In this episode of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey's Podcast, Hot Topics in Mental Health, guest host Isabelle “Belle” Nicholas — Miss New Jersey 2025, clinical psychology graduate student at Widener University, and founder of Shout Our Struggle — speaks with Emily Grossman, MA, CPRP, Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions at Rutgers University, speaker, advocate, peer life coach, and author of Unlocked: From Psych Hospital to Higher Self.

Emily shares her personal mental health and recovery journey, offering an honest look at navigating love, dating, and healthy relationships while living with a mental health condition. Through candid conversation and shared reflections, Belle and Emily explore stigma, self-worth, recovery, and what it means to build meaningful connection and partnership. This powerful episode offers hope, insight, and encouragement for anyone navigating mental health and relationships. 

The Mental Health Association in New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization that strives for people to achieve victory over mental illness and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. For more information visit our website, https://www.mhanj.org/ or email our host,  Merrill Altberg, MSA, Director of Communications, at [email protected].