How many Lady Gaga fans are in the house? Even though I have never attended a Gaga concert, I am not ashamed to admit that I was always dancing (and still do) to her 2008 hit, “Just Dance.” When my 1 ½ year-old grandson would say, “Dance,” that meant he wanted to hear Lady Gaga sing her song, so he could show us latest moves.
I know she can be somewhat eccentric in her taste, but when you see high school students, these days, who isn’t? And although Lady Gaga and I may not agree on everything, which is fine, I am glad to know we both agree on reaching out to adolescents in need. Many young people are hurting and do not know where to access help. And even when they know where to get the help, they are not always comfortable seeking it.
As the media has published, “Lady Gaga Bringing Teen Counseling Service on the Road,” her fans can benefit from her music as well as pursue supportive interventions to help with adolescent challenges. I recently read about her announcement in one of my professional counseling publications, alerting mental health specialists about her mission.
According to December 30th Rolling Stones Music, “The pop star announced Saturday she will be offering free counseling before shows on her Born This Way Ball tour in 2013. Mental health professionals will staff the BornBrave Bus, where fans can take advantage of various forms of therapy as well as food, games and music.”
Lady Gaga hopes teens in need will take advantage of the service, as an initial step in pursuing help. Obviously, their problems will not be completely resolved with a one night visit to the BornBrave Bus, but it is a start. Many teens consider counseling to be nonproductive, due to lack of commitment on their part (or parents), difficulty establishing rapport with the provider, financial limitations, and harassment from peers. I applaud Lady Gaga’s creative approach in reaching out to her young constituents.
By the way, this is not her first effort to help teens. Earlier she launched the Born This Way Foundation to address bullying and abandonment issues.
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