Parenting the Mental Health Generation

Welcome to Season 2! We officially kick off with our first episode on September 20th and watch for new episodes every third week of the month. You can also find our episodes on YouTube now. Get ready for a new season with new guests who are both mental health professionals and with mental health life experts, those who have walked this journey and can share  unique perspectives and personal insigh...

In our first Essay from Experts in our Real Talk series, we bring to life the interview CATCH did with Dr.  Julie Friedman, PhD, trauma psychologist  about the symptoms and treatment for secondary traumatic stress. Dr. Friedman is also the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Skyway Behavioral Health in Skokie, IL  You can read this CATCH Journal post  here . Do you remember that important questio...

If your child is heading off to college and taking their mental health struggles with them, this episode is for you.  Kyle, who just finished his freshman year at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and his mom, Anne, talk with our hosts, Amy O. (aka, the mom) and Dr. Lisa (aka, the psychologist) about their strategies for success and lessons learned from bumps in the road. You’ll hear Kyle tal...

In our second to last episode of this season, listen to Amy and Lisa share their personal stories of what brought them to CATCH, the life lessons they are learning, and what they are experiencing after the July 4th shooting in Highland Park, a nearby suburb. Whether you're parenting young children or young adults, our CATCH team can relate, because we are living it. In this episode, our podca...

It's true, everything we need to know, we truly do learn in Kindergarten.   In our next Real Talk, Essays from Real Life,  Linda Davis bravely shares her strategy to cope with the distress, find calm, and get through the tough moments when your parenting worries and fears are running nonstop. Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one struggling with bumps and pitfalls on a daily basis? Listen...

The world is a mess right now. No matter what you read, watch, or listen to, the headlines are alarming:  senseless shootings, a difficult war, an upcoming and controversial Supreme Court decision, midterm elections, a lingering pandemic, and a serious mental health crisis amongst our kids. If it feels overwhelming to you as a parent, imagine how it makes your child feel -- and rest assured, they...

Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one struggling with bumps and pitfalls on a daily basis? Listen to Real Talk: Essays from Real Life, straight from the CATCH Journal at catchiscommunity.org . We’re recording those heartfelt and honest stories from parents and others for those who’d rather listen than read. When you hear people share their most vulnerable moments, you’ll know you are not alone...

Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one struggling with bumps and pitfalls on a daily basis? Listen to Real Talk: Essays from Real Life, straight from the CATCH Journal at catchiscommunity.org. We’re recording those heartfelt and honest stories from parents and others for those who’d rather listen than read. When you hear people share their most vulnerable moments, you’ll know you are not alone....

One of the best ways to support our children's mental health is to talk about our feelings.  But that's easier said than done with a kid who doesn't want to share.  In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, we talk with three local school leaders about how they get kids talking.  This conversation takes place as we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month and work to...

Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one struggling with bumps and pitfalls on a daily basis? Listen to Real Talk: Essays from Real Life, straight from the CATCH Journal at catchiscommunity.org. We’re recording those heartfelt and honest stories from parents and others for those who’d rather listen than read. When you hear people share their most vulnerable moments, you’ll know you are not alone....

Do you ever wonder if you’re the only one struggling with bumps and pitfalls on a daily basis? Listen to Real Talk: Essays from Real Life, straight from the CATCH Journal at catchiscommunity.org. We’re recording those heartfelt and honest stories from parents and others for those who’d rather listen than read. When you hear people share their most vulnerable moments, you’ll know you are not alone....

Do you feel pressure to protect your child from disappointment? You aren't the only one. Our guest, Dr. Karen Cassiday, clinical psychologist and owner and managing director of the Anxiety Treatment Center of Greater Chicago, says that's a common experience for parents these days and comes with real consequences, especially when anxiety is part of the picture.  In this episode, she talks...

Of course, you love your child, but how do you show it? Do they even know it? And what about those moments when they make you so mad the affection is replaced by steam pouring out of your ears? What happens to the love in that case? It's still there, but depending on how you react, your child may only see and feel the anger.  In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, we talk...

It's clear many children have slipped academically as a result of the pandemic, and parents are quite worried about the learning loss. In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, Amy O. (aka "the mom") and Dr. Lisa (aka "the psychologist ") talk with Becky Parkinson, a school social worker, about how to get our kids on track and what really matters when it c...

Is your home chaotic each night as your kids try to tackle homework? Is your teen isolating in their room and NOT doing their homework? Is there a meltdown every minute or screen time battles to end all battles? You are not alone. And, neither is your child.  But, what is  really going on?  In this episode,  Dr. Leigh Weisz, a licensed clinical psychologist,  joins Amy O. (aka the mom) and Dr. Lis...

Join Amy O. (aka the mom) and Dr. Lisa (aka the psychologist) as they talk to mental health professionals about topics that concern us as we navigate our parenting journeys and support our kids struggling with their emotional well-being.  Dr. Lisa brings her professional expertise and Amy O. shows up with her years of parenting perspective to these conversations.  This is the conversation you aren...

It's not easy to talk about mental health, but it is vitally important in caring for it, and there are ways to start the conversations. That's why Jessica Hutchison, LCPC, created My Red Said, a mental health awareness campaign inspired by the pandemic. And now it's coming to Northbrook! In this episode, Jessica joins Amy O.  (aka the mom) and Dr. Lisa (aka the psychologist) to talk...