomplished in my lifetime”.
Tonja’s message is that with proper treatment, family, friends support,
faith and self-care together it can equal to living a productive life. Her goal
is to reduce stigma and bring hope that recovery is real. She says that
her greatest accomplishment is being married to her husband Darren, of
twenty-eight years.
www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 13

THE
CAST
BETHANY RYAN
Bethany Ryan grew up in the Midwest and joined the Army shortly after
graduating from high school. She served for six years, with a deployment
to Iraq in 2005. She currently lives in Leesburg, VA with her partner
Mike and her two children, Natalee and Matthias. Bethany credits much
of her recovery to non-traditional therapy types such as music, art,
and equine-assisted. A piece of her therapeutic art titled, “Bursting
Out Of Silence” has been displayed at the Military Women’s Memorial,
Washington Dulles International Airport, and Library of Congress. She
has a passion in advocating for mental health awareness and reducing
the stigma that surrounds it. She believe silence is deadly and hopes her
story resonates with others in a way that normalizes conversations and
expressions of personal struggle. Learn more about Bethany and her
artwork at Bethanyryan-art.com
14

MENTAL HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL
DR. JAN LAUGHINGHOUSE
Jan Laughinghouse is a licensed clinical social worker and board approved
clinical supervisor, and license addictions counselor who serves in the
capacity of Executive Director at Capital Area Human Services. She has
over 22 years of experience in the treatment of substance use disorders
and has worked extensively with women, veterans, individuals with cooccurring
disorders, those who have experienced trauma and chronic
homelessness, and re-entry populations.
A North Carolina native, Dr. Laughinghouse received her B.A. in
Psychology from Bennett College, a Master of Social Work from the
joint degree program at North Carolina A & T State University and
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a Ph.D. in Human
Development and Family Studies from The University of North Carolina
at Greensboro.
Dr. Laughinghouse has served on the faculty at Guilford Technical
Community College, Bennett College, and Southern University. She
has successfully married her love of education with her clinical skills
to promote understanding of substance use disorders and to reduce
stigma by presenting to audiences at the LSU School of Social Work,
UNC-Greensboro, the Partners Ending Homelessness Academy,
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, East and West Baton
Rouge Sheriff’s Offices, West Baton Rouge Probation and Parole,
Rubicon/Huntsman, Nova Chemical, OHCC OPEN TALKS Conference, and
faith-based opioid forums.
www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 15

2022 SHOWS / EVENTS
• SEASON 1 OF OUR TURN TO TALK PODCAST AVAILABLE NOW!
• Live Productions of This Is My Brave - The Show this fall:
Sept 22 - Broward County, FL
Sept 25 - Los Angeles, CA
Oct 9 - Philadelphia, PA
Oct 16 - DeKalb, IL
Oct 27 - Eagle Valley, CO
• Virtual Productions of This Is My Brave:
Sept 29 - Stories from the College Athlete Community
Nov 10 - Stories from the Veteran Community
16

IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE HELP
PLEASE CALL 911
THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION
LIFELINE IS:
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
SUICIDEPREVENTIONLIFELINE.ORG
TAKE A MENTAL HEALTH SCREENING...
IT’S EASY AND FREE!
THE CRISIS TEXT LINE CAN BE ACCESSED
BY TEXTING:
STORY TO 741-741
Taking a mental health screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether
you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.
Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common, and treatable.
And recovery is possible.
We are thrilled to partner with Mental Health America, which offers 10 mental health screens.
You can share your results with your physician or health care provider.
TAKE A FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL SCREENING
TODAY BY VISITING:
HTTP://BIT.LY/BRAVESCREEN
www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 17

