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13 Mental Health Professionals Using TikTok to Help Others

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13 Mental Health Professionals Using TikTok to Help Others

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https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-professionals-on-tiktok-5094672

This article talks about how mental health professionals have taken to TikTok to educate people about mental health issues. TikTok gives them a chance to educate large numbers of people, and normalize talking about mental health issues. They offer free advice and encourage people to share their struggles.

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Are you interested in using TikTok to improve your mental health? While many people think of TikTok as a dancing app used by teenagers, the truth is that people of all ages are using the social media platform to connect with others, cheer themselves up, or learn something new.

While TikTok will never be a replacement for therapy, this platform has allowed mental health professionals to reach a much wider audience than they otherwise would, and de-stigmatize the process of therapy and seeking help for mental health in general.

If you'd like to search for these professionals yourself, you can look up the hashtag "#tiktoktherapist" on TikTok to find a slew of licensed therapists sharing tips, making funny videos, and giving out mini doses of therapeutic advice.

The best accounts to follow often share advice in a relatable way that reinforces the idea that a therapist is just another person and that therapy is not something to fear. If nothing else, mental health professionals on TikTok have shown that we can normalize talking about mental health concerns and that free advice can still be helpful.

The 13 mental health professionals below have made a name for themselves on TikTok. While it isn't likely that they are on the app to attract more clients to their practices (although that could definitely be a side effect), their videos have educational value and they are definitely worth watching.

Dr. Julie Smith, PhD

Dr. Julie Smith has one of the largest followings on TikTok of all the therapists on the app, and she was one of the earliest adopters.﻿﻿ While apprehensive to join at first, Dr. Smith has become one of the go-to mental health professionals because of her short psycho-educational videos that make use of analogies and props.

Dr. Smith is based in England and is a natural introvert. The goal of her videos is to educate, motivate, and inspire. She also hopes her videos will encourage parents to talk more openly with their children and teens about mental health.

Lindsay Fleming, LPC

Lindsay Fleming is a licensed professional counselor who is open about her own struggles and who mostly posts videos about tips and tricks for living with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Shane Birkel, LMFT

Shane Birkel is a couples therapist who runs a livestream every Monday at 3 p.m. EST to do a Q&A session and answer questions about relationships. He also has his own podcast.

Birkel is the TikTok therapist to follow if you are looking to improve communication in your relationship. Some of the topics he has covered in his videos include introversion vs. extroversion, healthy relationships, first therapy sessions, different styles of communication, and narcissism and relationships.

Nadia Addesi, RSW

Psychotherapist Nadia Addesi runs the boutique wellness clinic Evolve and Bloom in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada. Nadia uses her videos to help those who can't afford therapy or for whom therapy is not a good fit.

She provides quick tips and tricks based on research evidence or her own personal experiences in order to help others feel less alone and more capable of working through their mental health struggles.

Some of her advice includes practicing self-care such as making social connections or doing something that makes you happy.

Shani Tran, LPCC

Therapist Shani Tran is focused on exploring the BIPOC experiences giving or receiving therapy. She first joined in January 2020 to post dancing videos, but when she started posting about therapy and what it's like to have a Black therapist, her content started to go viral.﻿﻿

Micheline Maalouf, LMHC, NCC

Micheline Maalouf is a licensed therapist in Orlando who specializes in anxiety and complex trauma. She chooses to make videos about a different topic each month to help her followers with a variety of different issues.

Some of the topics she has covered include breathing for anxiety, how to get out of trauma bonds, panic attack tips, intrusive thoughts, red flags in relationships, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder.

Justin Puder, PhD

Justin Puder, PhD is a therapist/psychologist based on Florida who uses humor and jokes in his videos to help educate viewers on a variety of topics. Some of the topics that he has covered include labeling thoughts, overcoming social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, active listening, and anxious vs. intrusive thoughts.

Marquis Norton, PhD

Marquis Norton uses TikTok to attract attention to his private practice in Hampton, Virginia, the demand for which is skyrocketing.

Some of the topics he has covered include positive affirmations for social anxiety, how to prioritize your mental health, seasonal depression, and the benefits of anxiety.

