Counseling Confab: Linda J. M. Holloway, EdD, NCC

Finding Social-Emotional Healing Through the Use of Children Books

There is no secret about the role that books play in the lives of children. Children are faced with an insurmountable number of challenges, whether from the use of social media, the news, or simply everyday life occurrences. We have witnessed over the last several years a steady incline of mental illness among school-age children. According to recent statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, it is believed that 1 out of 6 children will be faced with a mental illness. And there continues to be a steady increase in the number of children who die by suicide.

Children are also more likely to experience anxiety and depression and engage in the use of alcohol and drugs. Many schools, along with their school counselors, have created comprehensive mental health programs to address some of the challenges faced by students, as mental health greatly impacts the academic success of children in school. Therefore, being able to stabilize a child’s mental health is significant in helping them with academic progress. The idea of using books to engage students has revolutionized and transformed the ability to tackle various topics that have been historically difficult to discuss with children. This allows counselors, educators, and parents to create safe places for children to be able to speak openly about challenges they are being confronted with in a nonjudgmental environment. 

In an effort to address and provide supports around this idea, I have published five children’s books that are used to create a safe zone for children to speak about various issues that can impact their mental wellness. My books discuss topics such as hair bullying and hair esteem, the stigma associated with seeking counseling, living with a disability such as sickle cell disease, experiencing a sexual assault, and being treated differently because of the color of one’s skin.

I utilize these books to develop social–emotional literacy among children. As children are developing both physically and cognitively, it is extremely important to teach them how to be aware of their emotions, regulate their emotions, and know that it is okay to have emotional experiences. Oftentimes, children have feelings but have not quite developed the cognitive ability or language skills to express what and how they are feeling. These children’s books are used to create positive opportunities for children to put language to what they are experiencing and give them the ability to share in a healthy manner.

The books I utilize are designed for children who are underserved, living on the margins, and facing many challenges in life because of the color of their skin. I take this opportunity to educate, elevate, and empower children through my storytelling abilities and make use of various props to illustrate the stories. This allows children to be able to relate and openly express their emotion in a very interactive format. The environment is richly cultivated by using group rules such as: (1) listen quietly while others are talking, (2) respect the feelings of others, (3) have the ability to pass on a topic being discussed if it is too challenging, (4) not laughing or making fun of others, and (5) not gossiping about others in the group. When topics are difficult, children are allowed only one pass during the entire discussion.

Take, for example, my book entitled I Love My Happy Hair. It is a book that is designed to teach children cultural pride, cultural confidence, cultural self-esteem, self-love, and self-acceptance. All too often, Black children are teased, bullied, and made fun of about their hair. However, this book allows children to simply appreciate and celebrate the way their hair naturally grows on their head. This book is very interactive because it allows the children to answer questions, engage in a scavenger hunt to locate brushes throughout the book, sing a song, and dance. This book is all about celebrating and appreciating who you are as well as celebrating others.

In order to show this interaction, I have included some pictures from my visit to I. T. Montgomery Elementary School. These pictures provide an indication of how I Love My Happy Hair was engaged with in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, which is mentioned in the book and is also the elementary school I attended. You can find the library of my books online and view videos of my trips to elementary schools around my region.

Linda J. M. Holloway, EdD, NCC, is an Associate Professor at Alabama State University in the Counselor Education Programs. She has authored five award-winning children’s books to use for social–emotional learning. Additionally, she writes social justice poetry for therapy. Her areas of research include Black women and mental health and career counseling for rural children. Her life philosophy is “Dream Your Own Dreams,” and she inspires others to reach their own dreams they have for their life. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, movies, and spending time with family and friends. Dr. Holloway can be reached at lindahollowayspeak@gmail.com.