THIS IS MY BRAVE
LEADERSHIP
Photo credit: EmmiClaire Photography
ERIN GALLAGHER
Interim Executive Director
NATASHA WEST
Director of Marketing
Erin (she/her) is proud to be a part of the This is My Brave
team as Interim Executive Director. Following the suicide
of her son, Jay, in 2016, Erin and her husband became
passionate mental health advocates and have worked
tirelessly to influence policy on appropriate responses,
particularly in the public schools, to suicide warning signs.
She enjoys working with This Is My Brave volunteers towards
ending the stigma associated with mental health and
substance use disorders in honor of Jay. When Erin is not
working, she enjoys spending time at her alma mater, James
Madison University, visiting her oldest daughter, Lindsay. She
alsov loves logging hours with husband Tim while watching
fastpitch softball played by her youngest, Laurenne, who is a
student at Mt. St. Mary’s University in Maryland.
Natasha (she/her) joined This Is My Brave in 2022 as
the Director of Marketing, with more than eight years of
marketing experience in mental health and health care.
Prior to joining This Is My Brave, Natasha worked for various
mental health nonprofits as a digital marketing consultant
where she focused on data-driven strategy development.
Natasha received a B.A. in Communications with an
emphasis in Social Media and Communication Technology
and a M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from
West Virginia University. When Natasha is not working, she
loves backpacking, hiking, concerts, and planning future
travel with Peanut and Khaleesi (dog and cat).
KATIE GRANA
Director of Programming
Katie (she/her) was diagnosed with PTSD-induced anxiety
and depression after being robbed at gunpoint in 2010. Not
really understanding how trauma can have such powerful
mental and physical effects, her tipping point was losing
a friend in a car accident the following year. She spent her
20’s redefining herself and learning to heal through trauma.
Katie found This is My Brave after a close friend died by
suicide in June 2018 and quickly decided to produce a show.
This is My Brave was something she wanted to share with
her community. When a full time position opened up with
This is My Brave, Katie knew it was time to move from the
corporate world back to her roots in nonprofit. Katie lives in
St. Louis MO with her two dogs. She volunteers as a coach
for an all girls high school racquetball team. She loves
spending time with her friends and family - especially her
niece and nephew.
MARLON DELEON
Program Coordinator
Marlon (he/they) is a lot of things, and among them he is a
husband, father, disabled Navy submarine veteran, retired
grade school violinist, budding guitarist, aspiring writer,
recovering alcoholic, and strives to love all neighbors. In
2016 he took the stage in Valparaiso, Indiana for his first
This is My Brave Show. After that, his life was peaches
and unicorns forever. Actually, in some ways, it was just
the beginning. In 2017 he married his best friend, Andrea,
and later that year they welcomed their first child. 2018
brought them their second child, and 2019 brought Marlon
the diagnosis of Bipolar Type II. In 2021 Marlon shared more
of his story in the virtual APIDA Community show, and he
ecstatically joined the Brave staff in 2022. Marlon truly
believes that #StorytellingSavesLives and he will never
underestimate the importance of sharing the message that
it’s ok to ask for help.
18

THIS IS MY BRAVE
OUR FOUNDERS
Photo credit: Alicia Bruce
JENNIFER MARSHALL
Co-Founder
Jenn (she/her) was diagnosed with Type 1 Bipolar Disorder in 2006 at the age
of 26. She’s had four hospitalizations within five years – two in 2005 before any
diagnosis was reached, and two more because she was trying to protect her
newborn son (postpartum psychosis) in 2008 and her unborn daughter in 2010 –
and all were because she was unmedicated at the time. Writing her way through
life with a mental illness became her way of healing, and her award-winning blog
BipolarMomLife became an inspiration to many. Jenn created This Is My Brave
because she learned first hand how powerful and therapeutic it was to live
openly and not hide her diagnosis. She wanted to give brave individuals from the
community a platform through which to creatively share their stories of living with
mental illness to educate and inspire others. After leading This Is My Brave, Inc. for
seven years, Jenn stepped down from her role as Executive Director in 2022. She
lives outside Washington, DC with her husband and two children.
Board of Directors
Jessica Kennedy, Chairperson
Adam Bromberg
Dr. Kyaien Connor
Tammy George
Kristine Haataja
Ric Waldman
Advisory Board
Doreen Gentzler
Dr. Mark Komrad
Dr. Robert Post
Hayley Sherwood, PhD
Photo credit: Shoot Photo Inc.
ANNE MARIE AMES
Co-Founder
Anne Marie held a variety of PR and strategic communications positions throughout
her career, but her favorite job was creating and producing This Is My Brave. She
found her passion and her mission – to help others share their stories – and made
tremendous contributions to the organization from launching the initial concept to
strategizing on growth and expansion over the four years of her tenure. Anne Marie’s
sudden passing on August 23, 2017, was a shock to the many who loved her, and she
is deeply missed.
www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 19

