Emma Brooks

Emma Brooks: A Bright And Guiding Soul

Mental Health.
Two words. One definition. And a million different meanings.

When we think of mental health, some words that may pop into our minds are depression, therapy, anxiety, and trauma (just to name a few). Instead of being a topic of discussion at the top of the list, it seems to carry a pessimistic tone to it; when in reality, it should be discussed and worked through. Luckily, there are people, such as Emma Brooks, who use their platform to be raw and authentic hoping to help many people in the process! The young actress and model shared her personal battle story with mental health, what her purpose is in life, her experiences with beauty, and more.

Growing up, Emma unfortunately was a target of bullying and always seemed to be the butt of the joke around her friends, and was treated poorly by the boys. “And I’ve been sexually assaulted a couple of times throughout my life,” she shared candidly. When the bullying got really bad, she found herself using hurtful coping mechanisms which led her to be in a psychiatric ward. “I just started feeling like everyone would be better off without me,” she added. After sharing these feelings with her therapist, she was sent to the ward for the first time when she was fifteen.

“I had a really spiritual experience my first time in a psychiatric ward,” shared Emma. “ I feel like it’s a big part as to why I didn’t change myself but rather my outlook and perspective on life altered.” Put into a room with 30 other adolescent girls who are from so many different places and who have gone through such different things, none of them tried to make each other feel like they were superior to one another, just because of what they went through…Something that made Emma feel like she had found a real community. People who truly understand what she was going through. “ It was just so wholesome for me to realize that, oh my gosh, I have friends that aren’t from high school that I can love and connect with,” she said with a glowing heart.

Deemed too loud, too outgoing, and any other belittling term you can think of, Emma found her saving grace not only through therapy and discussions with the other girls but also through beauty pageants! From coping through dancing to discovering her love for pageants, “this is going to be my release now” she realized when she was fourteen. “I literally forced myself to keep it together so I could have these opportunities after high school” she added as she remembered awaiting High School to end and seeing it as only temporary,… To any of you young adults reading this, remember that okay?

Hearing her talk about her experience with the pageants was heartwarming as I don’t know about you guys but I never realized the love and support that came with the sense of competition! “I never really had that before,” she started explaining, “where it was just a big group of people just loving each other and supporting each other trying to get to one end goal.” With that Emma was able to realize that things were going to be okay and that she WAS ENOUGH. It was about adapting to the situation and the people rather than being so hard on yourself!

And now this beautiful soul has built a strong platform to help others struggling with the same thoughts and feelings, reminding them that they are never alone. If you are going through these types of thoughts right now, she recognizes how hard it is to pick yourself up when at your lowest but “you have to keep trying to push on.” It could even just be going online, finding a support group at an anonymous text hotline, or trying out different hobbies and coping mechanisms. “It’s a really hard task to do, and everything is easier said than done,” Emma recognizes of course but with trial end error you get a little closer to happiness. The biggest takeaway is that people need to be easier on themselves and realize that it is all a process and it is okay!

Currently working on a project to bring this help and access to resources in a creative way, Emma plans on continuing to be real with her audience in discussing the good but also very dark topics and experiences she has been through personally. “I want the people listening to be like, oh, I’m not the only one that’s going through this,” she explained. Of course, there will be a beauty and fashion aspect to it as those two represent a big part of the young model’s career and life!

From mental health advocator to wearing different hats in the entertainment industry, Emma feels so blessed for all the love, support, and opportunities in her life as she is currently living her true dream. Coming from a family of doctors, she has always had it in her the desire to help others just not involving having to see any blood, “I’m not really great with blood” she added laughingly. With the love and support of her whole family, she made the move to Los Angeles in July 2020 and has been growing ever since!

Social media being her office in a sense, there is no denying that it has two sides to it: a good and a not-so-good one. With it, individuals from all over the world are able to communicate and relate instantly, and more which creates a community however there are also the “haters” as they are called which can have a negative impact. For her, it’s simple: she just stopped looking at the comment section and when she does she focuses on the positive ones rather than the hurtful ones! Just like the bullies growing up, you gotta keep pushing forward and rise above. Especially when working in a field that revolves around beauty, voice, messages, and more.

Working in the entertainment industry, there is no avoiding the world of fashion and beauty, right? So, I wanted to know what that words meant to her, and Emma’s response was quite heartwarming: “I think beauty is comfort from within that makes my heart feel like it was getting hugged.” Something she carries with her as her modeling career has been taking off being a global ambassador for Paul Mitchell and modeling for GUESS! Having always loved his hair products, it was a dream come true being asked to come on board and she got her first billboard in New York with the opportunity! Wow!

Emma Brooks is a bright soul in this world who sheds a light on important issues revolving around mental health as she combines discussion, beauty, fashion, and empowerment all in one. Remember guys, there is hope at the end of the day and help around every corner…And most important: strength within!

TEAM CREDITS

@BELLOmag

Talent EMMA BROOKS @emmabrooks
Photography MATT DOHENY @dohenyphoto
Styling JORDAN GROSS 
@jordanshilee
Styling Assistant HAYLEY LANGER @hayleylanger
Hair RACHEL LITA @rachellitahair
Makeup ASHLEY J. SIMMONS @makeupbyashsimmons
Interview ALEXANDRA BONNET @alexbonnetwrites @bonnetalex18
Production @bellomediagroup x @maisonpriveepr_la x @alexbonnetwrites x @icon_pr