11/07/2025
With the recent passing of a Dallas Cowboys football player, Marshawn Kneeland, it feels especially important to continue shining a light on the significance of mental health. While we may never fully know his story, reports indicate that he died by su***de. I cannot imagine the depth of what he was experiencing, but I can only assume that immense pressures—both seen and unseen—played a part.
In my work, I sit with many clients who carry pressures not only from the world around them, but also from within themselves. The weight of expectation, fear of failure, and feelings of disappointment can be truly consuming. While therapy and different modalities can help guide the healing process, lasting change begins when an individual starts to believe in their own capacity to heal and grow.
It’s easy to look at someone’s success, beauty, or social status and assume their life is without struggle. But behind every story, there are unseen challenges, sacrifices, and emotions that the world may never witness.
The picture below of an iceberg captures this perfectly. What we see above the surface—the success, confidence, and smiles—represents only a small part of the whole story. Beneath the water lies the vast foundation of what truly exists: the hard work, self-doubt, trauma, grief, perseverance, and growth that others may never see. This image is a true representation of perception—reminding us that there is always more beneath the surface.
Please, continue to be kind—to others, and to yourself. We all come from somewhere, and we’re all doing our best to make it through.
