As World Mental Health Day approaches on October 10, Triumph Steps® is urging schools to focus on prevention rather than crisis intervention. Founded by psychotherapist Beatriz Martínez-Peñalver, Triumph Steps® teaches emotional literacy through an evidence-based, eight-step framework combining neuroscience, mindfulness, and positive psychology. The program begins with teacher well-being and extends to students, equipping them with resilience, confidence, and emotional balance. Already implemented in Florida schools, Triumph Steps® is praised for its practical impact in classrooms. Martínez-Peñalver emphasizes that while not every child needs therapy, every child needs emotional literacy to thrive in today's challenging world.
MIAMI, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As World Mental Health Day approaches on October 10, schools across Florida are being urged to shift their focus from treatment after crisis to prevention before problems arise. Licensed psychotherapist Beatriz Martínez-Peñalver, LMHC, founder of Triumph Steps®, believes that teaching children emotional literacy early is one of the most powerful ways to protect their mental health.
"Not everybody needs therapy—but everybody needs emotional literacy," says Martínez-Peñalver. "Children today face an unprecedented mix of pressures—academic stress, social media, bullying, and family challenges. Without tools for resilience, those pressures can lead to despair. Prevention is the answer."
Triumph Steps® is an evidence-based, eight-step framework that blends neuroscience, mindfulness, and positive psychology into simple daily practices. The program begins by equipping teachers with strategies to care for their own well-being, then extends naturally to students. In classrooms, Triumph Steps® helps children build confidence, self-awareness, and emotional balance—skills as essential as reading or math.
Martínez-Peñalver has delivered Triumph Steps® to districts across Florida, where educators praise the program's practicality and impact. Teachers learn to model healthy emotional habits, while students gain lifelong skills for managing stress and cultivating optimism.
"World Mental Health Day is about global awareness," she adds. "But awareness isn't enough. We must give our children tools that prevent suffering before it begins. When we bring prevention into schools, we create a generation that is not only academically capable, but emotionally strong and resilient."
For more information on Triumph Steps® school programs, visit TriumphSteps.com.
Free Resource for Parents & Educators
In recognition of World Mental Health Day, Triumph Steps® is offering a free downloadable guide: "Triumph Steps Emotional Literacy Activity Pack: Age-Specific Tools to Teach Happiness as a Skill."
Download your copy at [TriumphSteps.com/freeguide].
About Triumph Steps®
Triumph Steps® is a pioneering emotional literacy program founded by Beatriz Martínez-Peñalver, LMHC. With more than 30 years of "boots-on-the-ground" experience, she has helped thousands of children, families, clinicians, and professionals learn that happiness is a skill. Triumph Steps® is also available as a coaching certification for clinicians and has been approved for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and Continuing Education (CE) credits.
Contact:
Beatriz Martínez-Peñalver, LMHC
Founder, Triumph Steps®
305-306-2779
[email protected]
www.TriumphSteps.com
Media Contact
Beatriz Martínez-Peñalver, Triumph Steps, 1 3053062779, [email protected], https://triumphsteps.com/
SOURCE Triumph Steps

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