Melissa Shepard, MD

Psychiatrist Melissa Shepard is based in Maryland and covers a variety of mental health questions on her TikTok channel. Some of the topics she has covered in her videos include whether antidepressants work, how to practice mindfulness, how to deal with bad dreams, and the difference between ADD and ADHD.

Kojo Sarfo, DNP, PMHNP-BC

Dr. Kojo Sarfo is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner who talks about a variety of topics such as pre-menstrual syndrome, men's mental health, and how to boost your mood.

The goal of his account is to offer advice but also entertainment. Some other topics he has covered include ADHD screening, boundaries with friends, military mental health, and work relationships.

David Puder, MD

Psychistrist and professor Dr. David Puder is known on TikTok for giving a behind the scenes look at what it's like being a psychiatrist, something that not a lot of mental health professionals have shared in the past. On his channel, he shares mental health tips to try and dispel misinformation and answer questions from the public.

In addition, Dr. Puder describes psychology experiments in ways that relate science to the real world. For example, he described the "Still Face" experiment and how parental neglect can have long-lasting effects on a child's development.

Dr. Puder argues that parents may watch his videos and think twice about being distracted by their cell phones, particularly those who are raising Gen Z teenagers. While Dr. Puder acknowledges that therapy is a big step, he offers more accessible help through his " Psychiatry & Psychotherapy" podcast and his Patreon community.

Dr. Courtney Tracy, LCSW, PsyD

Dr. Courtney Tracy operates a drug rehab and mental health treatment center in Santa Barabara, California called Good Heart Recovery. On TikTok she offers advice on these topics and more. Dr. Tracy also discusses what to do if your family, culture, or support system is not supportive of your desire to go to therapy or has had bad experiences with therapy.

Dr. Tracy also runs an online community with memberships that are currently free of charge. While this community is not a substitute for therapy, it offers unlimited access to helpful courses, the opportunity to win private 1:1 educational sessions, attendance at live Q&As, and educational webinars. People who join the community are encouraged to explore and guide themselves toward better mental health.

Dr. Janine Kreft, PsyD

Dr. Janine Kreft is a psychologist who uses the TikTok platform to talk about boundaries, trauma, healing, breathwork, locus of control, and other topics.

A Word From Verywell

Are you using TikTok to improve your mental health? While TikTok can be an excellent place to look for advice from mental health professionals, it's also important to realize that not everyone on the app is qualified to give advice. In addition, some videos may be harmful or triggering to those with mental health issues.

For example, topics such as self-harm and eating disorders can swing in the direction of promoting dangerous behaviors if content is not monitored. In addition, the advice that you receive from therapists on TikTok will be very general in nature, and may not be helpful to your specific situation.

That being said, following any or all of the above TikTok therapists is a good first step or gateway toward deciding if therapy might be right for you and to also understand more about the way that your mind works.

While Generation Z is more open about talking about their mental health online, it can still be hard for this generation to ask for help when they need it. Many TikTok therapists also discuss how to talk to parents or others about going for therapy.

Regardless of which accounts you choose to follow, be sure that the mental health TikTok accounts that you take advice from are basing their tips and tricks on evidence-based practice. Most licensed providers must adhere to a strict code of conduct, which includes only sharing advice that is based on research or their own personal experience. While others such as life coaches or mindset coaches might also share valuable insights, they are not held to the same professional standards.

Furthermore, if anyone tries to reach out to you through direct message on TikTok to offer advice or therapy, know that this is not acceptable nor should you follow through. No reputable mental health professional will offer personalized advice through the app. On the other hand, some creators may take questions and answer them in a general, educational manner that helps all viewers with their issues.

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13 Mental Health Professionals Using TikTok to Help Others

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Are you interested in using TikTok to improve your mental health? While many people think of TikTok as a dancing app used by teenagers, the truth is that people of all ages are using the social media platform to connect with others, cheer themselves up, or learn something new.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/07/07/what-the-rise-of-tiktok-says-about-generation-z/?sh=26d7a5f36549
My article broke down the rise of TikTok and more specifically the rise of gen Z concerning TikTok. It mentioned how gen Z is a smart and very diverse group of amazingly expressive people. One trait they specifically mention is that gen Z is an inclusive and fluid group that tries to connect people. The article also mentioned some traits of TikTok that make it appealing such as being high-energized and deeply engaging due to its simple complexity. This relates to the group of gen z who are also simple but complex. The one thing that stands out is TikTok's openness to self-expression and creativity. This is also a trait of many people who are considered to be gen z. The article related gen z and TikTok and how they are similar and build off of each other.

