Can Children Learn Mental Health Skills Online? Veteran Therapist from Casey's Clubhouse says YES!

KIRKLAND, Wash., March 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Awareness of mental health has blossomed over the past decade, especially during the pandemic. Therapists and psychologists have expanded their client reach with telehealth, schools are integrating social skills programs into their curriculum, and TikTok is full of quick skills. The question is how do we expand our reach and teach these essential basic skills to everyone who needs them? One veteran therapist believes that mental health education should be introduced in the primary years and can be taught online.

Ideally, mental health and social skills would be an established part of our educational system but they are not. Some schools don't have the funding let alone a school counselor to run groups and check in on students. As communities increased their awareness of the effects of social issues like bullying, they have incorporated programs into their systems with some positive results¹.

"Schools can't do it alone," says Laura Schneider, LMHC, a mental health counselor practicing in a Seattle suburb. "Parents need to feel empowered to offer their children a healthy base of social and mental health skills."

"Every child needs a base of mental health and social skills. So much of what we learn is through modeling, and many of our skills are internal processes that children cannot observe. It's like teaching math through observation only. The steps someone takes to problem-solve are oftentimes private," says Ms. Schneider. "Parenting resources are great and certainly teach parenting skills. We wanted to bring skills directly to children." So, Ms. Schneider created an online program to offer children mental health and social-emotional skills.

This of course begs the question: can children learn essential mental and social skills online? Ms. Schneider says, "Yes!" She cites early educational programming like Sesame Street and modern programs like Bluey. "The point of those programs is early childhood education. Our curriculum is similar to that, but we break down the lessons into steps for integrated learning and comprehension."

"I know there's a lot of pressure on parents to educate their children. I think the current outcry for mental health services displays how important early childhood education is to the health of our society." Parents are not alone in this. There are several resources, including Casey's Clubhouse, offered online to help guide parents in their quest to build their children's emotional resiliency and well-being. 

To find out more visit https://www.caseys-clubhouse.com.

The mission of Casey's Clubhouse™ is to offer holistic, integrated mental health curriculum and support materials that make real differences in the lives of children and parents using Best Practices as their guide.

Laura Doerflinger Schneider is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a Master's Degree in Psychology. She has worked as a mental health counselor since 1993. She ran and developed social skills groups and in 2019 retired from her private practice to focus full-time on Casey's Clubhouse.

Contact: Laura D Schneider, LHMC
[email protected]
877-423-0272

1. NCSL.org (2018). Building Social and Emotional Skills in Afterschool Programs: A Literature Review. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/midatlantic/pdf/REL_2017245.pdf

SOURCE Casey's Clubhouse, LLC