Miley Cyrus Pushes for Weekly Mental Health Check-ins for Young Stars

Miley Cyrus believes that mandatory counseling is necessary for young performers in the entertainment industry. Her main worry? The tough schedules and lack of mental health support for kids in the spotlight.

"Ariana says there should be therapy for child actors, and I totally agree. There should be a weekly check-in. I've been doing consistent therapy since I was 17 or 18 years old, so I think I've cleared up a lot of the feelings that I had about being a child star, and I don't notice it so much," said Cyrus in an exclusive interview with The New York Times.

She specifically mentioned Sabrina Carpenter's packed show dates as a red flag. "I'll see she's performing in Ireland, and then the next day she's doing a show in Kansas. And I'm like, 'I don't know how that could be physically OK,' because I was in that situation."

Starting therapy at 17 changed things for Cyrus. Now, she sticks to regular sessions. "The old feelings about my time as a child star don't bother me anymore - I've worked through them," she said.

She wants to start talks with other former child stars who grew up on screen. Jenna Ortega tops her list of stars she'd like to meet to share experiences and support each other.

Looking back at the harsh reactions to her 2013 MTV show, Cyrus spoke up. "I would never look at someone that's 18, 19, 20, 21 years old and judge them as an adult because they're not yet," she explained.

While she sees good signs in today's young stars, she won't back down about mental health care. "I like all the new girls. I think they're all unique and are very found. That's what I like to see. I like people that have found themselves, because I don't think I had myself totally figured out yet," she added.

Both Miley and Sabrina began their careers at a very young age. Cyrus hit it big at 14 with Hannah Montana on Disney. At just 10, Carpenter placed third in a contest called The Next Miley Cyrus Project. Their paths show why early support actually matters.