THIS IS MY BRAVE
RESEARCH
KRISTIN KOSYLUK
Lead Researcher
Kristin Kosyluk is an Assistant Professor of Mental Health Law & Policy at the University
of South Florida in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. She also directs
the STigma Action Research (STAR) Lab at USF. The STAR Lab conducts communityengaged
research aimed at understanding and addressing the stigma surrounding
mental illness in order to promote recovery among people living with mental illness.
This past spring, Kristin served as the as the Production Manager for the This Is My
Brave College Edition: a OneUSF Production and has served as the lead evaluator of
This Is My Brave’s programming for the past seven years. Eliminating the stigma around
mental illness in order to promote treatment seeking and recovery and prevent suicide
is Kristin’s passion, fueled by her clinical experiences as well as her own experiences
with depression and anxiety and those of friends and loved ones. When Kristin is not
conducting stigma research or teaching the amazing students at USF about recovery
and evidence-based practices, her greatest joy is spending time with her husband,
David, and five-year-old daughter, Emma. Kristin is a lover of crafting, especially crochet
and dollhouse miniatures.
20

THIS IS MY BRAVE’S IMPACT
Since 2014, This Is My Brave has...
produced
80
shows
with over
900
storytellers
17,250+
audience
members
2022
College Edition - USF
New Hampshire
Broward County, FL
in 49 cities and 300k
Los Angeles, CA
2019
in the U.S. YouTube
Philadelphia, PA
High School Edition Pilot
and Australia video views
Stories from the College College Edition Pilot
Athlete Community* Baltimore, MD
New York City, NY
2016
DeKalb, IL
Concord, NH
Orlando, FL
Arlington, VA
Eagle Valley, CO
DeKalb, IL
Philadelphia, PA
Baltimore, MD
Stories from the
Houston, TX
Veteran Community*
Sterling, VA
Denver, CO - Spring
Orlando, FL
•
•
Denver, CO - Fall
Columbus, OH
2021
2017
Greenville, SC
Carroll County, MD
Stories from the
Bentonville, AR
Iowa City, IA
Black Community - vol 1*
Northwest AR
Boise, ID
Oklahoma City, OK
Stories from the
Boise, ID
Boston, MA
Valparaiso, IN
Black Community - vol 2* •
Canberra, Australia
Washington, DC
College Edition - season 2* 2018
Cedar Rapids, IA
•
New Hampshire*
Arlington, VA - Spring D.C. Women’s Summit, 2015
National Teen Show*
Arlington, VA - Fall
Washington, DC
Arlington, VA
Stories from the
Baltimore, MD
Des Moines, IA
Boston, MA
APIDA Community*
Bentonville, AR
Germantown, MD
Harrisburg, PA
BraveTV*
Bethesda, MD
Jacksonville, FL
Iowa City, IA
Brave Beyond the Stage* Boise, ID
Kansas City, MO
Los Angeles, CA
#BraveDays*
Boston, MA - Spring
Lewiston, ME
New York City, NY
•
Boston, MA - Fall
Los Angeles, CA - Spring
2020
Charlotte, NC - Spring Los Angeles, CA - Fall 2014
BraveTV pilot*
Charlotte, NC - Fall
Napa, CA
Arlington, VA
Napa Valley
Elkins Park, PA
Perth, Australia
& St Helena, CA
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Sedona, AZ
Houston, TX*
Iowa City, IA
Valparaiso, IN
St Louis, MO*
Lansing, MI
Washington, DC
Washington, DC-area* Los Angeles, CA
Wheeling, WV
Hampton Roads, VA*
Mullumbimby, Australia
* indicates virtual programming
New Hampshire*
www.thisismybrave.org 21
www.thisismybrave.org
@thisismybrave @thisismybrave 21

