Bay Area

A 2020 Vision: See Life’s Purposes and Goals Clearer by Connecting Mental Health and Spirituality

Published

6 years ago

January 30, 2020

Last year was a difficult one for this country. From mass shootings, fires, homelessness, and being publicly attacked by POTUS himself, this was a rough year.

Through my work as a school psychologist and as a mental health therapist, it has become more and more apparent that the Bay Area at large is suffering from hopelessness, fatigue, insomnia, restlessness, withdrawal and loss of focus.

These are symptoms of depression and anxiety that haves led to an overall decline in moral and social functioning in our region. These issues are not new to places like Oakland, Richmond, the Tenderloin, and Hayward.

But places like Concord, Castro Valley and El Sobrante also show signs of mental health issues, homelessness and drug addiction. In many of my sessions this past year, I could feel the despair of the community at large. Those suffering from the most symptoms also appeared to be spiritually lost or even at odds with their higher power, sometimes questioning the purpose of their existence.

Many people are experiencing mental and spiritual warfare within their own minds and belief systems, which have diminished the outlook on their quality of life. Mental and sSpiritual harmony is the key to moving past these psychological barriers. The problem is that there is a major disconnect with spirituality and mental health. People are miserable with no hope in sight.

This is why we turn toward Black Psychology principles like Sankofa and the metaphor being expressed by the Great Sphinx of Giza statue in Egypt to resolve these modern issues.

Dr. Na’im Akbar, a past president of the ABPsi, noted that the Sphinx, the head of a man carved onto the body of a lion, represented the psychic journey of rising above the lower, animalistic tendencies to be ruled by the higher principles of the mind, allowing a clearer human mind to guide decisions and thoughts.

Sankofa is a term that roughly translates to ‘going back to get it.’ Another Black psychologist, Dr. Wade Nobles, co-founder and past president of the ABPsi, notes more fully that Sankofa means to “go back and fetch the essence of being in order to go forward” and intentionally create (retrieve) a plan and purpose for success.

The “it” is the knowledge that was already given through psychological and spiritual systems developed sometimes thousands of years ago.

In modern times, most of us are caught up in the rat race for basic survival (lower nature) and have limited capacity to connect with others or those who are suffering in order to produce a healing community (higher nature). This internal conflict is a spiritual one because of the resistance to acknowledge that there is a higher consciousness to evolve to. This higher consciousness leads to healthier thinking and decision-making, which improves mood and outlook on life.

Growing up in the Bay Area, I remember San Francisco was imaged as being a place of peace and love; Berkeley was home base for political activism; and Oakland wasbeing a place of Black Power and cultural and spiritual expression. These have been traditional cornerstones of the identity of the Bay Area.

As the cost of living skyrocketed this past decade, I think the focus on making ends meet has led to higher levels of stress and a less personal way of being. It is not a surprise then that, as a community, the Bay Area seems morally off balance.

It does not help that many churches, temples, and mosques have closed or have become dying, members’s-only social clubs.

To further complicate the matter, there is still a stigma for many of the diverse populations in Bay Area regarding accessing mental health services. Nevertheless, people are getting guidance from somewhere but it may not always be psychologically or spiritually sound.

I am challenging people to be intentional about making decisions related to day-to-day and long-term goals that are true to one’s core values and produces the least internal strife. Too many of us are living with regrets because we are making unhealthy choices in already bad circumstances. We have to dig deeper than our current situation to find solutions to issues that sit right in our soul.

This is what it means to do Sankofa and to reflect the law of the Sphinx. This alignment of mind, body, and spirit will allow for clearer vision for 2020 and beyond. As a proud Bay Area native, I believe we can access the rich characteristics that once made our region the most technologically modern and socially aware place in the world.

It’s time to rebuild communities by forging new relationships. This can only happen when we share solutions to our problems. It starts by knowing yourself and tapping into what gives you spiritual peace. Then remember the ways of your elders and ancestors that helped people deal with the day- to- day issues of society. Then we will overcome our lower nature functions and truly allow our human consciousness to elevate. As each one elevates, so does the community.

The Association of Black Psychologists, Bay Area Chapter (ABPsi-Bay Area) is committed to providing the Post Newspaper readership with monthly discussions about critical issues in Black Mental Health. The ABPsi-Bay Area is a healing resource. We can be contacted at (bayareaabpsi@gmail.com) and readers are welcome to join with us at our monthly chapter meeting, every third Saturday at the West Oakland Youth Center from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Art Harris, LMFT School Psychologist

Posts by Art Harris, LMFT School Psychologist

Related Topics:Association of Black Psychologists mental health bay area saNKOFA

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

4 days ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

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Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.

Oakland Post

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First 5 Alameda County Distributes Over $8 Million in First Wave of Critical Relief Funds for Historically Underpaid Caregivers

“Family, Friend, and Neighbor caregivers are lifelines for so many children and families in Alameda County,” said Kristin Spanos, CEO, First 5 Alameda County. “Yet, they often go unrecognized and undercompensated for their labor and ability to give individualized, culturally connected care. At First 5, we support the conditions that allow families to thrive, and getting this money into the hands of these caregivers and families at a time of heightened financial stress for parents is part of that commitment.”

