MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY PRACTICE PROVIDES FREE TRAINING TO HUNDREDS OF PARENTS & EDUCATORS
(St. Louis, Missouri): Dr. Lena Pearlman and her husband Dr. Bryan Pearlman have spent the majority of 2016 traveling to schools, district offices, and community meeting spaces to help educate and train parents and educators about mental health related issues that impact school age children and teens. The topics of these trainings have included: school stress, self-harm, anxiety, depression, peer pressure, aggressive behaviors, substance abuse, relationships, and trauma. To date, the duo has presented to close to a thousand people.
Lena shared her reasoning for starting the trainings, “I believe that there is a real lack of good information and resources out there for parents who have children or teens that are struggling. Many of the parents have no idea where to turn. Some parents view mental health related issues as a stigma and often have a hard time seeking out treatment. There is something special and non-threatening about the format of our trainings. Nobody is made to feel as though they are to blame or that they have done something wrong as a parent. We believe it also helps that it is held in the school and community. This makes it more accessible and parents are more likely to stay after school to acquire information and resources.”
Bryan’s reasoning for participating has a lot to do with his former career, “As a former principal and teacher, getting into the community to help kids was a no-brainer. I saw so many kids struggle in school and in life. What they were missing was access to quality therapeutic and counseling information and care. Unfortunately, this is not always possible in schools. Most schools have a few counselors and hundreds if not thousands of students on their caseload. It is really hard to meet some of the more acute needs of these children. Getting out into the community was my first goal in joining the team.”
The couple and their team of five licensed mental health therapists plan additional trainings throughout the summer and fall. More information is available on the practice website at www.STLmentalhealth.com or by calling Dr. Lena Pearlman & Associates at 314-942-1147.
