Research increasingly shows that our culture is in the midst of a mental health epidemic, especially among children and youth — persistent feelings of sadness & hopelessness, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts. But Danny believes parents can offset these issues by routinely initiating conversations with your children to assess their mental and emotional well-being. Also, establishing a solid spiritual environment in your home will help improve mental health. Danny recommends parents use “feeling charts” and “thought bubbles” to help children see how their thoughts & emotions are connected, and how to choose more healthy/godly perspectives.
Research increasingly shows that our culture is in the midst of a mental health epidemic, especially among children and youth — persistent feelings of sadness & hopelessness, anxiety and even suicidal thoughts. But Danny believes parents can offset these issues by routinely initiating conversations with your children to assess their mental and emotional well-being. Also, establishing a solid spiritual environment in your home will help improve mental health. Danny recommends parents use “feeling charts” and “thought bubbles” to help children see how their thoughts & emotions are connected, and how to choose more healthy/godly perspectives.
Understanding and Navigating Anxiety PDF booklet
Helping Children Manage Anxiety
Turtle Time: How mental health breaks can help you and your children manage stress
Dr. Daniel Huerta is Vice President of Parenting and Youth for Focus on the Family, overseeing the ministry’s initiatives that equip moms and dads with biblical principles and counsel for raising healthy, resilient children rooted in a thriving faith.
He is a psychologist, a licensed clinical social worker, and the author of 7 Traits of Effective Parenting. For many years, he has provided families with practical, biblically-based and research-based parenting advice on topics including media discernment, discipline, communication, mental health issues, conflict resolution, and healthy sexuality in the home. He is passionate about coming alongside parents as they raise contributors, instead of consumers, in a culture desperately in need of God’s kingdom.
Dr. Huerta has been interviewed by various media outlets including Fox News, Fatherly, Christianity Today, WORLD Magazine, and CBN, and he is a frequent guest on Christian radio stations across the nation. He’s also written for publications, including The Washington Post, on various topics related to marriage and parenting. He participated in the development of Focus on the Family’s Launch Into the Teen Years, a resource to help parents prepare their kids for adolescence, and he speaks regularly at retreats, conventions, and online events.
Dr. Huerta has maintained a private practice in Colorado Springs, Colorado since 2003 and has served families through Focus on the Family since 2004. He and his wife, Heather, have been married since 1997 and love being parents to their three teen children, Alex, Lexi, and Maci.
View all broadcasts with Danny Huerta, PsyD, MSW, LCSW, LSSW.
