The Golden Globe Award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson recently launched Peace of Mind with Taraji, a Facebook Watch series that airs twice a week with her childhood best friend and mental health non-profit leader Tracie Jade. Each episode tackles the varied layers of mental health from processing grief to depression, PTSD, and much more. Past guests have included Mary J. Blige, Tamar Braxton, Gabrielle Union, and the rapper Asian Doll. The show is a direct continuation of the D.C. native's initiative to shed light on mental health issues and help erase the stigma frequently associated with mental health and well-being in the Black community.
Back in 2018, the former Empire star created the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, named in honor of her late father, who struggled with mental health. The organization was created to provide support and bring awareness to this topic, and the show is an extension of carrying on that mission. "At some point, everyone will deal with grief in life," Henson said on the latest episode where she opened up about the grief she experienced after her son's father's sudden death, who passed away at 34-years-old when her son was only nine years old.
Licensed Associate Professional Sierra Hillsman joined the ladies to discuss the tools on how to cope with loss, forgiveness work, and she dived into the five stages of grief, which are:
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
"Life is fleeting. So, you have to stay in the now and enjoy every precious moment. And please, in those moments, take care of yourself first," Henson said. Offering a safe space for guests and encouraging transparency and vulnerability, if you scroll through the comments, viewers have chimed in offering praise to the star for utilizing her platform to talk about these issues openly, and some even shared their personal testimonies about dealing with loss and grief. For your weekly dose of intimate conversations with celebrities and everyday people speaking about their journeys and the inner work to achieving mental and emotional well-being, be sure to tune in every Monday, and Wednesday at 9 am PT/12 pm ET on Facebook Watch.
For the full episode, click here.