Kiersten Marek is a clinical social worker and writer living in Cranston, Rhode Island. She specializes in identity development for all ages. She has published fiction online and in print, and blogs on issues related to health, literature, and community at Kmareka.com. "Know Thyself" is Kiersten's first book. She is now working on a cookbook for emotional wellness.

Description: Know Thyself is a book for children ages 5 to 15 to help them learn about the many aspects of their identity.

Have you ever wondered about what blogs I visit, and how I spend my free time?

Interview: Kiersten Marek, Author of “Know Thyself: A Kid’s Guide to the Archetypes” | Flying With Red Haircrow.

These can be for your Soul Mate, or just for yourself! Either way, they make a great Valentine's Day Treat.

They are also high in protein and whole grains, and have a list of ingredients that even I can remember off the top of my head. Recipe to come in my book, Cooking for Emotional Wellness, due out this fall!

One of the recommendations I make in "Know Thyself" for expressing and healing your Wounded Child is to volunteer for an organization that helps others. One of the ways that I help children heal from trauma is also by inviting them to join the community of my office by contributing something to the Rainbow Wall, a wall of arts and crafts creations made by children in the process of therapy.

In my book, "Know Thyself: A Kid's Guide to the Archetypes," I recommend that children watch or play with animals in order to become more aware of the Innocent Archetype -- the naturally curious part of our identity. Research into how animals affect our mental health is just in its infancy, but so far there are some compelling studies to suggest that animals can contribute to mental health on a number of levels and across a wide span of ages and mental health problems.

In my book, Know Thyself: A Kid's Guide to the Archetypes, I recommend children learn to practice mindfulness and meditation. In essence, one of the most important skills you can learn in life is how to quiet yourself -- how to quiet your mind, how to calm your body, and how, when the two are coordinated, you feel more whole and capable.

There is a tremendous amount of evidence to support the practices and suggestions in my book, "Know Thyself: A Kid's Guide to the Archetypes." With regard to expressing your Innocent, I advise children to play outdoors every day. Here is a piece of research that shows that outdoor play is one of the most effective antidotes for ADHD.

Over the next few weeks, I will be compiling and publishing links to research that supports the treatment recommendations I offer in my book, as well as research on therapeutic practices with children and families that I teach about in my CEU Course, "Know Thyself: Using Archetypes to Understand and Heal Children."

A new study from researchers at Northwestern University helps to better understand the powerful impact words have on infants.

While babies were watching the researchers intently, an experimenter used her forehead to turn on a light. She then allowed the infants to play with the light themselves to see if they would imitate this novel action. In a second group, the experimenter announced what she was doing, naming the activity with a nonsense word (“I’m going to blick the light”), before using her forehead to turn on the light.