It's never too early to start talking about mental health. That's the message from a local psychotherapist who's on a mission to spark conversations with kids.
Image of Markie Mitchell speaking to children with her book "Norma" as part of her mission to spark conversations about mental health. It's never too early to start talking about mental health. That's the message from a local psychotherapist who's on a mission to spark conversations with elementary school-aged children."I am Markie Mitchell, and I’m here to share my story," said Markie Mitchell..
Students answer with "your inside feelings" and other descriptions. "Mental health is the health of our minds," Mitchell tells them before reading the book aloud. "There seems to be a lot of shame, embarrassment, and guilt talking about mental health," Mitchell said. "And I would love for it to not be scary for kids, for kids to feel they can talk about their feelings without feeling this shame."Nine-year-old Kaddy Sonko shared that when she feels worried, "I take some breathings or drink some water to make me feel better."
Other times, Mitchell said children deny ever feeling depressed or anxious. That's something she calls a concerning sign that they're not comfortable talking about true feelings.