Sidewalk Talk Comes To Santa Monica For Mental Health Awareness

SANTA MONICA, CA -From SimplePractice: SimplePractice, the industry leader of Practice Management solutions for health and wellness professionals, announced it will co-sponsor the 4th annual Sidewalk Talk event in Santa Monica, CA on Friday, May 17, 2019 from 5:00-7:00pm at ten locations throughout the city.

Sidewalk Talk is a global listening movement dedicated to offering heart-centered listening opportunities in public spaces. According to a recent study, nearly half of Americans now say they sometimes or always feel alone, and one in five says they rarely or never feel close to anyone nor feel as though there are people who really understand them.

“As the rates of loneliness and disconnection continue to rise, the work we do to empower health and wellness is more critical than ever. Sidewalk Talk aligns closely with our belief that empathy and human connection drive positive transformation,” said Howard Spector, CEO and Co-Founder of SimplePractice. “Helping people engage with each other builds healthy communities and ultimately healthier individuals.”

SimplePractice will facilitate the Southern California event and train approximately seventy volunteer listeners.

Loneliness and isolation can affect people of all ages, especially the elderly. It can be a contributing factor for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases. Loneliness can also cause chronic stress, age the body, and damage an individual’s overall well-being.

During National Mental Health Awareness Month, SimplePractice and Sidewalk Talk are committed to listening and addressing the epidemic of loneliness. The community-driven volunteer effort was founded by licensed therapists, psychologists, and CBS News appointed USA Minister of Loneliness, Traci Ruble.

“Our listening efforts have grown dramatically. We receive calls from people all around the world asking how they can start their own chapters. In response, we decided to make Sidewalk Talk a non-profit,” said Ruble. “We need a way to connect with and hear the stories of people that are different than we are. The more people we get to know, the wider our embrace of humanity becomes. We want to usher in health beyond the therapist’s office by nurturing human connections."