"Faith Of A Mustard Seed" Will Help Get You Through Your Mental Health Issues

Life coach and Houston native, Rashad Garrett is making strides in the modern world of mental health through his new app, FOAMS (Faith of a Mustard Seed). This Black-owned business has invented a user-friendly and more accessible method for telehealth. App users are provided one-on-one access to a personal therapy session from a team of psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed therapists, and life coaches.

Sessions are conducted via phone, video calls, and live chats, as well as providing users with the option of in-app messages to counselors. Self-help features are available and include free podcasts on self-help procedures from leading industry professionals. A 24/7 access to forums and discussions supervised by life coaches and special guests is another helpful feature.

In a conversation with QG, Garrett discusses how mental health became his life's work and offers advice on how to navigate through unique challenges created by the current pandemic.

What led you to become a life coach?

I'm struggling as a male myself to develop particular traits, and not having guidance made me want to. It made me want to go off deeper into what develops a person and what makes the person and how they become themselves. So from childhood to adulthood, I went back, did some research, and I was like, I would love to life coach.

And I say that because life coaching starts with the adult form. But also goes down into the adolescent form and motivating a kid and letting them know that they can do things and letting them know they are good enough. And those are the things that I lacked in my growth. And those are the things I wanted to positively contribute to the community and make sure that it didn't happen again.

What inspired the creation of your new app, Faith of a Mustard Seed?

So what inspired the creation of the app were lots of people not understanding what mental health was. And lots of people [are] also not understanding the resources that were available to them. Some people [were] also lacking insurance benefits, and those who work [have] a regular job, but they don't work enough hours for benefits. I was like, let's come in at a cheap rate, give people what they need.

A lot of us are not getting those conversations. And a lot of us are not getting the people who are going to positively affirm them and make sure they are going in the right direction and making positive decisions. So I wanted to make sure I offered that to the community. That's something that drove me intensely to want to create something that was going to be affordable for the community. Everyone would be eligible to have access to it. I didn't want time restraints. I didn't want brick and mortar. I didn't want you to have to leave work and take time off for it.

I wanted you to be able to have a 15-minute break and be able to have a 15-minute conversation with someone in the bathroom, your car, or in the break room because something happened at that moment. That's what led me to create this safe space so that people can network and do the things they need to do to make sure they are healthy at all times.

What is the inspiration behind the app's name?

It's one of my favorite quotes that come from the Bible. I believe that it is very detrimental to have just a small grain of salt worth of faith, but a mustard seed is just a little bit bigger. So it gives you a whole lot more room to trust and believe. And all we're asking the community to do is trust and believe in us. Making sure that we are providing what the community needs and having that faith in the staff that I have. Those are the things that led to the creation of the app.

How do you feel the pandemic has affected mental health, and in what ways?

I think that it sends a lot of people into a sense of mental anguish. And I say mental anguish because some people are essential workers. They're not allowed to stay at home with their families like everyone else. You also have those who are losing their employment and therefore sending themselves into panic and anxiety attacks. People are losing retirement, 401ks, what they've worked for their entire lives. They need someone to talk to about those things. It is hindering the community who are dealing with mental issues or who don't know that they are.

Do you feel that virtual methods such as video chat are equally as effective as in-person visits?

Yes, I think that is. When someone is going through something, it's the words, it's not the physical features of a person that they get a chance to see. It is the words that they hear. It's the message that they perceive and internalize how they learn to work through it. That's something that can be conveyed via video chat.

What advice do you have for our readers as to how they might navigate through these difficult times?

I would say to try your best to help improve your quality of life and start setting goals for yourself to stay safe, setting different personal goals, setting different career goals, and focusing on the positive of having time to yourself. Because you can't go without having time to learn yourself, know what you stand for, what you believe in, and take the time to grow in all aspects.

The FOAMS App is available for free download in the Apple and Google app store. Visit the website to learn more about FOAMS.