Thank you for joining us for episode 417 of Live Happy Now.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this week we're talking about how you can improve your mental health by joining the circus.

I'm your host, Paula Phelps, and this week I'm talking with Dr. Sherry Walling, a clinical psychologist, speaker,

podcaster, best-selling author, and mental health advocate.

Sherry takes a unique approach to processing grief, stress, and trauma, using movement as an

outlet for trapped emotions. In this episode, she's going to explain the connection between

movement, the circus arts, and mental health.

Let's have a listen.

Sherry, thank you so much for coming on the show.

I am delighted to be here.

Thanks for having me.

This is a wonderful time to talk to you because it's Mental Health Awareness Month,

and I love the approach that you're taking because it's very unique. You've created

something called the Circus of Grief and Joy, which immediately you have to stop and say,

what's that about? Because you don't hear those words together. So can you start by

explaining what that is? Yeah, so I am a clinical psychologist in my day job and my side hustle is as an amateur circus

artist. I began really my journey with circus in the aftermath of losing both my dad and my

brother. So I had a significant amount of grief. I was really trying to work that out and I needed

a really physical

practice to help me feel alive, to help me get reconnected to joy. And I found my way to the

circus. So it's been something that I have now loved offering to others who are in a similar

place, maybe it's anxiety, depression, grief, and needing a

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