In November 2025, community mental health counselor and licensed developmental psychologist Olusegun Iyejare delivered a powerful talk at the Defeating Depression Seminar, organized by the National Association of Psychology Students (NAPS), University of Ibadan.
The seminar, held on November 11, 2025, brought together psychology students and mental health advocates to engage in critical conversations around depression, emotional wellbeing, and help-seeking behaviors among young people.
“The Strength in Vulnerability”
Iyejare’s presentation, titled “Unmasking the Strength in Vulnerability,” offered a deeply personal and reflective perspective on mental health, challenging common assumptions about emotional resilience.
Drawing from lived experience, he spoke about the paradox of being surrounded by support yet remaining emotionally isolated due to fear.
He described vulnerability as “being surrounded by water and still crying of thirst, simply because you’re afraid to drink,” highlighting how fear of judgment, misunderstanding, or perceived weakness often prevents people from asking for help.
According to Iyejare, while many individuals intellectually understand the importance of sharing struggles, emotional fear continues to silence them. He emphasized that true strength lies not in avoidance, but in confronting fear directly.
“Facing your fears is strength,” he explained. “Running from them is not.”
Resonance With Students and Young Adults
The session resonated strongly with the audience, many of whom openly identified with the difficulty of asking for help despite needing it. Iyejare noted that the level of engagement revealed how widespread this internal struggle remains, particularly among students navigating academic pressure, identity formation, and mental health challenges.
The interaction served as a reminder, he said, that feelings of isolation are often shared experiences rather than individual failures.
Reframing Strength in Mental Health Conversations
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A central message of the talk was the need to redefine strength within mental health discourse. Rather than glorifying emotional self-containment, Iyejare encouraged a healthier narrative—one that recognizes interdependence and support as essential to healing.
“Sometimes, strength isn’t about holding everything together,” he reflected. “Sometimes, it’s about letting others help you carry it.”
Another speaker at the event was Olutayo Atilolaoluwa, a counseling psychologist, speaking on how to provide support for people who are suffering with depression.
A Growing Influence in Mental Health Education
The University of Ibadan seminar adds to Olusegun Iyejare’s growing profile as a mental health educator and speaker committed to bridging clinical knowledge with real-world emotional experiences. His work consistently emphasizes accessibility, emotional honesty, and community-based mental health awareness, particularly among young adults and future psychology professionals.
As conversations around depression and help-seeking continue to gain urgency, engagements like this reinforce his role as a key voice in shaping compassionate, realistic mental health dialogue in academic and community spaces.