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Three years ago, ByteDance was one of the world's largest technology unicorns and a household name in China's new media and entertainment sector. But like its bigger arch-rivals, Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent (BAT), and the stereotype of successful Chinese technology companies, it fell short of becoming a dominant market leader in international markets.

That all changed in November 2017 when ByteDance acquired U.S. market-leading short-form video platform Musical.ly and eventually merged it with its own wildly-popular equivalent, TikTok (also known as Douyin in China).

With the newly merged social platform and a consolidated user-base of uniquely young social media users from both Western and Eastern Hemispheres, TikTok catapulted ByteDance to become a dominant force in the global technology industry and laid the centerpiece for expansion into adjacent sectors, such as gaming, financial technology and e-commerce to challenge the incumbents at BAT. Most recently, TikTok surpassed two billion downloads to become the fastest-growing social media platform in history and hired Disney's head of streaming, Kevin Mayer, to bring it to greater heights.

What makes TikTok so special, especially among younger users, like those part of Generation Z? TikTok is a social platform that lets users create and share entertaining 15-second videos, such as lip-syncs, feature skits and dance competitions. Over 60% of TikTok users are comprised of Generation Z, which refers to users born after 1996. Generation Z is one of the most diverse generations yet, with high levels of education, digital nativism, social and cultural awareness and a high propensity to be more expressive.

Just as millennials fueled the rise of earlier social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, Generation Z is fueling the rise of TikTok, and understanding the relationship between people and platforms is very telling of what to expect of this rising generation.
Fluid And Micro-Identities
McKinsey & Company research shows that one of the defining characteristics of Generation Z is an expression of individual truth. Across different socioeconomic backgrounds, members of this generation value individual identities, reject stereotypes and practice identity expressions with pragmatism. They are more open to changes and fluidity, while also willing to connect with people of different groups on similar causes and interests.

It is unsurprising then that Generation Z fuels the growth of personalized products and personal brands. This changes how industries typically view their consumers through socioeconomic categories, forcing them to find creative ways to tap into the unique disposition that Generation Z has. Meanwhile, TikTok thrives with its widely diverse content and an algorithm that delivers personalized selections.
Content-Rich Video Consumption
Whether it's for casual entertainment or formal education, Generation Z often prefers to consume content in rich video formats. While it's believed that young, digital-savvy audiences don't like being marketed to, this is not actually the case. Rather, Generation Z consists of online natives who are familiar with digital tactics and are simply drawn to fresh takes on advertising, such as authentic videos.

This is what makes TikTok videos and even ads so appealing: TikTok videos are typically characterized as raw, high-energy and deeply engaging because TikTok provides advanced, yet simple-to-use tools for users or businesses to embed music and visual effects on videos. Unsurprisingly, given TikTok's take on dynamic content that contrasts with Instagram's more polished feed, TikTok's expressive Gen Z users tend to have significantly higher engagement rates compared to users on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Social Awareness And Voice Of Expression
The success of ByteDance's TikTok can arguably be attributed to several factors, but one that is particularly undeniable is its thoughtful product design that facilitates and empowers self-expression, which could be the secret sauce to winning over Generation Z.

Broadly speaking, millennials seem to prefer to consume content while Generation Z prefers to create content. We can draw similar parallels on other social media platforms. Facebook and Instagram both emphasize vertical feeds for millennials to seamlessly consume content, whereas Snapchat emphasizes its camera viewfinder and visual effects for Gen Z's creative self-expression.

TikTok also offers the antithesis to what some millennials believe social media has turned into: A source of stress and insecurity for many people. Generation Z dominated TikTok and turned it into a place where raw authenticity is celebrated. According to Connor Blakley, a Generation Z marketing consultant, "Generation Z understands that social media is like a highlight reel, and we choose to show what we feel best about. It's less about insecurity and more about being a self-confidence booster."

