Meet Tommy

Father of 3, author,

and mental health advocate.

Tommy Don Talley, Jr. is a 29 year old father, husband, author, and mental health advocate. Tommy was born in Pilsen but has spent most of his life on the SouthEast side and currently resides in Hegewisch. Like many parents, his parents struggled with addiction, poverty, and limited resources which created an environment of struggle and abuse, both mentally and physically. An environment Tommy would learn to navigate and survive, but the trauma and scars stayed with him and surfaced more as he became a parent himself. As a survivor of childhood trauma, Tommy knew he had to live intentionally as a husband and father. He also knew he had a message to share of Love, Hope, and Forgiveness. He began putting pen to paper and engaging with the community to share his journey. Tommy knew telling it would be traumatic, but it would also be the vehicle by which to help others and begin the healing process. 

 

He wrote my memoir as a way of connecting with others who too survived abusive childhoods. Tommy wanted to share his story and say even if you’re in the process of healing, or even if you haven’t begun your path to recovery... it’s okay. It’s not your fault and you can heal from everything you were forced to survive... when you’re ready. And that’s also why he felt compelled to put pen to paper — because maybe you’ll see yourself in him and you’ll feel less ashamed for anything you’re not proud of and understand that all you went through is why you’ve had those moments. It doesn’t make you any less worthy or undeserving of love.

In his book, he shares stories from his childhood, young adulthood and experiences as a husband and father. Tommy struggles with his mental health and it’s something that he must actively work on. He's not letting the old demons creep up and drag him back down. Tommy knows his triggers and through therapy has gotten to know himself better. He knows what makes him feel safe and that’s a space that he does his best to stay in. What does Tommy know for certain today? He doesn’t have to be perfect. He will most likely always struggle with his mental health but it’s no longer something he's ashamed of. It’s no longer debilitating. We are all more than our scars. His passion to normalize mental health and mental health care has carved a path for advocacy. It is fulfilling and humbling... his call has always been to serve but it wasn’t until he begun my own journey that he understood that.

He knows when we shy away from our pain and feel compelled to protect our abusers, we never give ourselves the freedom to heal. Please give yourselves the freedom you need to move forward. I promise there’s light at the end of that tunnel... the light that has always been shining within you.

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When COVID hit, it gave everyone the opportunity to reset. During that time, Tommy had an epiphany — that’s how "Tommy Talks" was born and it has been wildly successful and welcomed by many all over the country. Tommy Talks originally began as a blog about mental health and is now a 501(c3) non profit organization that promotes normalizing and improving mental health through creative arts, education, and social peer support. With a purpose of creating safe spaces to raise awareness on the importance of mental health and removing the negative stigma which often times surrounds it. Learn more about Tommy and Tommy Talks by visiting www.tommytalksnpo.org