Meet Sheree Braswell | Author, Certified Peer Support Specialist, Inspirational Speaker & Mental Health Awareness Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sheree Braswell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sheree, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My favorite quote/affirmation is actually the scripture from the Bible, Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” I love this scripture so much because when I was 16 years old and was first diagnosed with mental illness; it was the scripture given to me by my cousin Mark who commented on my Facebook status. I shared a Facebook status stating that I wanted to give up. I was actually going to walk away from God altogether at that point because living with a mental health diagnosis and the inner turmoil I felt was unbearable. Jeremiah 29:11 has been my go to scripture every time I felt the bumps and bruises of life with my diagnosis of having Bipolar Disorder. Even in my most recent hospital stay, someone shared the scripture in a group therapy session that was my saving Grace moment to know God is with me and He still has a plan for me and there is HOPE! When I was discharged from the hospital, I bought a key chain, bible cover, blanket, necklace and so much more that has the scripture on it. I even got the scripture tatted on me with a heart semicolon, meaning I wanted to end my life but I kept going and that was the scripture that gave me hope. It saves my life every single time and it lets me know that God is with me and my future is bright no matter what I may be facing. Jesus is so so so good. He has an amazing destiny for me. No matter what I may be dealing with or cannot even understand, He wants to always give me Hope and prosper me and was meant for my harm, He works it out for my good every single time. His plans are good towards me even when I felt like they were trying to harm me. After my recent breakdown,  I was in prayer with my mom and I cried out to God with heavy tears in my eyes during one of our morning prayer sessions, I said “God, I know in your word, Jeremiah 29:11 your plan is to never harm me but O’ God, right now it feels like you are trying to harm me. Please let me see what was meant for my evil turn for my good and work in my favor like in Romans 8:28. Please give me hope and an amazing future. Please give me beauty for ashes and triple for my former troubles.” After that prayer I felt some relief to just be honest with God and just cry it out. I’ve been through so much on this mental health journey. But knowing this scripture and what it means to me, this is the scripture I hold onto when I feel weary, alone, hopeless and helpless. He’s a faithful God. I am grateful to Jesus for seeing and pulling me through every single time. I thank Him for his unfailing and everlasting, unwavering and unconditional love. He’s so faithful and true! I love that He redeems even in dealing with pain, heartbreak, grief and sickness even when it seems bleak. And I always have and always will continue to praise and worship Him through the good and the bad, leaning on His strength and not my own.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I am a Certified Peer Support Specialist at a mental health agency in Michigan. A Peer Support is someone with lived experience who helps someone with a mental health diagnosis in their recovery process and help them reach and obtain their goals. I am most proud when my clients feel comfortable opening up to me and feel safe with me. I get excited when they accomplish their Peer goal. I get excited when I can put a smile on my client’s face or even make them laugh. It brings me so much joy in my heart to do so! I really care about my clients a lot.

I was always like a Peer Support for most of my life whether it was a family member, friend or even someone I met on social media that may have experienced mental health struggles, even while I was struggling with my own mental health. I always blogged about my journey with my mental health and even won a Peer Award that I was nominated by family, friends, and professionals when I went to a mental health gala hosted in North Carolina in May 2022. My former therapist and best friend Amelia encouraged me for years to become a Peer Support Specialist but becoming one in January this year was absolutely perfect timing. I’m so glad it happened when it did.

Lessons I’ve learned along the way is that I am no good to anyone else if I am not well. I have medical conditions that I have to make sure I really take care of and it can become difficult with new challenges, changes, curve balls, anxiousness and so much more. This past year was definitely a learning curve for me in a lot of ways. But with the valuable lessons I’ve learned, it makes me want to not only become a better advocate and support to my clients but for myself too. I’ve learned that I really have to take care of Sheree and it’s a learning process in life to know what you can handle and what you can’t and breaking old habits/cycles/ and patterns. In all of this, I’ve learned to give myself Grace to see myself as someone who is so deserving of the compassion, love, heartfelt prayers and Grace that I extend to others and give it to myself first. I really understand why God says love your neighbor as you love yourself. You really have to love and take care of yourself and of course, finally in this season, that as much as I sooo deeply care about people and their well-being. I really do have to put on my oxygen mask first. I have to know my limitations. Listen to my body and understand myself even more and know that relapses happen even while in recovery. I’ve learned I need to take charge of my health and healing and to not feel bad, guilty, shame or embarrassment that I struggle too like everyone else. It’s understanding that some seasons will be better than others, but it’s grabbing your tools that you’ve learned and keep going no matter how many times you may feel like you just can’t get it right or get well. I know I am encouraging myself to not beat myself up and stop being so hard on myself and repeat the mantra, “You did the best you could. You tried. You are doing the best you can. Keep going. You got this Ree!” Even though it can be a struggle for me honestly at times.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a best friend was visiting the area and I wanted to show them the best time ever; I would have to take them up north to visit the sand dunes and the beautiful beaches in upper Michigan. I haven’t been yet so I can’t quite speak on it. But I’ve heard people who have been, share amazing things about it. I would like to explore this for myself with a best friend and check out all those exciting places. I’ve been to Mackinaw Island and it’s very beautiful but I’ve heard about other great places where you can do ATV rides and have so much fun in Michigan. I was actually supposed to visit the sand dunes this year in Upper Michigan but unfortunately, I became ill. So if the opportunity comes again, I would like to make it a fun time for those I love or even out-of -town guests and take a visit. I’ve heard great things about Traverse City too. Let me not forget all the shops and great things to do in Downtown Detroit, Campus Martius Park and visit the Riverwalk are fun things to do. I’m from Detroit so I had to share those places, of course!:)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

