"No One is Normal": Rethinking Pediatric Mental Health, with Dr. Michelle Hext

Send us Fan MailToday’s conversation takes us into one of the most important—and increasingly urgent—issues facing children and families today: pediatric mental health.My guest is Dr. Michelle Hext, a quadruple board-certified nurse practitioner, educator, and passionate advocate for children’s mental health. What struck me about Michelle wasn’t simply her impressive credentials; it was the way she talks about caring for children and their families—with humility, compassion, and a genuine willingness to listen.Michelle is the owner and CEO of Sunshine Health, LLC, and believes that good mental healthcare begins with meeting people where they are and explaining things in language they can actually understand. She takes the time to listen to her young patients and their families, and she looks at the whole person rather than simply a diagnosis.We also had a fascinating—and somewhat sobering—conversation about the impact of smartphones and social media on children. Michelle is seeing children exposed to smartphones at incredibly young ages, and she believes we are facing an epidemic of technology use that is having serious consequences for pediatric mental health. In fact, one of her strongest recommendations is no smartphone before the age of 14.As an advocate for children, Michelle is also working to bring attention to the gaps in how children's mental health is protected and supported in Texas.And toward the end of our conversation, I asked Michelle what qualities make a great psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Her answer was simple: humility, being non-judgmental, and being a good listener.Then she left us with a message that I think applies far beyond mental health: “Literally, no one is normal.” What we call normal, she says, is often just what we're familiar with based on our own experiences.I think you're going to find this conversation both thought-provoking and relevant—not just for nurses, but for anyone who cares about the mental health and well-being of children.In the five-minute snippet: they are so sweet in Texas! For Michelle's bio, visit my website (see below).Contact The Conversing Nurse podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.comYour review is so important to this Indie podcaster! You can leave one here!  https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-reviewWould you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-formCheck out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast I've partnered with RNegade.pro! You can earn CE's just by listening to my podcast episodes! Check out my CE library here: https://rnegade.thinkific.com/collections/conversing-nurse-podcastThanks for listening!