A holistic approach to mental health

Shannon Crossbear, Native American Elder, shares advice for parents on how to take a holistic approach to evaluating and improving the mental health of your child
A Holistic Approach To Improving Mental Health
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A holistic approach to mental health

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When we talk about our children and about their health, we have to include all of their health, including their mental health; and believing that we need to step away right now from this thought of separating body and mind and spirit; and thinking about, of course we are on a continuum. Optimal health is when everything is operating perfectly, but we know that life is not like that, and there are times when we're going to be in good mental health and there are times when we are not going to be in good mental health. So really, being able to step away from what we've done in terms of stigmatizing and separating our body and our mind and our spirit, and looking at them and dealing with them separately, but starting to say, "What does it mean to be healthy?" And then helping to put things in place for our children, so that they can do that; and knowing there are times when it's because of a tragedy, or because of a physical illness that we're not going to be at optimal health, and it's a matter of balance and working toward that.

Shannon Crossbear, Native American Elder, shares advice for parents on how to take a holistic approach to evaluating and improving the mental health of your child

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Shannon Crossbear

Native American Elder

Shannon CrossBear is a beautiful, powerful, spiritual Ojibwe and Irish woman. Shannon is an enrolled member of Fort William First Nation of the Lake Superior Ojibwe, which is located in Ontario, Canada.  She has lived on the shores of Lake Superior for the majority of her life and currently resides within the boundaries of the United States in Hovland, Minnesota. Wabagoness, her given name in Ojibwemoin, is a daughter, sister, mother and grandmother. Shannon has been a story teller for an audience of relatives and friends for many years.  As a columnist for the Cook Country News Herald she wrote over 200 hundred article under the heading Mino- Biimadizawin (the good path/life).Her purpose is to demonstrate and promote gentle healing. She expresses her commitment to healing through her business Strongheart Resource Development. Conditions within Ms. CrossBear’s family of origin and community cement her commitment to improving conditions for children, their families and communities.

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Transcription: 
When we talk about our children and about their health, we have to include all of their health, including their mental health; and believing that we need to step away right now from this thought of separating body and mind and spirit; and thinking about, of course we are on a continuum. Optimal health is when everything is operating perfectly, but we know that life is not like that, and there are times when we're going to be in good mental health and there are times when we are not going to be in good mental health. So really, being able to step away from what we've done in terms of stigmatizing and separating our body and our mind and our spirit, and looking at them and dealing with them separately, but starting to say, "What does it mean to be healthy?" And then helping to put things in place for our children, so that they can do that; and knowing there are times when it's because of a tragedy, or because of a physical illness that we're not going to be at optimal health, and it's a matter of balance and working toward that.