Sparta counselor to toe the line in NYC in support of suicide prevention
SPARTA — Sparta's Mary Helen Kellam loves three things: running, New York City and doing what she can to help promote suicide prevention.
This November, her three loves will merge as she runs the New York City Marathon for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
She has a goal to raise more than $3,000 for the foundation, and her campaign is well under way.
Running in NYC
Kellam started running (seriously) last July, and decided she wanted to run in the New York City Marathon. The problem was, that particular marathon is very popular and uses a lottery system to select who will be able to participate in any given year.
Kellam wasn't selected.
Undaunted, she decided to look through the list of charities for which you can run the marathon and be granted an entry in exchange for fundraising. As she scrolled through, one jumped out at her and she could hardly believe her eyes. For the first year, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention would be selecting five runners to fundraise for it in the 2015 race. Kellam applied and to her delight, was selected.
“I was thrilled,” she said,”This is all of my passions coming together.”
Kellam graduated from William Paterson University with a bachelor's degree in psychology and went on to earn her master's degree in counseling from Rider University. In addition to working as a high school guidance counselor in Morris County, the Licensed Professional Counselor recently opened Mindful Living Counseling Services, LLC, in Sparta.
Populations she serves in her private practice include "tweens,” adolescents and adults.
“I use a cognitive behavioral approach while incorporating mindfulness. I hope to empower clients to employ strategies that will help them engage in life more fully as well as manage their emotions more effectively,” she said.
Passion to prevent suicide
Kellam's interest in suicide prevention began when she was an intern at the Traumatic Loss Coalition as a Prevention Specialist. There, she provided education to the community regarding at risk youth as well as consultation when a school community experienced a sudden traumatic loss.
“What we know for sure is that suicide happens... In fact research has shown that it is the third leading cause of death for adolescents and second leading cause of death among young adults,” Kellam said. “By raising awareness regarding suicide and raising funds for research and prevention, it is my hope that at least one person benefits from our efforts.”
The highest suicide rate is among white males and those between the ages of 45 to 60 years old. The second highest rate is among those over the age of 85.
“It is a myth that if someone talks about suicide that it will give them the idea," Kellam said. "It is also a myth that suicide is a selfish act... The reality is that talking about suicide gives a person the opportunity to share how they are feeling and recent research describes how one of the factors associated with suicidal behavior is a feeling of being a burden to others and the mistaken belief that their family/friends would be better off without them.”
“I recognize this can be an uncomfortable topic for many to think about... And that you may be someone who has been personally touched by suicide,” Kellam said, “My heart goes out to you... Whether you have been personally touched by suicide or not, I hope that you will consider donating to this important cause.”
There is a suicide prevention help line for those who are emotionally distressed or are having suicidal thoughts. The phone number is 800-273-TALK (8255).