In full acknowledgment of the influence and growing market potential that Generation Z brings, TikTok has shown a commitment to maintaining and strengthening the ecosystem's allure to its target stakeholders, including users, brands and agencies by continuously experimenting with new social features, commerce capabilities, creator support and content enrichment.

The rise of TikTok is not merely the story of the ongoing success of a technology company, but more importantly, the ushering in of the next generation of socially aware and digitally discerning users who diverge in habits and inclinations from preceding generations. Both phenomena are forces to be reckoned with, and intimately understanding both the people and the platform is crucial to foreshadowing the driving forces of future emerging trends.

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?

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Council Post: What The Rise Of TikTok Says About Generation Z

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Three years ago, ByteDance was one of the world's largest technology unicorns and a household name in China's new media and entertainment sector. But like its bigger arch-rivals, Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent (BAT), and the stereotype of successful Chinese technology companies, it fell short of becoming a dominant market leader in international markets.

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https://www.reach3insights.com/blog/tiktok-social-activism

This article discusses how Gen Z has been using TikTok as a platform to get their thoughts and feelings out there and to participate in social issues. TikTok has helped much of Gen Z stay up to date on politics and gotten more people to band together to make a change. Gen Z has been more willing to participate in making social change by interacting with others and getting their words out there on TikTok in order to show that there's power in numbers and that they can make a difference.

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While questions around TikTok's data privacy has become a battleground for politicians and companies alike, the app's content has evolved dramatically in the past month. The platform once known for PG lip-syncs and viral dances has become increasingly political as users take to the Chinese video networking app for grassroots political activism.

For Gen Z, the personal is political. Political questions represent existential identity questions for Gen Z, from climate change to gun violence to LGBTQ+ rights, and now a global pandemic, just to name a few. Amid the Black Lives Matter movement, TikTok has emerged as an unexpected channel for Gen Zs to make political statements. But is the political content coming out of TikTok resulting in action, or is it just another version of performative activism that has become commonplace on other social media platforms?

In July 2020, Reach3 Insights conducted a study exploring TikTok's role as a driver of social activism. Leveraging a conversational, mobile messaging-based approach using the Rival Technologies platform, our study engaged 495 people (sourced from Dynata), mostly from Generation Z (age 13-24). In addition to robust quantitative data, the study captured stream-of-consciousness qualitative feedback via selfie videos that provide rich insights on the underlying emotions and motivations of TikTok users.

Gen Z is political, engaged, and willing to enact tangible change

Perhaps because of (or in spite of?) America's divisive politics, Gen Z is uniquely engaged, particularly in issues of identity politics. Gen Z were more likely than their older counterparts to say that a variety of social issues matter to them:

For Gen Z, the personal is political

While COVID-19 represented the most important social issue across age groups, an equal proportion of Gen Z considered the Black Lives Matter Movement important as well. From climate strikes to the Parkland March for Our Lives, Gen Z's political vernacular is deeply and uniquely suffused with hashtags, pithy rap lyrics, and live-streamed videos. For Gen Z, personal politics are inextricable from the social landscape before them.

For Gen Z, personal politics are inextricable from the social landscape before them.

Gen Z were also more likely to act on social issues, as 69% of Gen Zs have discussed these issues with their family or friends, while only 41% of their older counterparts could say the same.

TikTok has emerged as a catalyst for Gen Z to share their political views

Familiarity with TikTok is nearly ubiquitous among 13- to 24-year olds. 98% of them have at least seen a TikTok in some way (like on another social media app), and 62% are active TikTok users.

57% of Gen Z said that TikTok helps them stay up to date on the news

As TikTok has rolled-back some of the previously stringent restrictions on political content in recent months, Gen Z's politicism has exploded on the platform once intended for short dancing, videos, and jokes. Over half (57%) of Gen Z said that TikTok helps them stay up to date on the news. For those who wish to control the message, TikTok represents the genie (perhaps) irretrievably out of the bottle.

More than just Tok: Activism on the platform is leading to real changes

TikTok Users are also more likely to engage in political activities because of TikTok. For a generation of users that may have been discounted and underestimated, TikTokers have precipitated tangible social change in a grassroots fashion.

The platform has been highly effective in spreading information, with more than three-quarters of users saying that TikTok has helped them learn about social justice and politics (77%) and stay up to date on the news (75%).

