Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

We'll be back January 15 with new episodes, including conversations about digital and social media surveillance of kids and teens, and genetics and mental health. Hope you have a peaceful holiday season. See you in a couple of weeks! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know? According to a recent Clay Center survey, six out of 10 parents encourage their kids to adopt New Year’s resolutions. To bring in the new year (and decade!), we’re dedicating this episode to strategies on guiding young people towards meaningful and manageable goals. From getting specific about the “how,” to finding that spark in your child, to involving the whole family, Dr. Gene Ber...

There are many emotional benefits that come from connecting over a family dinner. But with the competing demands of reality, like busy schedules, technology, and picky eaters, this simple idea isn’t always so simple. On today’s episode, Dr. Anne Fishel, executive director of The Family Dinner Project at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene and Steve to discuss her new book, Eat, Laugh, Talk!...

One of the most common questions Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Steve Schlozman hear from parents, as adolescent psychiatrists, is: “How can I tell if my kid is struggling with a mental health issue?” All kids go through behavioral phases and changes at different stages of life. But when it comes to teens, in particular, it can be hard to tell the difference between typical irritability, withdrawal, and...

Data suggest that Generation Z, the teens and young adults coming of age right now, feels lonelier than any other age group. But we don’t know why. Is it a symptom of digital and social media or the hyper-scheduling of their daily lives? Does it stem from anger about or hopelessness of dwindling future prospects? No one has the answers, but it’s concerning as loneliness can negatively affect both...

How can we guide children to healthfully navigate food, fitness, sleep, and more (especially when Takis® taste so much better than eggs for breakfast)? These aren’t just important for physical health but mental health, as well. The MGH Stay In Shape Program for elementary and middle school students, going on 20 years strong, is one solution that’s benefited several communities in Massachusetts. In...

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely spent time thinking about your child’s future after age 18. Whether it’s going to college, finding a job, finding an apartment – taking that first step towards independence is ultimately tied to…money! Where that money should come from is a complicated issue, and it’s not the same issue it was 20 or 30 years ago. What does this mean for both parent and child menta...

As the summer fades and we move into Autumn, activities in our lives start to build up and so can the stress. Perhaps this is one reason that September is national Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It’s an unsettling topic, but in our first episode of the season Gene and Steve talk about young people and suicide – not to bring folks down but to give it the time it deserves. Whether you’re trying...

We shouldn’t need science to tell us that getting together with other people is beneficial. Still, the science is pretty fascinating, and in the data-driven age in which we live, knowledge is power! In this episode, Steve and Gene dig into the biology and neuroscience beneath why connecting with others in our communities—particularly those outside of our everyday circles—not only feels great but i...

Gene and Steve will be back next week with our last episode of the season. And we have a community challenge for you all - be sure to tune in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the Clay Center, we often stress the importance of creativity for supporting healthy youth development and community relationships. So, we’re thrilled to have socially engaged multimedia artist Elisa H. Hamilton join Gene and Steve in today’s episode! Elisa is a visiting artist with the Clay Center. Since January, she’s been developing a project to&n...

Did you know Ellen enjoys boxing for self-care, and that Gene depends on daily interactions with his dog, Bear? This week is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week! What better way to celebrate than by focusing on self-care, and on building resilience in young people from the earliest ages? When we help them work self-care into their routines now , they’ll have it to fall back on as they enter ad...

We all get distracted and disorganized. Today, it seems more than ever with digital media consuming our lives. We bet you’ve even wondered, at some point in your life, whether you might have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Heck – do we all have some form of it? Like all things in mental health, it’s complicated. Not all that’s inattentive is ADHD. In today’s episode, our co-direct...

Flowers are blooming. People are smiling. On the surface, it seems like spring is the sweetest season of all. And while it is rejuvenating and joyful in many ways, it’s also associated with the highest rates of psychiatric issues. Gene and Steve take a closer look at why this might be, from research to theories to their own clinical experience. They also talk about steps you can take to manage thi...

We'll be back next week with new episodes! Dr. Gene Beresin shares a glimpse of the topics to come, including ADHD, self-care, and more. Stay tuned... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s not the most fun part of the job, but parents know they have a responsibility to discipline their kids when they do something that’s not right – stealing, hitting, staying out past curfew. But how do you make the punishment fit the crime, and help your kid to process the situation after the fact so that it doesn’t happen again? Also, why might a psychologist or psychiatrist ask a child about...

On today’s show, Dr. Ellen Braaten joins Gene and Steve to think deeper about our American culture that’s contributed to issues like the recent college admissions scandal, and also less extreme (and less fraudulent) measures we take to ensure our kids succeed at a level that’s well above-average. What message does it send to young people when we have expectations of true perfection and even take a...

Welcome to today’s “pot-cast”! Marijuana is on everyone’s mind, especially the parents of tweens and teens, as it becomes legal in more states – not just for medicinal use, but for recreation. We’ve learned from alcohol that teens are going to have easier access to cannabis the more state laws ease up, even when the age minimum is 21. But pot today and pot in the 70s are almost like two different...

* Want the visuals to go with the talk? Watch this special episode on YouTube * Why on earth are two child psychiatrists talking about the 2019 Academy Awards? It’s not just for fun, even though it’s fun, too. But, rather, because there is so much in this year’s nominated films – from Black Panther to Bohemian Rhapsody – that relates to coming of age in today’s America. We live in a time of cultur...

Almost every parent has been there. Whether your child is age two or twenty-two, we’re all familiar with the “T” word. Out-of-control meltdowns on the way to school, embarrassing moments in the supermarket. Tantrums can feel like a nightmare. But understanding what’s going on in your toddler’s mind – in addition to what you may bring to these interactions from your own personal experience – can be...

Intimacy. Is there anything else  in  the teenage brain? It’s a wonder they make it through school after adolescence hits! We’ll be honest, we didn’t know what direction this conversation would take, but it turned out a great example of how talking helps us to process some of the trickier issues in life. In this episode of  Shrinking It Down , Dr. Ellen Braaten joins Gene and Steve...

Did you know that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most evidence-based psychosocial treatments we have for mental health issues? Today, its use goes beyond treatment for anxiety disorders and depression to application for a wide range of challenges including psychosis, body dysmorphic disorder, ADHD, and even for coping with aspects of medical illnesses. Simply put, CBT is about gi...

What’s the difference between a “resolution” and an “evolution”? In the context of New Year’s, even though they begin with the best intentions, resolutions often come with a lot of pressure to follow through. But an evolution allows you to grow and adapt within your personal environment – including the various people in your life, as well as non-negotiable life demands that may come from home or f...

Here we are, in the peak of the holiday season. Do you feel joyful? Do you feel down? Are you simply overwhelmed? Whatever it is you’re feeling, it’s okay, and we guarantee you’re not alone. The holidays mean different things for different folks and families. But if you want to make the most of this season, let Gene and Steve talk you through a few strategies to mix in some moderation and self-car...

It’s cold. It’s gray. It’s dark. This time of year, a lot of folks feel pretty blah. And not just those with depression or other mental health disorders. It can affect anyone. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real thing. But if you don’t like the way it makes you feel, there are real things you can do about it. In this episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Steve talk about the signs and sym...