ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH APPAREL
Mental Health Apparel is a clothing line that focus on spreading awareness at an affordable price. We aim to inspire our customers to be the best version of themselves and to become more aware of their Mental Health.
In 2018, our CEO was working as an adolescent Group Counselor at a Partial Care in New Jersey. During this time, he was still in Graduate School studying Clinical Mental Health and working towards graduating. Working in this setting Todd was able to gain a large amount of experience helping at risk youth in a group setting. One thing he noticed is that his young clients would pay close attention to what he wears at work. Once he noticed that the clothing, he had on at work would spark a conversation he decided to create a shirt with a more positive message.
He decided to make three shirts about something he is passionate about which was the topic of Mental Health. When he created these shirts, many of his co-workers fell in love with the idea of spreading awareness on the topic of mental health with their apparel. Within a few days Todd sold over 60 items to his coworkers and friends which sparked to vision of turning this into a complete clothing line.
Overtime he noticed how his items spark a conversation about Mental Health in the community which allows customers can spread awareness without saying a word.
THE DRIVE BEHIND TODD BOCKARIE OBTAINING HIS THERAPIST LICENSES & GROWING MENTAL HEALTH APPAREL CLOTHING LINE.
In February 2014, when I was an undergraduate at Kean University studying Psychology, I received one of the most terrifying phone calls from my mother. This was the first time hearing my mother crying since the passing of my father in 2005 (but this was much more intense).
I automatically sat upwards and started to become anxious about what she was about to tell me next. My heart started to pound heavily… hands started to shake…. and my eyes started to tear up as I listened to my mother struggle to gather words to speak.
The next few words that came out of my mother’s mouth changed the way I view “Mental Health” and created a drive for me to continue to make an impact in this professional field.
I was informed that a close family member was hospitalized and diagnosed with Schizophrenia.
This had a huge impact on me because I never thought that this could happen to someone close to me until this moment.
Shortly after finding this out, I discovered that my father was also diagnosed with Schizophrenia years before I started college. As I sat there and thought back to past behaviors of my father it made me realize that he wasn’t doing “strange” things for no reason, but it was because he was struggling with his Mental Health.
It was hard for me to process that my father was schizophrenic because that also meant that I can have the gene of Schizophrenia as well. Therefore, this taught me the importance of making my Mental Health Priority.
This unfortunate situation created a drive in myself to be mindful of my Mental Health and to help others that may be struggling in silence (as my family was due to the Stigma).
Since 2014, I've worked hard to become more knowledgeable about Mental Health and obtained my Licensed as a Mental Health Counselors, helping youth that are struggling with their Mental Health.
Growing this clothing line helps spread awareness on the topic of Mental Health and in the past year we sold over 800 items.
Since starting Mental Health Apparel, my organization has received many great reviews on how these items start the conversation on Mental Health without individuals having to say a word.
People pay attention to what others wear and when they see others wearing items that spread awareness on Mental health it makes them think about their own for a split second.