THIS IS MY BRAVE
HISTORY
FROM A BLOG TO A SHOW
In August of 2011, more than six years after Jennifer
Marshall’s bipolar disorder first surfaced, she decided
to start a blog. It became a place where she turned to
write about her life as a wife and young mom to two
small kids, and writing helped her begin to heal. She
titled it: Bipolar Mom Life. Jennifer wrote anonymously
at first, because she was afraid of being judged. She
also worried that disclosing her mental illness may make
future employment opportunities difficult. For eighteen
months, Jennifer wrote and found community online.
Other writers who were openly sharing their stories of
overcoming mental illness inspired her, and when she
landed her first paid writing job, Jennifer decided to stop
hiding behind a pen name.
When WhatToExpect.com published her first article with
Jennifer’s byline, it was also picked up by AOL.com (the
parent company). The outpouring of support and gratitude
when that piece hit the Internet with her real name was
overwhelming. She knew immediately that disclosing was
the right decision. She could finally talk about all parts of
her life, and not just the shiny, fun moments.
About six months later, Jennifer had the idea to launch
a theater show. A simple storytelling show where
individuals from the community could tell their stories
through creative expression to break down the stigma
associated with mental illness. She wanted to give
individuals from the community the same opportunity
she had – a stage on which to share their story of living
a successful life despite mental illness. Jennifer met her
Co-Founder, Anne Marie Ames, at a mutual friend’s party
and recruited her to help put the project out to the world.
Jennifer and Anne Marie launched This Is My Brave
on Kickstarter in October of 2013 and the excitement
surrounding the project grew and grew. They offered
tickets to the first show and handmade “BRAVE”
bracelets, among other items, as rewards for financial
pledges of support. Within 31 days, the campaign had
surpassed their goal of $6,500 to fund the first show,
ending up with over $10,000 in contributions. It was clear
that the community wanted to help bring this show to life
– they believed in the vision and Jennifer and Anne Marie
were dedicated to delivering an exceptional production.
After the success of the debut show in 2014, Jennifer
and Anne Marie began receiving interest from
individuals in other cities to bring the show to their
community. This Is My Brave, Inc was formed
as a 501(c)(3) and the organization began to
expand to new cities through the support of
volunteers willing to donate their time and
expertise to coordinate shows.
Photo credit: Jim Folliard
22

“I finally feel comfortable with my mental
health story in a way I never have before.
Like the power it used to hold over me is gone.”
ERIN TROIA, 2018 ARLINGTON STORYTELLER
FROM ONE SHOW TO NATIONWIDE + AUSTRALIA
Since 2014, This Is My Brave has produced more than 65
unique shows in cities across the United States featuring
over 800 storytellers sharing true, personal stories on
overcoming depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD,
psychosis, OCD, postpartum depression, borderline
personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder,
trichotillomania, anorexia, bulimia, sexual assault,
alcoholism, substance use disorder and more.
In 2017, This Is My Brave expanded internationally with the
help of mental health advocate Tim Daly, who leads our
NPO in Canberra, Australia – This Is My Brave Australia,
or TIMBA for short.
Jennifer and Anne Marie may have created the space
for these brave stories to exist, but This Is My Brave
wouldn’t be the incredible community it is if it weren’t
for all the amazing people who have bravely come
forward to share their stories. “It’s my opinion that we
won’t be able to end the stigma surrounding mental
illness and addiction until we put our names and faces
on our stories,” says Jennifer.
THIS IS MY BRAVE
IS DOING THIS
ONE PERSON
& ONE STORY
AT A TIME
www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 23

THIS IS MY BRAVE’S
PROGRAMS
THIS IS MY BRAVE IS MORE THAN JUST A SHOW...
• Opportunities for transformation and community building
• Youth and young adult initiatives
• Virtual programming
• Inspirational speakers bureau
• Integral research on the power of storytelling
VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO LEARN MORE
DESTIGMATIZING
MENTAL ILLNESS
ONE PERSON AND
ONE STORY AT A TIME
24

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www.thisismybrave.org @thisismybrave 25

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THIS IS MY BRAVE TODAY!
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WHAT YOU HEARD ON STAGE TODAY?
Are you ready to join the
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MENTAL ILLNESS?
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