Taraji P. Henson aims to erase mental health stigma in new series
Taraji P. Henson is taking you to therapy. Well, kind of.
The Golden Globe-winning actress, with her best friend and mental health non-profit leader Tracie Jade, will cohost a new biweekly Facebook Watch series, “Peace of Mind With Taraji” (premieres at 11 a.m. Monday). Henson and Jade will interview celebrities, experts and everyday people to bring awareness to mental health issues, specifically those affecting the Black community.
The show is a direct product of Henson’s foundation — the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, named after her father, who struggled with mental health — which Jade runs. The pair have been best friends since seventh grade, and have seen each other cope with mental health issues of their own.
“I’ve watched her suffer from anxiety since we were young,” Henson, 50, tells USA TODAY. “And then to grow myself and then find out I’m suffering from anxiety and depression — we had these deep conversations, we understood that there was a need in the community, or lack thereof, (for) knowledge about mental health.”
They hope to erase the stigma about getting help. “What we get to do is take the community inside of an actual therapy session, so it doesn’t feel so scary,” Henson says.
Jade adds: “Hopefully, we’re helping folk to identify maybe some of the symptoms that they’re having, or family members are having, and apply that in a therapy session, go to a therapist, and actually work those challenges out.”
Monday episodes will feature discussions with celebrities and regular people about how mental health has affected them personally. Guests include Gabrielle Union, who will talk about her experiences with PTSD; Tamar Braxton, who will discuss the pressure of being a strong Black woman and not seeking help; and Mary J. Blige, who will reflect on holiday despair and isolation.
Licensed therapists will appear on Wednesday episodes to address the experiences of Monday’s guests and talk with Henson and Jade about their own stories.