-Tommy Don Talley Jr.

About Tommy D. Talley

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 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. 

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