Mental Health Storytelling

BRANDY MENEFEE

Writer, Producer, Director

Interviewer, Editor

Supervising Producer on Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me

I'm a nonfiction creative professional with a journalism degree who specializes in mental health storytelling and facilitating conversations about sensitive subject matter.

Whether it's Selena Gomez's feature-length mental health documentary, digital spots promoting Jewel's mental health app, a true crime or biography TV series, a reality show with a miscarriage story arc, nonprofit content, PSAs, media campaigns, or working with military veterans --

I bring out a high level of mental health storytelling expertise, insight, and sensitivity to every conversation, every edit, and every project.

“Brandy's ability to tell our complicated and painful story is nothing short of magical.”

Scott + Julia Starkey

Aware Awake Alive.org

MENTAL

For 20 years
I've been interviewing humans about sensitive subject matter:

patients, experts, advocates, victims, survivors
military veterans
recovering addicts
grieving families
mourning communities
college students
celebrities + civilians
from all walks of life

in their sacred spaces
sharing personal stories
about coping with:

trauma
grief / loss
addiction / recovery
depression
anxiety
mania
bipolar
OCD
PTSD
ADHD
psychosis
dissociation
schizophrenia
borderline personality
bullying
chronic pain
pregnancy loss
disordered eating
suicidal ideation
self-harm
suicide
paranoia
insomnia
overwhelm
panic attacks
loneliness
isolation
healing
happiness
fulfillment

HEALTH

I facilitate candid conversations about our mental health challenges – helping you share what you feel internally about your struggles and setbacks

Your thoughts, feelings, fears, triggers, obsessions,
darkest impulses,
and turning points

Details that viewers,
listeners + readers
crave
when seeking
comfort, connection
+ understanding

STORYTELLING

documentary tv + film
social media content
non-profit content
media campaigns
online magazines
website profiles
casting videos
testimonials
PSAs
promos
podcasts
memoirs

APPLE TV+
DISCOVERY+
PARAMOUNT+
FOOD NETWORK
NAT GEO
BRAVO
TLC
MTV
CMT
NBC

“I'm proud of the work.

I enjoyed working with Brandy because

she asked me great questions [that] forced me to dig a little deeper before answering”

Hector Garcia

mental health

storytelling

THE POWER OF BRINGING LIGHT
INTO TIMES OF DARKNESS

Even with the staggering number of people dealing with mental health challenges today, many of us hear “mental health” or “mental health storytelling” and we brace for heavy darkness.

The words “mental health” bring up images of depression, anxiety or loneliness. And we may feel that others experience those things, but "that isn’t my story."

And yet, according to the U.N., more than 1 billion people worldwide have mental health challenges.

Telling the right story around a person’s mental health is critical to authenticity and trust in your business. If you have something important to say about mental health, it’s critical to not exaggerate or oversell.

Normalizing mental health means getting honest about the spectrum it lies within. So if you need to tell a story about your brand and you want to share someone’s depression, does it mean you should show depression as a person crying, curled up in a ball on the floor?

Absolutely not. But that may be the oversimplified stereotype we’re used to.

As we think about mental health storytelling, the heart of it lies in getting real and honest about what mental health is.

Mental health lives on a spectrum. It ranges from mild to severe. It may be situated in times of life that are more difficult or challenging, or it may be a part of who you are on a daily basis.

Redefining mental health is at the heart of the mental health storytelling process. This is what allows people to move away from feeling that your mental health is a “life sentence” into something more compassionate and real.

How can you go from feeling stigmatized in your mental health to empowered? Part of that comes by reworking the story or the narrative you’re telling yourself.

Maybe you’ve experienced a break-up, grief, trauma, or addiction. Perhaps you have struggled to get out of bed, or felt isolated during a pandemic, or overwhelmed by your circumstances.

There are different levels of suffering – from mental health symptoms to diagnosed disorders – and every level of pain is valid.

By talking about the tough stuff and sharing “This is what it looks like, sounds like, and feels like for ME,” you are normalizing conversations about mental health, showing others different coping tools, and restoring hope.

I think about mental health storytelling like people think about product or service reviews – details make all the difference.

Getting you to open up and say, “I’m an alcoholic” is relatable material. But getting you to explain, “I’d fill a water bottle with vodka and drink it at work” is powerful and compelling.

It’s those details that help someone else (the reader, viewer, or listener) understand the message you’re genuinely trying to send.

It also helps other people feel seen in their moment of darkness. Which can lead to flickers of light and hope when someone identifies that they too feel stuck or misunderstood.

Here’s the truth – you or your brand don’t need an Olympic-sized survival story to have an impact. Your struggle does not have to be considered a top-tier crisis to qualify as “worthy.”

Different levels of suffering require different levels of treatment, self-care, and support. But it all counts. All suffering is valid. And the more we share our stories of darkness, struggle, and coping, the less we will question if our feelings are worthy.

As a mental health storyteller, I help brands identify the right stories to tell. Ones that impart both the essence of your brand and also connect you with the community that vibes with your products, services, and mission.

This is an incredibly genuine process. Without integrity, grit, and kindness, it doesn’t work. So I’m not here to manufacture something “good to sell.” I am here to help you tease out the essence of your message and be in alignment with your truth.

This is the kind of impact I want to make on the world. If you’re ready to step into your own story, I would welcome the opportunity to help you.