Sheree Braswell

I’ve received services from Lincoln Behavioral Services since I was 16 years old. Caritta Christian has been my therapist at LBS since I was 18 years old and I will be 30 years old in May this year. With Caritta, I was able to trust and truly heal in so many areas when it came to defeating the odds, overcoming the stigma with mental illness, debunking the myths concerning being mentally ill, and heal from trauma. 

Caritta and I would often have very frequent therapy sessions, in which I would call it “intensive therapy” to work on overcoming certain barriers in my life and healing in so many areas after being labeled mentally disabled in 2014, with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. 

In 2021, I published two more books, which is a series called Dear Pandemic. I have published three books so far in total. The summer of 2021, there were deaths back to back, including my late grandmother. Then a loved one got ill right when I was about to start my last year at Eastern Michigan. Then I got the call in September from Caritta stating that we could no longer do therapy sessions because we maxed out our hours. I had moments where I felt suicidal, anxious, filled with grief, and depressed that I hurried and booked an appointment with CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) at EMU. I was exhausted and emotionally drained while taking courses that I was hospitalized during Thanksgiving week. After being discharged, I received a call from Alissa from HAP and told her about what happened that year and why I was hospitalized. She referred me to Ms. Sherise Hutchinson from DWIHN who worked so diligently to make sure I received therapy sessions back with Caritta Christian. 

Today, Caritta and I scheduled our first session for the New Year. And I am so pleased to know that everything I went through was going to work out for my good. Due to the hospitalization, I was able to hear about COPE through DWIHN, in which I was able to use their services right after Christmas in 2021 for an emergency and meds readjustment. Through my experience, I was able to utilize Michigan Health Hotlines and share the resources with others. I am now able to tell other college students that they should utilize CAPS at their college because it is free and was beneficial to me during my absence from Caritta. I’m thankful for DWIHN but especially, Ms. Hutchinson who was so kind, sweet, and worked so effortlessly so that I can continue in therapy at LBS. I truly know that all things work together for my good. Romans 8:28. That semester, going through all of that, I received all A’s and now I’m finishing up my last semester to graduate with my bachelors in communications and minor in family sociology this April.