Backline.care is an organization that aims to provide mental health resources for humans in the music industry, and they have done great things since emerging in 2019. One of the people at the helm of that change is their clinical director, Ari Jacobson. In our chat, Ari takes us through his origin story; we talk about how he joined Backline and go through the circuitous route that led to him becoming a mental health professional in the first place. We discuss his upbringing in Baltimore, his background working in some of that city's toughest environments, and what he learned from those experiences. We also discuss his approach to his own mental health, the value he places on close relationships with friends and family, and what it's like to raise two boys in 2025. I'm very grateful to Ari for his time, and listeners, please drop a comment or a DM if you enjoyed this conversation!