Pearland coffee shop to host night for teens to talk about stress, anxiety

A Pearland coffee house is hosting an event in which Pearland students can talk with counselors and pastors about fears, bullying and other issues. A Pearland coffee house is hosting an event in which Pearland students can talk with counselors and pastors about fears, bullying and other issues. Photo: M. Ryder/Tribune Photo: M. Ryder/Tribune Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Pearland coffee shop to host night for teens to talk about stress, anxiety 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Pearland coffee shop wants to provide local students with more than just coffee after what its general manager says have been tough times for kids in middle school and high school in the community.

Pearland Coffee Roasters is hosting a "roundtable" for students in grades 7-12 from 7-9 p.m. April 19 at the shop, 4106 W. Broadway.

General manager John Sanson said it is "a night dedicated to come by and talk about fears and life with local counselors and pastors." It's an opportunity for kids to talk about their emotions and fears in a safe place with professionals who can help kids understand their feelings, after local teen suicides and suicide attempts and widely publicized mass shootings in schools around the country.

The business posted to Facebook: "With so many tragic events that have happened over this last year in Pearland ISD, we felt the need to have a night just for students to meet with counselors & pastors to openly talk out things that seem overwhelming & life in general."

Sanson is a former youth outreach worker. He said that teens have a lot on their minds after incidents such as the March 9 arrest of a Pearland High student after a gun was found on campus, two suicides on Pearland high school campuses in March 2017 and the mass shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school in February that killed 17 people. Additionally, in an Nov. 30 incident, a Dawson High School student's attempt to hang himself from a stairwell was thwarted by teachers, Pearland police reported."There's depression and anxiety with things," Sanson said. "And with changes at the end of school year, and the shooting. At least here's opportunity to express their emotions instead of keeping things bottled up."

Sanson said he has been talking with local licensed counselors and pastors of nearby churches. Although religious leaders will be present, Sanson said the event is not a religious gathering. He said some kids might wonder where God was in the midst of the tragic events, and that pastors can address those questions.

The talk will center on teens' emotions and thoughts about current events.The Pearland Independent School District staged a a free suicide prevention awareness event, #iwillASK, last year at Turner College and Career High School, sparked by student Ted Frick's alarm after suicides of three district students in 2015.

"Out of that, we really started looking at how we could do more for our students and for our kids dealing with these issues," district spokesperson Kim Hocott said in a previous interview.

PISD is hosting this year's #iwillASK event from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, April 26, at Pearland High School–Searcy Campus, 3775 S Main St. Students, parents and community members are encouraged to attend the free event. Dr. Ryan Hill, assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, will discuss the importance of destigmatizing mental health issues. For more on that event, visit www.pearlandisd.org/iwillASK.

More Information WANT TO GO? What: "Roundtable": a night for teens to talk about fears, victories and life with local counselors and pastors. Where: Pearland Coffee Roasters, 4106 W. Broadway St. When: 7-9 p.m. April 19 Details: 281-485-6670

Sanson said such efforts by the school district to help kids with these issues are beneficial but that some students may not be comfortable opening up about their feelings in that setting.

Kids experiencing bullying or peer pressure may have problems expressing vulnerability to teachers and classmates they see on a daily basis, Sanson said.

He is asking parents to bring their kids and drop them off.

He thinks the coffee shop setting will provide a neutral environment where teens will feel safe talking about their feelings without parents or teachers present.

"Let's talk things out," Sanson said. "If it's racial things, depression, suicide. People need to talk about these things."

For more information about the Pearland Coffee Roasters event, call 281-485-6670.