Siena Blog

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Mental Health Awareness Month 2025

In honor of the Mental Health Awareness Month 2025 theme, “In Every Story, There’s Strength,” Siena is highlighting some important ways to raise awareness and share strategies for various mental health and neurodiverse needs.

There are many misconceptions and stigmas about mental health and receiving support, and our stories of self-care can help us to reduce stigma, increase empathy and awareness, and be proactive in terms of caring for our mental well-being.

How Parents Can Support Their Children’s Mental Health

There are a few ways we can regularly turn awareness into action, such as the following: 

• Increasing understanding
• Reducing misconceptions
• Encouraging help-seeking
• Promoting empathy and compassion
• Challenging stigma
• Using or offering support networks
• Promoting positive representations
• Normalizing therapy and mental self-care

An easy way for parents to check in with their children’s own mental and emotional well-being is to have a conversation (even a short one). Here are some sentence starters to help facilitate that conversation:

• “I notice that you seem ___. Do you want to talk?”
• “What is an emotion that you are feeling right now?”
• “Tell me more about what you are experiencing….”
• ”I want to help. Would support or space right now help you most?”

Although your child might not want to share their story at that particular moment, it’s always important to encourage (and be available for) positive and healthy conversation surrounding feelings and emotions.

Sometimes, our children can be on opposite ends of the spectrum, from not talking at all to hyperbolizing emotions. Parents and other caregivers can be the “calm” and the anchor that your child needs when they feel strong emotions. Showing up consistently and being available for support will go a long way for your child as they continue to tell their stories on their own terms.

Another action we can take is showing empathy, curiosity, and understanding whenever possible, which in turn models good mental health behavior for children so they can contribute to a more accepting and positive environment for all.

Mental Health Resources for Parents

It can be a challenge for parents to navigate when to get support for their child, as well as to find a provider that fits. Below are some helpful resources to get started:

• Anxiety Institute
• Child Mind Institute
• Kingsbury Wellness & Learning Group
• National Council for Wellbeing (includes a free downloadable checklist)
• Psychology Today

Siena Resources 

For additional information from The Siena School blog to help navigate students’ social–emotional health, see this post from last year about summer mental health awareness, as well as these about learning differences and confidence and online and offline boundaries for teens.

The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education, serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-4 and 5-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-12). 

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With Mental Health Awareness Month 2024 winding down, it’s a good time to think about how adolescents can continue their good mindfulness and self-care practices over summer break.

Summer Mental Health Awareness

As we know, trying to find providers in today’s climate can be tough! The needs are high, and the number of providers who fit all of your needs are slim. Yet, as Siena’s School Counselor I’ve helped many parents and families find resources that have helped their child tremendously, and I hope to do the same here.

Summer is a great time to engage your child in therapy, social skills, or any other group wellness activity. There is more flexibility in their schedule, it’s a good time to brush up on skills they may need to be successful in the following year, and there are typically lots of groups offered during this time.

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is encouraging us to Take the Moment for Mental Health Awareness Month 2024 in “normalizing the practice of taking moments to prioritize mental health care without guilt or shame.” See NAMI’s digital toolkit for ideas and specific resources for their Take the Moment campaign.
• Mental Health America and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration also have resources available.

It’s vital for students to understand their own mental health and the many resources they have access to. Below are some resources that you may be interested in to check in with your child, assess their needs, and see what you can do over the summer.

Individual Providers/Groups (Silver Spring)

• Bethesda Counseling Services (Carefirst BCBS)
• Brian Wheeler (Aetna)
• Brighter Days Child & Family Therapy (OON)
• Healing Harmony Wellness (BCBS, United Behavioral HC, Cigna)
• Marcus LaSota (Aetna)
• Nathan Luecking (Aetna)
• Orchard Mental Health (Aetna, BCBS, Carefirst)
• Roman Counseling (Cigna and BCBS)
• Stephanie Junghans (Carefirst)

Individual Providers/Groups (Northern Virginia) 

• DMV Mental Health (Carefirst BCBS, Cigna/Evernorth)
• McLean Psychotherapy Practices (OON)
• A Rhaea Hope (Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare/Optum, Out-Of-Network Insurance, and Self-Pay)

Summer Programs and Groups in the DC Area

• Alvord Baker - Resilience Builder Program
• Brighter Days Child & Family Therapy
• CBT for Anxiety Group and Teen Mindfulness Group: offerings for different groups (grades 7-12)
• SPACE Program (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions)
• SPACE Program and Parent Management Training Camp SELF: summer sessions for grades 5-8 (June 17-28) and grades 9-10 (August 5-9)
• Study Skills Camp: summer session for grades 6-9 (July 29-August 2)
• WISER: see their Find a Professional page to search for specialized services for students with learning and related needs in the DC Metro Area.

On top of this list, which prioritized providers that accept insurances, I also have lots of out-of-network providers who have been added to my referral lists. I also love the website Psychology Today for finding a provider that fits your needs. Finding support for your child or family can be a great next step in finding success.

Additional Resources

For additional information from The Siena School blog to help navigate students’ social–emotional health, see these posts from May 2023 about learning differences and confidence and online and offline boundaries for teens. See also this post about social media and mental health from May 2022.

The Siena School, a national leader in dyslexia education, serves bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences on campuses in Silver Spring, MD (grades 3-12) and Oakton, VA (grades 3-11). 

Avg. read time: 3 min.

The theme of Black History Month 2024 is African Americans and the Arts. The arts in all their forms have always been instrumental to Black culture. Since art has been one of our core values from the beginning, Siena is highlighting a pair of contemporary Black writers with dyslexia, as well as sharing some reading and other resources to commemorate this important month.

