As a school counselor, David Heavner sees firsthand the mental health issues students deal with, including anxiety and depression, that are part of what he calls a growing mental health crisis.
Heavner, 54, of Buffalo Township wrote a book and founded a wellness venture company called Through Service We Grow in response to that need, which he said is still increasing and changing.
“As a counselor 20 years ago, mostly it would be counseling things that are going on in school: grades, relationships, getting along with teachers, students — things that I went through when I was in public school,” he said. “As time has gone on, when a student comes in to see me, it has (been issues) going on within themselves or outside, the social/emotional part, that has been the biggest change.”
Heavner started in public education 31 years ago as a middle school social studies teacher in the New Kensington-Arnold School District. Now, he’s a 12th grade counselor at Gateway High School.
In addition to talking one-on-one with students, he also makes sure they and parents are aware of community resources and educated on mental health and wellness topics.
“I noticed that a lot of students and parents weren’t really aware of mental health,” Heavner said. “If their child was struggling with some kind of mental health problem, they had a tough time understanding the entry point into the mental health world.”
He went through the same experience when his son was in early elementary school and was dealing with severe anxiety.
“I had a personal experience with anxiety, and we also had a tough time navigating who to see, who to go to, where to go next,” Heavner said. “Certainly, a lot of other families have that same experience.
“Because of that, I just wanted to try to shine some light on the subject matter.”
Spike in mental struggles
Heavner has seen schools hire more mental health experts, he said, as there’s a “large caseload of students that are struggling.”
The struggles include mental, social, cultural and overall physical health, he said.
“I started thinking about creating a mission,” Heavner said, with awareness as the main goal for the adolescent and young adult age groups. “The majority of those that have issues with mental health certainly fall into the anxiety and depression.
“Studies have shown that there’s been a tremendous spike here in the last decade.”
Impacts of the covid-19 pandemic have also contributed to this, he said.
“This generation sort of is the covid generation. I think covid has had a tremendous impact on them, a lot of students today,” he said. “They don’t really understand how they bottle up their feelings, and they keep them within. And because of that, they’re suffering from anxiety and depression. … That’s the biggest thing that I’ve noticed in my career.”
Heavner said he has seen stress afflict students transitioning into new grade levels or different schools. He cited the transition from elementary to middle school, from middle to high school and the transition out of high school.
“A lot of them (are) dealing with these emotions for the first time,” he said.
Spreading awareness
Heavner’s book is titled “Faith, Hope and Love: The Space Between Therapy Sessions — A Holistic Approach for Treating Adolescents and Young Adults with Anxiety and Depression.”
“This book speaks directly to a crisis unfolding in our own backyards,” he said. “The book blends psychology, faith and holistic wellness to provide structured reflection exercises, journaling prompts, mental health screening tools and spiritual insights designed to help readers heal mind, body and spirit.”
His book and LLC are representative of his vision, he said, which includes three words: faith, hope and love.
“I think those are three key ingredients to help individuals suffering,” Heavner said. “When you’re balanced with mind, body and spirit, you begin to serve.
“Servant leadership is important to me because you realize that you have gifts that others don’t — and you can share those gifts with others.”
Heavner also emphasizes there are many different types of therapists and, if one is not working out, it’s OK to ask to work with someone different.
“Through reflection, service and faith-centered guidance, Through Service We Grow helps young people build resilience, discover purpose and live meaningful lives,” according to its mission.
The faith portions of his mission center mostly on Christianity, he said.
“There is a portion of the book where I ask the readers to explore their spirituality and understand that that part of your body — your spirit — is important to your mental health,” Heavner said.
He hopes to create an adolescent mental wellness program, which would manifest similar to a financial literacy class that has to be on a high school transcript. He’s also working on a second book focusing on living a mission-driven life.
“At least have a class where they can learn about emotional awareness, making healthy decisions, being resilient,” he said. “What everyone should note is if you are struggling with a mental health affliction, you’re not alone; you’re not the only one struggling with this.
“It’s OK to have these issues.”