Carson Daly Talks Openly to His Kids ‘Like They Were 30’ About Mental Health — and Even Marriage Counseling (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Carson Daly (left), Siri Pinter (right) and their four kids.Photo:Carson Daly/ Instagram

Carson Daly/ Instagram

AsCarson Dalycontinues on his mission to “walk the walk” when it comes to mental health advocacy, he knows the importance of starting the conversations at home.

TheTodayco-host, 51, who shares his four kids Jackson James, Etta Jones, London Rose andGoldie Patriciawith wifeSiri Pinter, tells PEOPLE that he has made sure his children know the importance of speaking up when something doesn’t feel right — both physically and emotionally.

“Their whole lives, they know two types [of health], there’s physical health and mental health,” he explains.  “If you hurt your wrist at school, you go to the doctor. And if you’re feeling sad and you really don’t know why or if there’s something going on in your mind, you’re having a hard time grappling with, you talk to somebody about that too.”

Carson Daly on ‘Today’ in 2022.Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

He says when it comes to having these discussions with his kids, who range in age from 4 -15, he’s never shied away from honest dialogue.

“I’ve always talked to them like they were 30 years old,” he says. “I’ve always intellectually given them the benefit of the doubt to rise the intellectual occasion when I’m kind of kicking the knowledge and I do it a lot.”

And part of that honesty means not hiding the work that he and his wife of nearly 10 years are doing for their marriage.

“My wife and I have gone through couples therapy where they’ve walked in the room on Zoom and it’s not like I hide it. ‘Hey, what are you guys doing?' " Daly says of his kids' responses. " ‘Oh, we’re doing, mom and I do our couples therapy. We get to do it once a week.’ ”

He adds of their conversations, “ ‘Marriage is hard. This helps mom and dad out.’ That’s how I talk to my kids.”

Carson Daly (left), Siri Pinter, and Jackson Daly on Oct. 10, 2023 in New York City.John Lamparski/Getty

John Lamparski/Getty

Daly, who first opened up about his own journey with anxiety and panic disorders after aconversation with Kevin Love onTodayin 2018, is hosting Project Healthy Minds' upcoming gala on Oct. 10 in New York City.

His partnership with the organization, he says, is “organic,” “important” and “personal.”

“What’s exciting about this is … it’s so close to my real life,” he says of the Oct. 10 gala that will feature special guests likeDemi Lovato,Savannah Guthrieand honoreeChance the Rapper. “It’s like a test that you don’t have to study for, but you’re going to ace. That’s what it feels like.”

In addition to the gala, the organization is hosting the “world’s largest festival for World Mental Health Day” in New York City, including panels and discussions with Lovato, Daly, New York GovernorKathy Hochuland more.

Carson Daly (left) and Meghan Markle on Oct. 10, 2023 in New York City.Bryan Bedder/Getty

Bryan Bedder/Getty

Project Healthy Minds' founder and CEO Phillip Schermer tells PEOPLE that having the support of famous faces is “wonderful.”

“When public figures shine a light on mental health, it makes it so much easier for others to speak up about their own mental health journey,” he says. “And when people can open up about their feelings, they can begin to search for and find the help that they so desperately need and deserve.”

“People just kept coming up to me and kind of winking and like, ‘Hey man, thanks for talking about that panic attack. I have them too,’” he recalls of an interaction with a man “in a business suit” that reminded him ofFight Club.

“I think people have this idea that people who had mental health issues, at least at the time, they were somehow reserved for really a certain sect of society that was in the shadows, if you will,” Daly continues.

“There’s tons of sort of high-functioning versions of people who are struggling in silence,” he adds. “I think maybe for a moment in time I represented that and I was really glad to, to be honest with you, I never regretted it.”

source: people.com