67: Minding the Mental Health Gap— Kathleen McGuire Gaines

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Kathleen McGuire Gaines, founder at</span> <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-mcguire-gaines-962b0171/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Minding the Gap</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, fundraising consultant, and contributing writer at</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dance Magazine</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. As a dancer, Kathleen trained at various dance academies, before circumstances forced her to pivot her career towards writing. As a writer, she has published countless articles for prominent dance publications, mostly revolving around mental health issues. Her most recent and foremost effort — Minding the Gap — is a social good organization, dedicated to making mental health a higher priority in the dance world.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dance is more than physical. Having dealt with mental health issues in the past, Gaines is no stranger to the types of emotional struggles that dancers encounter on a day-to-day basis. And, ultimately, the gap in awareness and knowledge in the dance community towards these types of struggles drove her to find a solution. On the podcast, Alexandra and Kathleen dive into Kathleen’s amazing story, how Minding the Gap came to be, and why we should all care about mental health.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A dancer who sprains their ankle is going to go to the doctor. They’re going to go to physical therapy. When you’re having a mental health issue, it should be no different."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Becoming a dance writer has helped me face my own dragons in some ways — my own feelings of loss. Really, when I’m trying to come up with what I’m writing about, I’m asking, ‘What do I wish I had known? What do I wish someone had told me?’"</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“When it comes to things like eating disorders, we have to