Hello! My name is Symmone Gauer, and I struggle with mental illness–but that’s not the only thing about me. But that’s not the only interesting thing about me.

I was born and raised in South Dakota but always fancied the East Coast and Western Europe, namely Boston and Paris (je parle français!). I studied journalism in undergrad and worked in the field for a time, but it, quite frankly, wasn’t for me. Was I good at it? I like to think so! But it wasn’t my passion, and working in the news world was negatively affecting my already-fragile mental health state. So I left and started a graduate program at Rosemont College in Philadelphia, where I am now on the road to obtaining a master’s degree in book publishing. The dream.

I live with generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and borderline personality disorder (and I’ve certainly had a therapist or two bring up depression on occasion). When I had the idea for this podcast, I was immediately super excited to be an advocate for mental health, but then I quickly realized something else: this project meant I myself had to be vulnerable and open about my own mental health struggles–and that was scary.

It is scary. But I believe it’s worth it.

This podcast is my thesis project. My method: explore how young adult fiction authors write about mental illness in a way that mirrors reality and stems from their lived experiences. My goal: create a space where young people feel seen and understood while learning that conversation about mental health can help fight the stigma against it. Books have long since helped us feel less alone–to feel seen and understood. That is my hope for you, dear listeners.

Maybe you’ll even find a new book to read while you’re at it.

P.s. Some of these episodes discuss suicide and other difficult topics. If you or a loved one is affected by anything discussed in this episode, know there is always help:

• National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 988lifeline.org
• National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine: 1-800-950-NAMI or nami.org
• The notOK App: notokapp.com

P.p.s. I also want to give a loving thanks to Patrick, who not only built this entire website from scratch, but also pushed me to finish this project and stuck with me–even when I was not at my mental best ❤