For Mental Health Awareness Month in May, WWNO Documentary Mondays will present the four-part miniseries Can We Talk?
Every Monday night at 10 p.m., the series explores subjects that are difficult to talk about through a combination of compelling stories and expert guidance, offering listeners practical tools for navigating challenging conversations. The series is hosted by Dr. Anne Hallward, a psychiatrist and former faculty member at Harvard Medical School.
May 6 - Part 1: Talking to White Kids About Race and Racism
Many white parents have never learned how to talk about race and racism with their kids. Their silence perpetuates racism—but it can be hard to know how to start. This hour-long program is about talking to white kids about race and racism: how white parents, families, and teachers can learn to show up for racial justice in a way that will make a difference for generations to come. The show explores a wide variety of approaches with kids of all ages.
May 13 - Part 2: Loneliness
This hour-long program is about loneliness: what it is, why so many of us feel it, and the surprising toll loneliness takes on our physical and mental health. The health effects of chronic loneliness are akin to smoking 15 cigarettes every day—it literally shortens our lives. Yet it can feel vulnerable to name it when we feel lonely.
May 20 - Part 3: Apologies
We all make mistakes. Knowing how to mend our relationships is vital to the mental health of our families and communities. This hour-long program is an exploration of apologies: why saying "I'm sorry" can be so difficult—and so powerful. We examine what makes an apology work, and how we can get better at repairing the relationships that matter the most.
May 27 - Part 4: Asking For Help
This hour-long program is about asking for help: why it’s so hard to admit when we need something from another person, and the surprising effects that sharing our vulnerability can have on our mental health. The episode explores how shame and stigma can prevent us from asking for what we need, why we tend to underestimate the generosity of others, and how asking can make us feel seen in both welcome and uncomfortable ways. Finally, we address the complicated experience of wanting to help to someone who can’t or won’t ask for it.