I would like to work with Funny Face - Says US-based mental health advocate

“Mental health awareness is on the low in Africa and Ghana is no exemption. Mental Health is very different from mental illnesses and not knowing this always makes people chase after the wind in this crucial aspect of our health,” believes United States (US) based Philip Ofori-Yentumi.

Speaking to TheAfricanDream.net correspondent Oppong Clifford Benjamin, self-esteem and mental health education expert, Philip Ofori-Yentumi, says his inspiration is to help improve the lives of others by educating them on how to develop their self-esteem and provide Mental Health education, especially in the Ghanaian community in the Diaspora and back home in Ghana where he is originally from.

Mr. Ofori-Yentumi told our correspondent Oppong Clifford Benjamin that his inspiration behind the many mental health awareness initiatives which his company, Philgood Services has taken in the past, is because of the little attention the matter receives.

The Philgood Services CEO said ‘My inspiration is derived from how people are suffering due to their lack of knowledge about Mental Health which is worsened by the fact that society puts a lot of pressure on us to deliver as individuals, this, in turn, affects our self-esteem.’

To help curb this problem in a small way this year, Philgood intends to do more educational videos and presentations on mental health and building self-esteem. They disclosed to TheAfricanDream.net that they are planning a Seminar in Accra, Ghana this December where their CEO will also be a guest speaker at two events in Accra and Kumasi on Mental Health and self-esteem development.

Mr. Ofori-Yentumi told Clifford during this interview that he would love to have Ghanaian comedian FunnyFace share his experience on when he had suicidal thoughts and work with him and some other celebrities in Ghana to combat the problems related to mental health and low self-esteem, a situation that broods suicidal thoughts sometimes.

‘My services are peculiar because I explain things in the layman’s terms for people to fully understand the challenges and provide solutions. My ability to explain fluently in Twi — a dominant Ghanaian language — drives home the message to the locals’ Mr. Ofori-Yentumi revealed to Clifford.

The mental health expert continued to say FunnyFace and Philgood Services could explore comedy as a therapeutic avenue to make people “feel good” and yes the pun seemed intended as he smiled saying it.

Though financing the initiatives of Philgood has always been difficult, Philip said the fact that his services save lives is enough motivation for him to keep going. Ofori-Yentumi is a May 2019 graduate with a Masters in Nursing from Walden University, he is currently a Psychiatric Mental Health Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) and Director of Nursing at an Inpatient Psychiatric hospital in Dayton, Ohio in the US.

To explore how you can assist this laudable effort, follow Philip and his work by finding him as Philgood Services on respective social media portals and check out recent videos from his YouTube channel in this link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDz9lAhyRkb0XxBx10En5jA