BREAK THE SILENCE

CULTIVATING CONVERSATIONS TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OUR TOP RATED MENTAL HEALTH PODCAST

NORMALIZING MENTAL HEALTH ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

SHOP TO SUPPORT OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

MENTAL HEALTH MOVEMENT

The Big Silence is a charitable foundation dedicated to mental health founded by Karena Dawn.

OUR IMPACT SINCE 2021
OUR IMPACT SINCE 2021

  • REACHED OVER 4.2 MILLION

  • 44,000+ PEOPLE HELPED

  • 2.8 MILLION EVENT PARTICIPANTS

Reached over 4.2 million people with mental health and self-development conversations through The Big Silence podcast

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Provided over 44,000 people with mental health resources and support through our website resources and programs including Therapy for All and Crisis Text Line

DONATE TO BRING CHANGE

Over 2.8 million participated through live events and other initiatives

ATTEND AN EVENT

THE NUMBERS

The reality of the state of mental health.

  • 1 in 5 Adults

     live with mental illness each year

  • 1 in 20 U.S. Adults

    experience serious mental illness each year, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression

  • Over 1 in 5 Youth

    (ages 13-18) either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness

  • 50%

    of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24

  • Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14 

  • The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years

  • 164 million people live in a designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

  • “During the pandemic, I fell on hard times and was struggling, but I didn’t feel as if I could talk about it.

    I ended up losing my home and was dealing with anxiety that kept getting worse and worse. I found The Big Silence because I was always a fan of Karena from Tone It Up. I started paying attention to her story and listening to the podcast and hearing professionals talk about tough subjects gave me the courage to ask for help. I was able to go from being homeless to staying with a family member, and I was able to enter a behavioral mental health program and get the help I needed. I was also able to get an autism diagnosis (I’m 37) and am learning the skills to help me better function with work, friends, and family.”

  • “Today the universe reminded me of why I do what I do. I felt so seen, so loved, so appreciated, and safe.

    Thank you Karena Dawn for using your voice to raise awareness about mental health. Thank you for reminding me that anything is possible. My heart is so full!”

  • “Karena, the space you’ve manifested and shared with the public about mental health awareness is powerful and heartwarming.

    I feel honored to have experienced its message.” 

  • "Hi Karena. I just wanted to let you know that I used The Big Silence website today to get the phone number for the suicide prevention hotline.

    I called and I'm glad I did. The woman on the other end was very helpful. Thank you for bringing mental health to the forefront and getting resources together in one place." 

  • “Thank you so much! I thought I was alone, but when I reached out, I found help! It means so much to me to know that I'm not alone going through this.”

1 of 5

Donate To Bring Change

  •  

    $10

    Shows your support for the cause, any amount helps!

    DONATE $10
  •  

    $100

    Provides a therapy scholarship for someone in need

    DONATE $100
  •  

    $500

    Helps change the stigma by providing 5 people in a mental health desert with access to resources

    DONATE $500
  •  

    $1000

    Brings conversations about mental health to the public through our live events and podcast, working to destigmatize and change the culture around mental health

    DONATE $1000

#1 MENTAL HEALTH PODCAST

THE BIG SILENCE PODCAST

A motivational podcast that aims to normalize conversations around mental health and empower people to turn their challenges into triumphs. Hosted by Karena Dawn – mental health advocate, wellness entrepreneur, founder of Tone It Up, and New York Times bestselling author.

LISTEN NOW

WHAT WE DO

We are here to break the silence, to be a resource and to support a cultural change in mental health.

Our programs and tools support people’s mental health journey from children to adulthood.  It is our goal to provide a stigma-free zone where people feel safe to reach out and find help through our mental health resources, and have the opportunity to have their mental health questions answered by mental health professionals.

  • THERAPY FOR ALL

  • CORPORATE WELLNESS

  • MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

  • SPEAKING + ADVOCACY

  • EVENTS

Therapy for All makes 1:1 talk therapy accessible to those who need assistance with a robust network of mental health professionals.

APPLY FOR THERAPY

Through our Corporate Wellness initiative we help employers educate, attract, and retain their top talent, ensuring a culture of empowerment, growth, and mental wellness. Our corporate programs enrich and benefit employee mental health with weekly events, monthly talks and staff retreats, and Thought Leadership discussions and panels around relative company topics.

LEARN MORE

We've gathered these resources with help from our partners and network of mental health professionals to help you to navigate your mental health needs.

SEE OUR RESOURCES

Speaking about mental health can help change lives! Karena shares her own journey from hopelessness to healing, and her knowledge and expertise as a leading mental health advocate with more than a decade of experience through partnerships with NAMI, other organizations, schools, and educational institutions. She shares her story in The Big Silence memoir. 

LEARN MORE

Our live events provide a welcoming and accepting environment and bring communities together to “make mental health cool”.

JOIN US
Karena Dawn on stage in front of a large audience speaking out for mental and physical health

THE MEMOIR

THE BIG SILENCE BY KARENA DAWN

OUR PARTNERS

Thank you to our partners who want to help bring an end to the stigma that surrounds mental health.