A single moment at fifteen – an apology followed by a tragic loss – sent JJ Winston on a course that would reshape her life. We sit down with the award-winning author, licensed social worker, attorney, and post-degree magistrate to trace how one grief-forged decision became a lifelong mission: defend the voiceless, dismantle stigma, and turn hard-earned insight into fiction that heals.

Across a candid, story-rich conversation, JJ Winston explains how stigma keeps professionals whispering for help, why documentation can unlock treatment when denial closes doors, and what safe conflict looks like in families trying to rebuild trust. We unpack cultural barriers—especially within Black communities—where taking on a mental health label can feel like shouldering a second weight. JJ’s core message lands with clarity: behavioral health is health, and untreated stress will write itself into the body.

JJ also opens up about her family’s deep connection to sickle cell disease and the “invisible until it’s not” pain that mirrors mental illness. Then we widen the lens on human trafficking, coerced work in adult homes, and the fear that keeps survivors silent. These lived truths power her novel series – "The Anniversary," "The Commemoration," and "The Revelation".

If you care about mental health advocacy, client rights, sickle cell awareness, or smart fiction that changes minds, this conversation rings like a bell—clear, resonant, and impossible to ignore.

JJ Winston: 

novelistjjwinston.com

Out Of The Blue:

For more: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org

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