First and foremost, I want to scream and shout out, JESUS! Seriously, He has kept me through every storm and has always brought forth the sunshine and rainbows. He is truly my Rock! I am absolutely nothing without Him and even when I’m a hot mess, I am thankful that He pulls me closer to Him, prunes me and refines me. I thank Him in this season for rebuilding me. I thank Him for breaking my heart to show me I truly need Him, to become more like Him and get focused on the purpose He preordained for my life before the conception of the world. I want to sincerely thank my loving parents, Mom and Dad- y’all are my Rock next to Jesus, thank you for soooo much love, patience and understanding in my healing journey. Thanks mom for always saying I have a beautiful mind and encouraging me in my purpose to never give up. Thanks dad for making me laugh and us always cracking jokes about my journey. Sometimes you have to laugh at your pain! Thank you to my loving grandparents and brother who were working behind the scenes to keep me encouraged.  They have loved me through my illness. They support me no matter what and I am forever grateful. I am grateful and thankful for my “besties for the resties”, and my CORE, Amelia, Cassandra, Jessica, and Morgan who have reached out to me and shown me that a friend sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24. They have truly seen me for me and not my diagnosis. I love them for loving me even when I’m not well and praying for me when I am ill, being a comfort and constant in all circumstances to make me laugh and smile even when I feel like crying or am crying lol. I am grateful for their listening ear, prayers, hugs, and encouragement. I am thankful for my cousin Gail who does the mental health walks with me in Detroit, always praying, encouraging and loving me for who I am and reminds me of what God says and to walk in my purpose and calling with mental health even when I feel like, “Lord,  uh-uh-get somebody else to do it” and have my struggles. I am thankful for my sweet sis Kiara for being so sweet and caring about my self-care and mental wellness even when I’m not feeling well and praying for me. It means a ton. The prayers, love and support from my family and friends near and far means a ton. I am grateful for my amazing support system that is perfect for me and tailored made for my purpose.

I want to thank these authors for their books that have been so pivotal in helping aid in my healing process in this season of my life:

Kobe Campbell- Why Am I Like This?-How to Break Cycles, Heal from Trauma and Restore Your Faith
Amy Morin- 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do
Jessica Baum- Anxiously Attached
Jessica C. Williams (my sweet sister/friend)- Healing Past Wounds- Redefining Your Now By Living Free from Trauma, Shame and Unforgiveness

These books have caused me to go into deep reflection and my devotion to God. It really helps me to understand my behaviors even the more and the areas I need to grow, develop, heal and mature in.

I want to thank my former therapist for over 10 years for just being you and for such encouragement all the time. Your counseling heart and breaking so many things off of me when it comes to the stigma of mental illness and seeing me for who I am as a person means a ton. You helped me in ways more than I can explain and your heart, perspective, genuineness and compassion towards those in the mental health community was a game changer for me.  I want to thank my current therapist who is a Trauma Informed Therapist for coming into my life in the perfect season and the right time in my life. God definitely orchestrates our lives so perfectly. Thanks for being so affirming and being so instrumental in my healing journey and dealing with things that are deep and all traumas so that I can go even further in life and get all that God has for me. I’m thankful the baton was passed to you. I’m excited to see the version of the woman I will become when we finish all the work that we started! I know God is faithful to deliver and I am grateful He uses you in our sessions every time!

My cousin Cassandra told me during a phone conversation when it came to my recent breakdown that I will never forget and it’s been the parable of my life with my mental health journey and support. She said, “It’s like when a tragedy happens, like a bad car accident. Some flee the scene, some are spectating the scene to see what is happening and there are some who are going to run to the scene to help.” Thanks Sand and Millie for being the ones to run to the scene every single time. Your support means more than you know. Sand and Millie made the calls. Y’all were showing up to the hospital even though I was checking out lol!!! Thank you Millie and Sand for seeing me through the highs and lows and phases of having Bipolar Disorder and checking on me the way you did. Yall friendship/cousinship means a ton! I love y’all.

Having support is so pivotal in a person’s mental health recovery. I am grateful for mine.

Website: www.shereebraswell.com

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