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Costco. Courtesy image.

Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregivers Can Now Opt Into $4,000 Grants to Help Bolster Economic Stability and Strengthen Early Learning Experiences

By Post Staff

Today, First 5 Alameda County announced the distribution of $4,000 relief grants to more than 2,000 Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers, totaling over $8 million in the first round of funding. Over the full course of the funding initiative, First 5 Alameda County anticipates supporting over 3,000 FFN caregivers, who collectively care for an estimated 5,200 children across Alameda County. These grants are only a portion of the estimated $190 million being invested into expanding our early childcare system through direct caregiver relief to upcoming facilities, shelter, and long-term sustainability investments for providers fromMeasure C in its first year. This investment builds on the early rollout of Measure C and reflects a comprehensive, system-wide strategy to strengthen Alameda County’s early childhood ecosystem so families can rely on sustainable, accessible care,

These important caregivers provide child care in Alameda County to their relatives, friends, and neighbors. While public benefits continue to decrease for families, and inflation and the cost of living continue to rise, these grants provide direct economic support for FFN caregivers, whose wages have historically been very low or nonexistent, and very few of whom receive benefits. As families continue to face growing financial pressures, especially during the winter and holiday season, these grants will help these caregivers with living expenses such as rent, utilities, supplies, and food.

The funding for these relief grants comes from Measure C, a local voter-approved sales tax in Alameda County that invests in young children, their families, communities, providers, and caregivers. Within the first year of First 5’s 5-Year Plan for Measure C, in addition to the relief grants to informal FFN caregivers, other significant investments will benefit licensed child care providers. These investments include over $40 million in Early Care and Education (ECE) Emergency Grants, which have already flowed to nearly 800 center-based and family child care providers. As part of First 5’s 5-Year Plan, preparations are also underway to distribute facilities grants early next year for child care providers who need to make urgent repairs or improvements, and to launch the Emergency Revolving Fund in Spring 2026 to support licensed child care providers in Alameda County who are at risk of closure.

The FFN Relief Grants recognize and support the essential work that an estimated 3,000 FFN caregivers provide to 5,200 children in Alameda County. There is still an opportunity to receive funds for FFN caregivers who have not yet received them.

In partnership with First 5 Alameda County, Child Care Payment Agencies play a critical role in identifying eligible caregivers and leading coordinated outreach efforts to ensure FFN caregivers are informed of and able to access these relief funds.FFN caregivers are eligible for the grant if they receive a child care payment from an Alameda County Child Care Payment Agency, 4Cs of Alameda County, BANANAS, Hively, and Davis Street, and are currently caring for a child 12 years old or younger in Alameda County. Additionally, FFN caregivers who provided care for a child 12 years or younger at any time since April 1, 2025, but are no longer doing so, are also eligible for the funds. Eligible caregivers are being contacted by their Child Care Payment Agency on a rolling basis, beginning with those who provided care between April and July 2025.

“This money is coming to me at a critical time of heightened economic strain,” said Jill Morton, a caregiver in Oakland, California. “Since I am a non-licensed childcare provider, I didn’t think I was eligible for this financial support. I was relieved that this money can help pay my rent, purchase learning materials for the children as well as enhance childcare, buy groceries and take care of grandchildren.”

Eligible FFN caregivers who provided care at any time between April 1, 2025 and July 31, 2025, who haven’t yet opted into the process, are encouraged to check their mail and email for an eligibility letter. Those who have cared for a child after this period should expect to receive communications from their child care payment agency in the coming months. FFN caregivers with questions may also contact the agency they work with to receive child care payments, or the First 5 Alameda help desk, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST, at 510-227-6964. The help desk will be closed 12/25/25 – 1/1/26. Additional grant payments will be made on a rolling basis as opt-ins are received by the four child care payment agencies in Alameda County.

Beginning in the second year of Measure C implementation, FFN caregivers who care for a child from birth to age five and receive an Alameda County subsidized voucher will get an additional $500 per month. This amounts to an annual increase of about $6,000 per child receiving a subsidy. Together with more Measure C funding expected to flow back into the community as part of First 5’s 5-Year Plan, investments will continue to become available in the coming year for addressing the needs of childcare providers in Alameda County.

About First 5 Alameda County

First 5 Alameda County builds the local childhood systems and supports needed to ensure our county’s youngest children are safe, healthy, and ready to succeed in school and life.

Our Mission

In partnership with the community, we support a county-wide continuous prevention and early intervention system that promotes optimal health and development, narrows disparities, and improves the lives of children from birth to age five and their families.

Our Vision

Every child in Alameda County will have optimal health, development, and well-being to reach their greatest potential.

Learn more at www.first5alameda.org.