Guest Kristina Kersting, Ph. D., LPC, Counseling Supervisor for Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri, helps us kick off Mental Health Month by reacting to the current Netflix Original Series “13 Reasons Why,” as well as discussing common misconceptions about mental health. If you or someone you love is contemplating suicide, know you are not alone. Find confidential help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or chatting online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Learn more about Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missori at lfcsmo.org. Find national mental health resources through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at nami.org. Find resources in response to this series at blogs.lcms.org/2017/faith-hope-love-threefold-response-13-reasons. Read Rev. Mark Kiessling’s LCMS Blog article on showing youth love at blogs.lcms.org/2017/13-reasons-reminds-us-show-youth-love.
Thirteen Reasons Why, based on the best-selling books by Jay Asher, follows teenager Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) as he returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers a group of cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) -his classmate and crush-who tragically committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah unfolds an emotional audio diary, detailing the thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, Thirteen Reasons Why weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect viewers.
Send in your family questions to Family@kfuo.org or call host Andy Bates at (314) 996-1519.