77% of TikTok users say that TikTok has helped them learn about social justice and politics

But even more consequential is how TikTok users are more likely to act on their political beliefs: 94% of TikTok users believe that TikTok has generated meaningful action for the BLM movement and for good reason; 26% of TikTok users recently attended a BLM protest, while only 13% of non-users did.

94% of TikTok users believe that TikTok has generated meaningful action for the BLM movement

And when asked if they participated in any actions after seeing something on TikTok, more than half (54%) said they have engaged in discussions with friends and family, 44% have signed petitions, and 32% educated themselves further because of something they saw on TikTok.

54% have engaged in discussions with friends and family after seeing something on TikTok.

TikTokers' most visible activism has produced results on the national stage: Donald Trump's Tulsa Rally.

In June, TikTok teens and K-pop stans teamed up to inflate Trump's Tulsa rally numbers and show that there's strength in (lack of) numbers. Online activism on TikTok is an emerging way for young people who may not even be old enough to vote to make a difference.

" It was a great demonstration of the power that today's youth holds when they band together online."

Most TikTokers found the Tulsa prank captured the ethos of how Gen Z creatively impacts their turbulent political waters. One teen remarked, " It was a great demonstration of the power that today's youth holds when they band together online."

Others questioned its motives, like a teen who said, " I think that this was a huge disrespect to the president. On social media kids find it trendy and funny to disrespect our president and I do not believe it is okay in any way."

" My generation will be the generation to make change. We know how to connect with one another and team up to make a change and a powerful statement."

Regardless, there's no denying TikTok's growing presence in the political sphere as Gen Z continues voice their opinions and organize on the platform. As contention over TikTok heats up, Gen Z TikTok users will continue relentlessly in making the personal political. TikTok is merely the catalyst of a painfully aware generation whose very existence seems political.

The app provides a platform for collectivism, agency, discourse, and action. Gen Z is hopeful, dynamic, and prepared to exploit that technology to their advantage, as one teen pointed out, " My generation will be the generation to make change. We know how to connect with one another and team up to make a change and a powerful statement."

More questions?

As I mentioned earlier, this study provides a lot of interesting insights, and we'll be sharing more in-depth analysis in the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you have questions about the study, please don't hesitate to contact the Reach3 team .

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More than just Tok: Gen Z's activism on TikTok is outperforming the performative

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While questions around TikTok's data privacy has become a battleground for politicians and companies alike, the app's content has evolved dramatically in the past month. The platform once known for PG lip-syncs and viral dances has become increasingly political as users take to the Chinese video networking app for grassroots political activism.

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TikTok is a platform that uniquely connects people with similar interests, largely through the use of hashtags. In doing so, TikTok has united people and allowed them to spread their beliefs and organize themselves. An example of this is people reserving the tickets for a Trump rally, causing there to be a near empty stadium. This platforms allows people to share their views and to connect with others of similar views. This has caused younger people to become more involved in politics than they have in the past, causing this newest generation to be one of activism.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/28/style/tiktok-teen-politics-gen-z.html

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TikTok Is Shaping Politics. But How? (Published 2020)

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Two researchers have studied political expression on the app since the Musical.ly era. Here’s what they found.

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The article suggests that TikTok should be used to inspire and encourage a new generation to have positive impact on the planet. They also provide multiple organizations that have used TikTok to grow their audience and raise awareness around specific causes. An example of this is the international federation of red cross launching a global campaign to bring awareness to climate change. TikTok can help you help the world.

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Multiple nonprofits have an online presence on Tiktok, using it to raise awareness and, in some cases, funds for the organizations. Some have been seen using viral songs, showing and inspirational, and in some cases cute, videos of their beneficiaries, and/or using text tools to add more information that is cohesive to the non-profit's message. Others, such as the American Heart Association, have started dance trends including their "Keep the Beat" challenge as a way to spread awareness or shed light on a topic that may not be as clear to the general public.

