Mind On Mental Health

What’s the difference between art and art therapy? That’s the question host Andy Dean explores with art therapist Jenna Pattison. Listen in to learn about Andy’s own experience finding therapeutic release through art.   For more information on Penn Medicine – Princeton House Behavioral Health: Princeton House Behavioral Health (princetonhcs.org)   Follow us on Facebook! facebook.com/princetonhouse...

Humans have complicated relationships in life, and when someone dies or leaves our lives, we have complicated reactions. Andy and therapist Diane Wiltshire discuss how we process grief, and how to honor those who grieve uniquely.   For more information on Penn Medicine – Princeton House Behavioral Health: Princeton House Behavioral Health (princetonhcs.org)   Follow us on Facebook! facebook.com/pr...

Little by little we process grief, and at some point, we laugh again, or we enjoy an event, or we even start to feel a little bit free. The result can be guilt, as if by recovering from grief we negate the love we felt for the person who is gone. Host Andy Dean and therapist Diane Wiltshire discuss guilt in the grieving process, as well as the fear that may come with loss.   For more information o...

One truism across humanity is that we will all experience grief at some point. It might be the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, a radical change in our way of life, or the loss of a beloved pet. Sometimes grief is complicated by trauma, says Diane Wiltshire, LSW, primary therapist in the Women’s Program at Princeton House Behavioral Health. No matter what the cause, acceptance of th...

Understanding the power of familismo is a key to understanding how to best support Hispanic individuals who seek treatment for mental health issues. The idea that family comes before the individual can make treatment easier (the whole family will support you in recovery) or more difficult (a person may be hesitant to seek treatment because their illness will affect the whole family). Yuliza Avelar...

We kick off the Fall 2024 season of Mind on Mental Health by celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and talking about barriers Hispanic and LatinX families may experience when seeking help with mental health. Host Andy Dean speaks with therapist Yuliza Avelar, LSW, who works with adolescents at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health, about stigma, helping to define mental health concepts, an...

Join three therapists at different stages of their careers as they discuss what it’s like to be a mental health therapist. Host Andy Dean speaks with Ciani Young, LAC and Rachel de Groh, LCSW, LCADC about self-care, managing burnout, and what they all enjoy about being therapists.   For more information on Penn Medicine – Princeton House Behavioral Health: Princeton House Behavioral Health (prince...

On this episode, Andy is joined by Ciani Young, LAC and Rachel de Groh, LCSW, LCADC.  The three mental health clinicians discuss challenges they experienced when they started working, lessons they’ve learned that cannot be taught in a classroom, how to measure success in treatment, and how they have all managed imposter syndrome.   For more information on Penn Medicine – Princeton House Behavioral...

It can feel selfish to take off to the gym or shut the door and do some yoga when your tween is riding a rollercoaster of emotions. But Dr. Jody Kashen tells host Andy Dean that self-care can not only help you, but can be an important model for kids learning how to regulate themselves and become healthy adults. Tune in to find out how to take care of yourself and have fun with your kids.     For m...

Parents instinctually want to protect their kids, especially when their tween is going through rapid changes and may be unsure of the world. Host Andy Dean and Dr. Jody Kashden provide three ways that families can support their tween in this complicated period.    For more information on Penn Medicine – Princeton House Behavioral Health: Princeton House Behavioral Health (princetonhcs.org)   Follo...

The teen years can be tough, but the most profound changes are happening to tweens—kids in 5th – 8th grade. Host Andy Dean speaks with Dr. Jody Kashden, a psychologist with extensive experience working with kids, about the changes that seem to be happening lightning fast to tweens, and how they and their families must adapt to this confusing time.    For more information on Penn Medicine – Princet...

It might be intimidating to take the first step and call a program and ask about treatment for yourself or a loved one. Today Mind on Mental Health talks to an experienced admissions clinician from Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health, Eileen Rodrigez. Andy and Eileen take the mystery out of the call so that you can feel more confident when you call for yourself or a loved one. Bonus: t...