Writer and Poet LeDerick Horne

Poet, speaker, and advocate LeDerick Horne grew up in New Jersey and received an early dyslexia diagnosis (3rd grade). This laid the foundation for his decades of writing, speaking, and advocacy work on behalf of the LD community and Black identity.

Here are some key points in Horne’s career thus far:

• Horne did foundational work on the governing board of Eye to Eye, a nonprofit mentoring program for LD students. He’s on the advisory board for The National Resources for Access, Independence, Self-Determination, and Employment (RAISE), and he’s a member of the governing board for the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education.
• Horne’s many honors and associations include LDA, Eye to Eye, NAACP, The White House, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as many presentations and media appearances.
• Horne coauthored Empowering Students with Hidden Disabilities: A Path to Pride and Success with Margo Izzo (2016), a guidebook collecting personal stories and strategies for teachers and families.
• He has also released two spoken word poetry collections, Black and Blue in 2011 and Rhyme, Reason, and Song in 2005 (both available on Apple Music). Horne has also been profiled on Poets List and in the short documentary Normal Isn’t Real, among many other platforms.

“What is funny—and ironic—for those of us who have learning disabilities is that the challenges that we were chastised for as children end up becoming these extremely valuable tools out here in the marketplace.” (LeDerick Horne)

Writer and Advocate Marcia Brissett-Bailey

Writer, speaker, and dedicated dyslexia and neurodiversity advocate Marcia Brissett-Bailey grew up in London and received her dyslexia diagnosis at age 16. “I no longer felt stupid” upon hearing about her learning difference, she shared in this article.

Here are some key points in Brissett-Bailey’s career thus far: 

• She is currently Further Education Partnerships Lead at Diversity and Ability, leading their support and guidance for young people under 18, as well as their parents and caregivers, schools, and colleges.
• She edited Black, Brilliant and Dyslexic: Neurodivergent Heroes Tell their Stories (2023), a collection of first-person pieces from the Black dyslexic community from an international, intersectional perspective. In her words, “My book takes us on a journey to challenge structural racism and years of trauma on people who are marginalized by different forms of oppression and may only come forward when they feel safe to be their whole selves.”
• Brissett-Bailey edited a special issue of Contact magazine in October 2021 that highlights the important work of the British Dyslexia Association Cultural Perspective Committee.
• Among other places, Brissett-Bailey has been profiled in Forbes, Business Forums International, and British Dyslexia Association, as well as the Move Beyond Words podcast.

“Dyslexia is daily…but I wouldn’t be authentically me without dyslexia as it’s giving me so many advantages…in seeing the world through a creative lens. My high-level thinking, seeing the bigger picture visually, hyper-focus on my interests, seeing patterns others do not see and conceptual thinking.” (Marcia Brissett-Bailey)

Resources for African American Arts and Culture

See Arts Resources from the Smithsonian for a wealth of local events, spotlights, podcast recommendations, museum exhibits, and more commemorating Black History Month.

The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Anacostia has a series of events commemorating Black History Month and the 206th anniversary of Douglass’s birth. Those interested in books by Frederick Douglass can read his three autobiographies (Narrative of the Life, My Bondage and My Freedom, and Life and Times), as well as selected speeches and his only novel, The Heroic Slave.

In addition to the Douglass Historic Site, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site and Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site in DC are also offering weekly programs and special events this month.

Lastly, some recent fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books by Black authors to look up include:

• Dr. Mariel Bruqué, Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma
• Common, And Then We Rise: A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self
• Kia Corthron, Moon and the Mars
• Brianna Craft, Everything That Rises: A Climate Change Memoir
• Melania Luisa Marte, Plantains and Our Becoming
• Ayana Mathis, The Unsettled
• Ijeoma Oluo, Be a Revolution
• Clint Smith, Above Ground
• Jesmyn Ward, Let Us Descend 

Fans of the recent Color Purple film can go back and read Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, as well as her foundational works In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens (1982) and Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992).

Siena Resources

The Siena School blog has other heritage month spotlights related to innovative dyslexia education, including Native American book recommendations, Mexican writer and activist Victor Villaseñor, Chicano artist Ignacio Gomez, WNBA stars A’Ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd, NFL star Rashan Gary, and others. Learn more about Siena’s commitments and ongoing initiatives for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences in grades 3-12 on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia. 

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As part of Dyslexia Awareness Month 2023, Siena has put together this short guide of books and podcasts that can help families in the LD community navigate their children’s specialized learning and social–emotional needs.

Book Recommendations for Dyslexia Awareness Month

• Adventures of Everyday Geniuses series
• Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
• Gifted and Distractible by Julie Skolnick
• Make it Stick by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel
• Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr. Sally Shaywitz
• The Dyslexic Advantage by Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide
• The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler

See also Siena’s in-house parent resource library list, The Literacy Nest, National Education Association, and Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity for more reading recommendations.

Podcast Recommendations for Dyslexia Awareness Month

See The Siena School blog for these related resources for LD families: 

• Black and Dyslexic
• Fish Don't Climb Trees
• Lessons in Dyslexic Thinking (Made By Dyslexia)
• Dyslexia Coffee Talk (The Dyslexia Initiative)
• Tell Me This episode featuring Siena’s Dr. Jilly Darefsky
• The Invisible Gift
• The Science of Reading episode featuring Dr. Sally Shaywitz
• The Truth About Dyslexia

Blog Post Recommendations for Dyslexia Awareness Month

See The Siena School blog for these related resources for LD families:

• Common Acronyms in LD Education
• Podcasts for Every Interest
• Summer Reading At Siena
• Winter Break Podcast Recommendations
• Winter Break Reading at Siena

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences in grades 3-12 on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia.