Maria Parrilla joins Not A Great Whisperer to tackle some serious topics. Maria was born and raised in the heart of West Tampa and grew up with her sister and raised by her great grandparents and grandmother who instilled the value of “integrity” and “working for what you want”. At age 17, she joined the Military and served in the Florida Army National Guard for 8 years with one tour. During her time in the military, she ventured in working as a junior counselor and teacher for a Non Profit Organization in Tampa for almost 7 years, volunteered in community events throughout Tampa Bay, and working part time in Bridal retail. During her time in the Bridal Retail, she met her best friend, and she asked Maria to help her out for a friend’s wedding and now for 5 years they continue to grow. Maria noticed that her mental health was staggering and started to realize something was wrong. She was diagnosed with Severe Depression, PTSD and Anxiety that would stay with her throughout her entire life. She still battles the changes and challenges everyday but somewhere, somehow, she is still fighting for more. She speaks openly to others to help remove the stigma around mental illness. Enjoy the real, unedited conversation with Maria and Katy.