The video is a panel discussion at the 2025 NaNoCon conference in Tennessee. It’s a gathering of predominantly non-believers in fundamentalist religious ideology, atheists, and agnostics, coming together to celebrate community and have a great time making connections with like-minded people.
I was happy to help put together a panel on mental health resources that go beyond the limitations of clinical therapy. We had a fabulous group of people on the panel with a presentation and discussion that could have gone on for quite a bit longer, but all of us are eager to continue that dialogue in the ways that we can.
The point of looking beyond clinical therapy is not to dismiss the very real benefits that people gain from it, nor is it to simply note the criticisms any of us have about it. Instead, the emphasis is on learning to consider the struggles we go through as extensions of our humanity and as such, to look at what resources can be sought to strengthen the qualities of that very same humanity to build up resilience, wade into acceptance, and celebrate the connections that are at the heart of who we are.
The following are the slides with resources that accompanied the panel discussion.
Panelists
To reach out to any of the panelists, there are links provided:
David Teachout
Marla Dufek
Kalai
Andy Dufek
Discussion Outline and Resources
