Mimi Cole Mental Health Honoree

Mimi Cole is advocating for the healing power of therapy

Leaning into fear

21-year-old Mimi Cole believes in the power of healing and using her voice to create safe spaces for others to share their experiences, even when it might cause fear or discomfort.

“As people started to message me and share with me what my words meant to them, I continued to believe that I had important things to say.”

Like so many others, Mimi has experienced personal struggles with her mental health. After pursuing therapy for help with disordered eating, anxiety, and OCD, she started sharing her mental health experience online. After realizing that her story was resonating with others, she started to feel less shame around what she was going through. She wanted to continue sharing so that others could experience the same healing. “As people started to message me and share with me what my words meant to them, I continued to believe that I had important things to say,” she said. “I continue to find my voice as I keep going to therapy, learning as a student, and healing.”

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Stepping into the light

Mimi is the founder of the Instagram community, The Lovely Becoming, and hosts a podcast of the same name. She uses her platform to encourage people to pursue healing and share personal reflections on her mental health journey. She also offers an online course on OCD and orthorexia from her perspective as a therapist in training.  

As an exceptional Gen Z'er making an impact, she was honored for her work in the Mental Health space through The ConversationaLIST. “I am passionate about helping reduce shame by talking about the things that cause us fear and discomfort,” she said.

Mimi is passionate about reducing shame around mental health topics by talking about the things that cause fear and discomfort. She advocates for the healing power of therapy and believes it’s an essential tool for young people to find their voice. “I have experienced so much healing through therapy and believe wholeheartedly in the beauty of connection with other humans through communication and establishing healthy boundaries,” she said. “Making peace with food and the body is one of my favorite things to help people explore.”

“I hope that people will learn from me that therapy is a beautiful form of healing."

After completing graduate school, Mimi plans to become a therapist in a group practice. She also wants to write a memoir. “I hope that people will learn from me that therapy is a beautiful form of healing, that they are not alone in the thoughts that scare them, and that their bodies are good no matter what they eat,” she said.

When she’s not advocating for mental health, Mimi enjoys baking, reading, and having deep conversations with her friends. 

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Healing together

As a 21-year-old, Mimi sits on the cusp of Gen Z, which she believes gives her an interesting perspective. She looks forward to exploring the TC community and getting to know others on the platform. “I love how open Gen Z is to mental health [topics] and self-exploration,” she said. “We are a generation that acknowledges the breadth of traumatic experiences and is passionate about healing.”

She believes that Gen Z can come together to break open their echo chambers through honest conversations and create safe spaces that emphasize connection and community. 

“Healthy conversations can include taking breaks and pauses, and committing to being respectful and listening.”

When it comes to navigating difficult conversations, Mimi emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries. “I set boundaries such as ‘please don’t yell at me, no name-calling or put-downs,’” she said. “Healthy conversations can include taking breaks and pauses, and committing to being respectful and listening.”

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Big snaps to Mimi Cole for using her voice to advocate for healing and growth. Keep up with The Lovely Becoming on Instagram to learn more about her work.

Come hang out with Mimi and all of our LIST honorees!  Join us in Geneva and follow The Conversationalist on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to stay up to date with all of our future events.