Wounds Of The Mind

How do you help your child when you do not understand what he is facing?Mary White knew her son was intelligent and full of potential. When his behavior began changing, she found herself searching for answers she never expected to need. What began with school concerns and counseling became a long journey through mental health crises, addiction, psychiatric hospitalizations, and decisions that could affect her son’s future.In Wounds of the Mind: A Journey Through Mental Trauma, Mary shares her testimony as a mother learning to advocate for her child while navigating California’s mental health system, Children’s Services, and a battle over conservatorship. She describes the unfamiliar terms she had to research, the questions she learned to ask, and the moments when she needed to speak up.Her story begins with her own childhood in foster care and her determination to give her children the stability she had wanted. With honesty, she shares the strain these experiences placed on her family, the exhaustion of caregiving, and the faith that helped her continue. Mary also explains how she learned that loving her son meant setting boundaries and seeking professional help when his needs were beyond what she could safely provide.Alongside her personal testimony, the book includes plain language explanations of mental health terms and agency processes, scriptures that strengthened her, and resources for families seeking support. Written from a mother’s perspective rather than that of a medical or legal professional, it offers encouragement and greater understanding without promising easy answers.For parents, caregivers, relatives, and faith communities walking alongside someone affected by mental illness or addiction, Wounds of the Mind is a reminder to see the person beyond the diagnosis, ask questions when something is unclear, and seek support without shame.