It was July 25, 1991 when Marine veteran Dave Clauser first entered treatment for substance use disorder, convinced he was different from everyone else there. Both the straightforward staff and the members of his recovery groups gradually changed him from an isolated man to a man in recovery, making connections with others. “You don’t make that change in 96 hours,” says Dave. Tune in to hear Dave’...

For this special episode, host Andy Dean interviews Dr. David Clauser, a US Marine Corps veteran. After his time in the military, Dave had a full career in secondary education, and holds a doctorate in education. Today, Dave is a Certified Peer Response Specialist who works with first responders at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health’s inpatient hospital. He talks with Andy about somet...

Andy Dean speaks with therapist Nina Narang about the difference parents can make in their children’s lives when they are supportive. Being gender divergent or LGBT are not illnesses—rather, therapy helps kids and families deal with low self-esteem, depression, anxiety and other effects of being different from others while coming of age. Parents can help their kids feel safe and validated, and eve...

Even when teens have come out to their peers about their sexuality or gender identity, it may be harder for them to tell their parents. Andy Dean and Nina Narang talk about ways the therapist can help with that interaction, including helping parents understand and hear what their children are telling them, and supporting parents sort through their grief.   For more information on Penn Medicine – P...

While the world has unique challenges for LGBT kids, all teens with major depression have much in common, and therapy aims to help strengthen coping skills, to build feelings of safety, and to turn hopelessness and helplessness into action. Nina and Andy also discuss the body issues and eating disorders among LGBT teens as a means to control their own bodies.   For more information on Penn Medicin...

Despite broader acceptance than ever before, it’s still not easy to navigate both adolescence and becoming part of the LGBT community.  Primary Therapist Nina Narang works with teens and families at Princeton House Behavioral Health, and she speaks with fellow licensed clinical social worker and host Andy Dean.  Andy and Nina discuss the how the American culture affects LGBTQ teens and when they m...

Can there be sun and rain at the same time? Yes! Being open to “both/and” can make your life more effective and enhance relationships with others. Recognizing that there is more than one way to do or see things can be useful. As time has passed since her treatment for cancer concluded, therapist Danielle Bellina reflects on ways DBT skills helped her to remain engaged with others, even when their...

Being in charge of your own emotions sounds easier than it is. Sometimes you have to do the opposite action than your emotions want you to do in order to solve a problem. Therapist Danielle Bellina talks about this and other DBT techniques that she used to cope with her cancer diagnosis and treatment with host Andy Dean. They delve into anxiety, how to tell people about the diagnosis when your ins...

Everyone has a different cancer journey, and you can make better decisions about your health if you use the distress tolerance skills outlined in DBT as STOP (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, and Proceed Mindfully) and Radical Acceptance. These are not easy and take practice to use. Join Danielle Bellina, a therapist trained in DBT, and host Andy Dean as they discuss how she used these skills in her...

No one knows when they might suddenly face a major health issue. Senior Primary Therapist Danielle Bellina found herself relying on dialectical behavior therapy skills to get her through breast cancer treatment just a few years ago. Danielle and host Andy Dean discuss the reaction to shocking news and how to navigate the health decisions that need to be made during a very stressful time.   For mor...

After losing a brother to substance use disorder and ultimately an overdose, Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor Sarah Devries talks about how complicated the grieving process can be. Grief is messy, and letting grief go can feel like a loss in itself. Over time—and each person grieves at their own pace—you can find enduring connection with the deceased in your new reality. Listen in as A...

Whether or not a person with a substance use disorder succumbs to their addiction, there is much grief along the way. Loved ones mourn the loss of the future they imagined for that person, and everyone regrets that life is harder than they imagined. Sarah Devries and Sarah Carstens, both Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselors, discuss grief and acceptance with host Andy Dean.   For more inf...

There were more than 100,000 overdose deaths in 2022 in the US. So far this year, 2023, there have been 15,878 overdose deaths in New Jersey. One Princeton House therapist was directly affected when she lost a loved one. Join Andy Dean, LCSW as he interviews Sarah Devries, Senior Therapist and Team Coordinator, and Sarah Carstens, Clinical Director for Addiction Services, of Princeton House Behavi...