Movement Saves Lives: Why I’m Walking for Mental Health

By Andrew Neufeld, Co-Founder, CEO, Clinical Director, Alongside You

I live a very privileged life. I’m a mental health professional with over 20 years of experience, co-owner of a thriving clinic, and deeply connected to a family and community that loves and supports me. I’ve got every conceivable resource at my disposal—and for that, I’m grateful.

And still, life is hard. Really hard.

I’ve been living with mental illness since I was six years old. Managing my mental health is a full-time job—one that includes therapy (more often than I’d like), constant self-awareness, and the discipline to do what I know helps me, even when I don’t feel like it. It’s exhausting and life-saving work, and I don’t take for granted that I have access to the care I need.

But not everyone does.

That’s why I’m walking on May 3rd with Step Forward Health Society at our Move for Mental Health Walk.

This isn’t just another charity walk for me. It’s personal. Deeply personal. I know what it’s like to suffer without support. I’ve seen the pain of those who didn’t get the help they needed. I’ve experienced the unbearable weight of believing your life might not be worth living.

But I’ve also discovered a profound truth: It’s possible to hold deep gratitude and deep struggle at the same time.

That’s the heart of mental health work. And that’s the heart of why we’re walking.

We walk to raise awareness. We walk to raise funds. But most importantly, we walk to raise each other—to show that no one has to go through this alone.

Because movement saves lives—not just the physical kind, but the kind that reminds us we’re still here. That we’re still trying. That we still matter.

So come walk with us—for yourself, for someone you love, for the belief that even in our darkest moments, there’s still light to move toward.

Join me and the Step Forward community on May 3rd. Let’s step forward—together.

Every step is a statement: You are not alone. And your life is worth fighting for.