Why does representation in mental health matter — especially for young athletes?

In Part 2 of this conversation, Mateus expands on the deeper layers behind performance, identity, and emotional safety. We explore how visibility, cultural understanding, and lived experience impact whether someone feels safe enough to open up.

This episode dives into:

• Why representation in therapy changes outcomes

• Understanding internal and external saboteurs

• How self-protection can look like resistance

• Vulnerability as a strength — not a weakness

• The importance of support systems in high-pressure environments

• How young athletes (and adults) learn who they’re “allowed” to be

When people don’t see themselves reflected in spaces of care, they may learn to stay silent. Representation creates safety. Safety creates honesty. Honesty creates healing.

This conversation challenges outdated narratives about toughness and invites a more connected, culturally aware approach to mental health.

If you care about youth sports, identity development, or breaking generational patterns — this episode is for you.

🎙️ Now Serving Therapy

Grief doesn’t follow a timeline.It doesn’t move in stages.And there is no “right” way to experience it.In Part 2 of this conversation, Dalton Huckaby continues his discussion with associate marriage and family therapist Lindsey Smith of Izzo Therapy, diving deeper into what it means to live with grief rather than trying to fix or outrun it.This episode focuses on how grief shows up over time — through memories, triggers, relationships, and moments of unexpected emotion — and how support systems play a critical role in helping people feel less alone in their experience. Lindsey reframes grief as something that can be befriended instead of resisted, offering a compassionate perspective that allows space for grief to evolve without judgment.Listeners are guided through practical and grounding concepts, including how to process triggers and memories when they arise, how to identify who can safely hold your grief, and how to build a personalized “grief kit” or emotional first-aid plan for moments when grief feels overwhelming. Rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all approach, this episode emphasizes choice, self-awareness, and emotional regulation rooted in compassion.Part 2 reinforces a powerful truth: grief does not need to be rushed, minimized, or solved. It needs space, support, and tools that meet people where they are.This episode is for anyone navigating loss, supporting someone who is grieving, or wanting to better understand how grief can be carried with care over time.Why there is no “correct” way to grieveThe importance of support systems during griefProcessing triggers, memories, and remindersBefriending grief instead of fighting itCreating your own grief or emotional regulation kitAllowing grief to evolve over timeReducing shame and self-judgment around grief🎧 Now Serving TherapyHosted by Dalton Huckaby📅 Episode 027 — Recorded February 4Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.🧠 Topics Covered

What happens when young athletes are told to “tough it out”?In this episode, Mateus joins us to unpack the cultural pressure placed on athletic minors to suppress emotion, push through pain, and prioritize performance over mental health.We explore:The hidden emotional cost of “mental toughness”Supporting athletic minors in high-pressure environmentsHow family and coaching values shape behaviorThe difference between resilience and emotional suppressionHow identity gets tied to performanceWhat parents and coaches can do differentlyHow therapy can support young athletesSports can build discipline, confidence, and community — but when achievement becomes identity, young athletes can struggle silently.This episode challenges the “suck it up” mentality and invites a more balanced, emotionally informed approach to youth sports.If you’re a parent, coach, clinician, or former athlete — this conversation is for you.🎙️ Now Serving Therapy🔎 SEO Keywords (YouTube Description Add-On)youth sports mental healthsupporting athletic minorsteen athlete anxietysports performance pressuremental toughness vs emotional healththerapy for athletesparenting young athletesidentity and performance📱 Instagram CaptionEp028: Suck It Up and Move On?How many young athletes are taught to ignore their feelings in the name of performance?In this episode, Mateus talks about:⚽ Supporting athletic minors💭 How values shape behavior🏆 When performance becomes identity🧠 The mental health cost of “toughing it out”There’s a difference between resilience and emotional suppression — and that difference matters.If you’re raising, coaching, or working with young athletes, this one is important.🎧 Link in bio.#NowServingTherapy #YouthSports #TeenMentalHealth #ParentingAthletes #SportsPsychology #TherapyPodcast