Jan 29, 2020
Being a mother dealing with a child with mental health challenges can be lonely. That’s why I invited today’s guest, Audra Elkington, to share her experiences. In episode 77, Audra shares her journey helping her 9-year-old daughter navigate anxiety.
Advice and Hope
Woven throughout Audra’s journey to help her daughter, you’ll hear her advice on researching and reading as well as finding the right type of therapy for your child.
Listen to hear other advice like recording small successes and finding a trusted friend who will listen.
Audra cautions that the path isn’t easy. She also offers hope to not give up. She says to keep trying until you find something that works for your child.
How to Advocate without Labeling
In the interview, Audra also talks about being an advocate for your child. She shared about being prayerful in new situations and about how to advocate without labeling your child.
Audra also believes in not being afraid to stop doing something that isn’t working for your child. Sometimes we don’t have all the answers for our children, she shared. We can just love them.
Spiritual Help with Mental Health
She has learned to rely on the Lord for help every step of the way. She shared how 1 Nephi 18:2 about doing things “after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me” helped her gain perspective.
You’ll also hear how Audra’s journey mothering Lena has helped her be in tune with the Spirit and her own instincts. She said, “I think as mothers, we need to trust our gut. If we don’t feel like something is right for our child, we’re probably right.”
We discuss how being in tune with the Spirit is work. But Audra also shared that she never regrets time spent with the Lord.
Overall, Audra’s message to other moms helping children who are experiencing mental health challenges is simple–do everything you can to be in tune with the Spirit.
Show Notes
Listen to other episodes of the Spiritually Minded Mom podcast about helping children with mental health challenges:
SMM 001: Welcome to the
Spiritually Minded Mom Podcast ||Darla Trendler
SMM 025: Mothering a Child with
Mental Illness || Amanda Louder
During the episode, Audra referenced a quote by President Russell M. Nelson. Read the whole talk by President Nelson called Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives.
Follow Audra
Instagram: @audraelkington
Website: audraelkington.com
Follow Spiritually Minded Mom
Blog: spirituallymindedmom.com
Instagram: @spirituallymindedmom
Facebook: spirituallymindedmom
Podcast: Spiritually Minded Mom on
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