Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittney Moses.
Brittney, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a Los Angeles native and born and raised California girl at the heart. And I currently study psychology at UCLA and research assist at UCLA’s Semel Institue for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Right now, I’m working on a research thesis around trauma and anxiety, so as you can imagine, that’s been an endeavor, but one that is definitely worthwhile. Most of the work I get to do is around the advocacy and awareness of mental health challenges both in the community and online. It’s been an honor to walk with the stories of those around me while growing through my own journey. I’ve had the opportunity to become a certified recovery support group facilitator with NAMI (the National Alliance of Mental Illness) and recently act as a Certified Crisis Counselor with the National Crisis Text line, especially considering the spike of mental health stressors during the time of both a pandemic and the outcry of social justice issues. I have a passion for not just studying mental health but being hands-on and proactive with people, as much as I can.
Looking back, there was definitely a time where I would not have foreseen that I’d be doing what I’m doing now. I was moving back home from living in Dallas, Texas for a couple of years as a newly single mom. Let’s just say I found myself in a position where my very young marriage at the time didn’t go as planned. That’s a long story made very short. I had to start my life over after living off a friend’s couch and I really didn’t know what that looked like. I struggled severely with anxiety and trying to grasp some sense of control over my life. I ended up sitting through some support groups and deeply valuable mentor sessions at my church alongside a season of therapy. I was always the high-functioning and efficient person who helped others, but this time I was on the other side and I needed help getting back on my feet- both mentally and practically.
Prior to this, I’d been serving in the church for years, particularly with the youth. And what I ran into time and time again were teens and young adults struggling severely with mental health crises; often to the point of suicidal ideation. This is not so surprising knowing what I know now, and that’s that research has shown for over 20 years that individuals under psychological distress will go to their church or clergy before they ever step foot to a mental health professional. It makes a lot of sense. Your church community is usually like your family, an easily accessible support system, and a place you can rely on for strengthening your spirit.
However, after navigating my own pitfalls and being on the frontlines of responding to the crisis of those around me, I grew a deep passion for researching the dynamics of mental health that I was missing. I wanted to merge the conversation between both the mental health world and the faith community. A lot of what I do now is at the intersection of faith, culture and mental health for these reasons. Growing up in a diverse Los Angeles taught me early on to value cultural dynamics and comprehensiveness when it comes to each individual. So how mental health issues affect marginalized communities and the stigma surrounding them is something near to my heart. This led me to go back to school not too long after to pursue Clinical Psychology. All of that to say, this work comes from a deeply personal place but also a very hopeful place.
My online platform mostly started from writing about the challenges that I saw and what I was learning about the psychological science of mental health. From there, I launched my podcast, The Faith and Mental Wellness Podcast, where we have real conversations with both mental health professionals (therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, researchers, etc.) and those with lived experience for a deeper understanding and practical advice. That in itself has been an additional learning experience for me.
This brings me to today where I find myself passionate about pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology, primarily with the goal to act in partnership with public health for the at-risk and underprivileged. I’d like to play a role in the therapy, prevention and treatment of individuals who struggle with emotional problems, life crisis, and behavioral and psychological disorders. Whether this be through working in clinics, authoring published work and research or educating the public, I do feel that I am made for this work. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else.
Has it been a smooth road?
I wouldn’t call it a smooth road, but I worked very hard and I took a lot of leaps of faith. I still am. I’m not ashamed to say that. I’ve had to face all kinds of fears and doubts each step of the way. It was intimidating to start my life over as a young single mom and sit in a season of unknowing before I put the pieces together and got a vague idea of what I wanted to do with my life. It was intimidating, the idea of going back to school after having been out of school for almost ten years, and having to recondition my brain into taking tests, writing academic papers, studying rigorously, etc. My life just didn’t look like most of the people around me, especially those my age, and I didn’t know what I was capable of accomplishing until I stepped out and did it. I’ve had to manage being an invested mom while working (thankfully from home), studying in school and taking on other projects for my academic goals like research assisting or serving my community in some way. The good thing about living back in California is that I have both sides of my family here and friends who are all very helpful and supportive to step in when I need them- mainly my mom.
It was intimidating at first when people started asking me to come speak publicly or tell my story at their event or in a theater full of people I didn’t know. More opportunities and responsibilities meant more chances I’d come face to face with anxiety. I’d feel the heart pounding, the stomach-dropping, the rapid breathing and the sense of wanting to shrink instead of expand in moments I know I’m called to show up. I’ve learned to be okay with letting these feelings rise and fall like a wave. To see them as my body preparing me to face a new challenge, instead of something to run from. The more I move through the fear instead of run, the more the anxiety eventually desensitizes and I feel like myself again. Over the past couple of years, I’ve committed to saying yes to things that bring me in direct contact with my fears; choices that have stretched me past my comfort zone for sure. I’m grateful for this today.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
When I’m not writing or contributing to various online publications about mental health advocacy and awareness, I do a lot of public guest speaking and sharing for events, churches and media interviews. It’s really a privilege and an honor that people would want to hear what goes on in this head of mine, ha! My personal social media (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter) and The Faith and Mental Wellness Podcast, have been a driving force in sharing a lot of the aspects of mental health that I’m passionate about discussing with the public.
The thing is, I read a lot of academic research in my studies at UCLA and, honestly, these articles would be very dense and difficult for the average person to sort out. It can be difficult for me! I’m not saying that people aren’t capable of reading them, but many of these academic journals can be hard or unaffordable to access on top of being heavy to read. That being said, I really find myself being in a position of trying to mediate this information as best I can to those following me. I want to take the research information and make it human, make it accessible and understandable for the everyday person and practical in the sense of what it means for their daily life experience. In faith communities, I really want to help articulate how the mental health science and recovery process can coexist with being a person of faith.
I also think that representation matters. Being a black woman and coming from a culture where mental health just isn’t really talked about or can be stigmatized has really been a special endeavor.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I will forever stand by the fact that I love, love, love the diversity of our city. I grew up with friends of every nationality, every background, and socioeconomic status and I wouldn’t trade the comprehensive perspective it’s given me about the world for anything.
I love the variety of things we can do here and experiences we can have. You can literally drive to the beach one day and drive up to the mountains the next. Los Angeles is very alive and active. There’s always something to do or some new place to explore and that keeps life exciting. I love traveling and then I get to pause and remember that there’s still so much in my own city that I have yet to experience.
I love the cultural attitude of Los Angeles. I feel like people here are both very driven and ambitious but also very laid back and casual, very big on prioritizing their health and wellness. I joke that it’s all the beach air that’s gone to our heads, but I love it.
If I could change one thing about our city, it would be what I think most people would say, and that’s the amount of traffic. With all the current self-quarantining, it’s not as bad as usual. But prior, when I was living in the Antelope Valley during school it could take me up to 3 hours in traffic to get to class on time as a commuter. It was pretty painful but you also learn to adjust and throw on a good podcast or audiobook along the way. I finished a lot of audiobooks on my commutes and that was pretty cool.
Contact Info:
- Website: BrittneyMoses.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/brittneymoses
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrittneyAMoses/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brittney_Moses
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrittneyMoses
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