SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — You might call Steve and Lisa James “professional entertainers” — and they are.
Their audience consists of children, teens, and adults who struggle to express their thoughts on life, mental health, and parenting. That’s why they started “Resilient You,” a non-profit organization that addresses today’s mental health epidemic in children.
Music is a big part of the therapy.
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40% of children and teens in Utah don’t communicate those thoughts among themselves or their parents. Music and song help to break down those barriers.
“What we do is … we combine music with foundational life skills and use that as a tool that parents and teachers can use to treat their children,” Steve said.
Their website offers a unique learning system that helps parents and teachers strengthen connections and build resilience through an innovative approach. Steve and Lisa do more than just write uplifting songs about overcoming challenges and adversity: on their website, the two also offer a toolkit to help parents and teachers apply what they are learning to help kids and families cope with the issues and challenges of everyday life.
April has been designated as “Resilience Month” by Governor Spencer Cox. When making the declaration, he said, “ResilientYOU produces an innovative learning system that combines foundational life skills with the power of music to teach positive choices, helping navigate life’s challenges. It creates opportunities for schools, homes, and communities to empower children and teach the vital messages of resiliency.”
“Music helps open the lines of communication,” Lisa said. “We have had many opportunities through music with what we do to open up dialogue, making it easier for families to talk parents-to-children.”
If you would like to learn more about the “Resilient You” program, click here.
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