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1. Oregon Zoo | Trending Songs

To date, Oregon Zoo's #EarthDay TikTok video received 4.7 million views, 861,000 likes and 2,561 comments. Not bad for a zoo in Oregon, right? At first this video may appear to just be an elephant swimming in a pool, but the emotional song applied to the video, Surrender by Natalie Taylor, has been applied to over 4.6 million videos on TikTok. TikTok users associate this song with emotional videos. By associating the emotive, trending song with the hashtag #EarthDay, Oregon Zoo created viral content that resonates with animal lovers and environmentalists far beyond the Portland,Oregon metropolitan area.

ProTip: Users of the app associate particular songs with emotions. Other songs like Summer Days by Martin Garrix (1.2 million videos on TikTok), Dreams, Fleetwood Mac (166.2K videos on TikTok) are associated with happy moments or I Took a Nap by Gunnarolla (74,200 videos on TikTok) with lazy moments. If your nonprofit doesn't already have its own TikTok, create your own TikTok account to explore the app, see what songs are trending and get inspired.

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5 Inspiring Nonprofits that Are Using TikTok to Fundraise

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To date, Oregon Zoo's #EarthDay TikTok video received 4.7 million views, 861,000 likes and 2,561 comments. Not bad for a zoo in Oregon, right? At first this video may appear to just be an elephant swimming in a pool, but the emotional song applied to the video, Surrender by Natalie Taylor, has been applied to over 4.6 million videos on TikTok.

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Article: "TikTok Helps Gen Z Learn About Social Justices Issues, Study Finds" - Kovida

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Article: "TikTok Helps Gen Z Learn About Social Justices Issues, Study Finds" - Kovida

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The platform TikTok promotes not only videos for entertainment but videos with prominent messages on the problems our society faces. Three-fourths of Generation Z educated themselves of topics like social justice through TikTok. Many brands like JanSport and Chipotle use the platform to promote social issues like mental health and pride for the younger generation. During the Black Lives Matter Movement and other social movements, Tiktok helped spread awareness to the younger generations through a variety of campaigns. This conveys how TikTok is a useful platform for Generation Z and others that can help them learn about social issues.

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Brief:

Three-quarters of Generation Z said TikTok has helped them to learn about social justice and politics, while the same number said the social video app helps them stay current on the news, per survey results that Reach3 Insights shared with Mobile Marketer.

Social activism posts on TikTok have urged 54% of Gen Zers to engage in discussions with family and friends, 44% to sign petitions and 32% to educate themselves about something they saw on the app. Almost all (94%) of Gen Z said TikTok has generated meaningful action for the Black Lives Matter movement, while a similar percentage (96%) use TikTok for fun videos.

Seventy-six percent of Gen Z said brands "have a duty help make a difference in the world," contrasting with 66% of people ages 25 and up who are indifferent to social justice statements and "efforts to help made by brands," the study found.

Insight:

TikTok's ability to raise awareness about social justice issues among Gen Z may indicate that brands need to tailor their messaging on the social video app to reflect younger people's awareness of movements such as Black Lives Matter. However, it's not clear that social justice themes are a necessary part of successful TikTok campaigns. As with any platform, brands must be mindful of TikTok's audience and its sensitivities when developing a campaign to reach Gen Zers.

The social video app's strength as an activism platform has supported several recent cause-driven campaigns targeting younger consumers who tend to favor brands that support social movements. Chipotle Mexican Grill in June celebrated Pride Month with a "Lunch & Listen" session with influencers on its official TikTok channel, giving prominent figures in the LGBTQ+ community a platform to discuss their experiences. Backpack maker JanSport this year ran a multipart campaign on TikTok to promote the mental health of young adults and teens. Event company Superfly in June livestreamed a benefit concert on TikTok and other social platforms to help minority-owned businesses.

TikTok's role in raising awareness about social justice issues and politics among Gen Zers may support the claims by government officials in multiple countries that the app deserves greater scrutiny. TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, and other countries fear that the Chinese government may be able to exploit the personal data that TikTok collects from users. The U.S. is weighing a ban on TikTok because of national security concerns, though that threat may be defused as software giant Microsoft considers buying TikTok's operations in several English-speaking countries.

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TikTok helps Gen Z learn about social justice issues, study finds

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Three-quarters of Generation Z said TikTok has helped them to learn about social justice and politics, while the same number said the social video app helps them stay current on the news, per survey results that Reach3 Insights shared with Mobile Marketer.