Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

It’s our last episode of the season, but never fear – we're signing off with tips to last you the summer long. Today’s episode is all about sleep!Sleep is so important to our overall health and well-being. So, very special guest Dr. Bernard Kinane, Director of the Pediatric Sleep Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene and Khadijah to answer all of your questions about how to support kids in healthy sleep habits. What are the most common sleep problems in toddlers and teens? Why is sleep hunger important for maintaining a healthy sleep schedule? What’s the most common sleep challenge for kids with mental health disorders, and how do help them? How does iron deficiency affect your baby’s sleep (and yours)? Can you make up for lost sleep? (The answer might surprise you!) And if your teen has gotten in the habit of staying up until 3am, what’s a realistic approach to get back to normal? Plus, tips to manage vacation/back-to-school sleep transitions. Dr. Kinane answers all this, and more. Don't skip

We'll be back in two weeks for our season finale and we'll be talking about SLEEP, kids and teens, and mental health. Stay tuned. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the past year, the Clay Center has worked to support even more young people by translating our free, online resources for Spanish-speaking parents and caregivers. In this time, we’ve seen high readership on topics like emotionally supporting kids and teens during COVID-19, the importance of sleep for child mental health, and how to help young people manage anxiety and stress. On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Khadijah welcome special guest Dr. Angel Caraballo for a conversation about the unique mental health challenges impacting Latinx and Hispanic families. From his experience as a child and adolescent psychiatrist and also as a parent, Dr. Carraballo help us to think more about ways to address stigma and other barriers to accessing mental health care within Latinx communities. Thank you for joining in this conversation. Do you have a question or comment about supporting the mental health of Latinx children and teens? We’d

Coming into April, Autism Awareness Month, we’ve noticed more families coming to our website with questions about high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some are seeking guidance on challenges families face, some wanting to learn more about behaviors stereotypically associated with ASD, and others wondering what happened to the Asperger’s diagnosis.  On today’s episode of “Shrinking It Down,” we welcome special guest Dr. Robyn Thom, a psychiatrist at the Lurie Center for Autism at the Massachusetts General Hospital, for a conversation about challenges for kids and teens with ASD, including with social relationships and repetitive behaviors. She also shares guidance on seeking evaluation and treatment for kids with ASD, as well as the importance of early disclosure about their diagnosis. Thank you for joining in this conversation. Do you have a question or comment about high-functioning ASD? We’d love to know. Write to us! Media List Robyn Thom, MD (M

Everyone has been hit hard mentally and emotionally during the pandemic, but there’s growing research to suggest that young adults – that special 18-24 age group – are suffering more than we might think. GenZ and Millennials had already been flagged as possibly the loneliest generation, even before COVID-19. Now many are faced with increased social isolation and a devastating economy at a time when, developmentally, they should be building independence and identity through higher education or work.In this episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Khadijah share insights from their clinical practice on navigating these unique challenges, including ways to help young adults maintain their sense of purpose despite everything else they can’t control.Thank you for joining in this conversation. Do you a question or comment about supporting young adults during Covid? We'd love to know. Write to us!Media List (Follow along with the conversation)Here’s How the COVID Lockdown Impacted College Students’ Mental He

On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Khadijah welcome special guest Dr. Darshan Mehta, Medical Director of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine of Massachusetts General Hospital, to talk about something we could all use more of: Meditation. This past year has brought on new stressors and anxieties for families, on top of those they were already managing. So, what about treating this stress with a healthy dose of meditation?Meditation is a practice that can help to decrease stress levels, increase calmness and clarity, and improve our physical health. Whether you’ve tried meditation before and are interested in the science behind how it works, or you’re looking for tips on how to start, Dr. Mehta walks through it all. Plus, he guides Gene and Khadijah through a “mini” meditation to demonstrate how even just a few minutes of focus can make a big difference.Thank you for joining in this meditation! Do you have a question about mind body practices, or something you’d like to share? We’d

During COVID-19, many kids across the country have been doing most or all of their schooling online. But now, a year later, many communities are finally finding ways to bring kids back to school, in person. While it’s largely agreed on that in-person schooling is critical for child and teen positive mental health and social-emotional development, going back comes with its own concerns and a host of new anxieties for kids, parents, and teachers alike.In this episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Khadijah share insights from their clinical practice as child psychiatrists on supporting the mental health of your family with some of these mid-year “back-to-school” challenges.Thank you for joining in this conversation. Do you have anxieties or concerns about sending your kids back to school during Covid? We'd love to know. Write to us!Media List (follow along with the conversation)More Schools Are Returning To In-Person Learning. How Do You Decide To Send Your Child Back? (Wisconsin Public Radio)K-12 School Operat

Content Warning: Today’s episode is the second in a two-part series on teen relationship violence. It may be difficult for some of our listeners.  When we look underneath a young person’s anger, or shame, or grief, there is often a hidden need that’s not being met. Learning how to identify and address these hidden needs is a skill we can all build over time. And doing this is a critical part of fostering healthier relationships and preventing tremendous pain to ourselves and to others. Last week on our podcast, we began a difficult, but important conversation about teen breakup violence through the lens of Lauren Dunne Astley’s story, an 18-year-old young woman who died at the hands of her former boyfriend. This week, Gene and Khadijah welcome a very special guest to continue the conversation – Malcolm Astley, Lauren’s father.Based on much research over the years and his efforts through

Content Warning: Today’s episode is the first in a two-part series on teen relationship violence. It may be difficult for some of our listeners.Romantic relationships are a critically important part of life for teenagers. In fact, one of the most common reasons for emotional struggles in high school and college are breakups with friends or romantic partners. We all know that breakups can be emotionally distressing for teens, but we don’t often talk about how they can also be emotionally or physically violent. Somehow, it feels easier to talk about the sadness or loneliness that can follow a breakup. But violence needs to be part of the conversation, too.Today, Gene and Khadijah welcome a very special guest, Mary Dunne, to help us start this difficult conversation. Mary’s daughter, Lauren Dunne Astley, an 18-year-old young woman who had just graduated high school, died on July 3, 2011 at the hands of her former boyfriend. She was a victim of breakup violence. Since then, through the Lauren Dunne Astley Memoria

Did you know the first telepsychiatry visits at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), conducted back in 2014, weren’t for adults, but for children? Flash forward, we never imagined how critical teletherapy and telemedicine would become – in such a short period of time – as a part of routine healthcare for all age groups and populations, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, we welcome special guest Dr. Janet Wozniak, Associate Chief of Quality and Safety for Department of Psychiatry at MGH, for a conversation about telepsychiatry. What is it? How has it been helping kids and teens? What barriers still exist for some families, and what are we doing to address them?  While virtual visits will never be the same as in-person, Dr. Wozniak talks about the gains for clinicians working with kids, like meeting other members of the family (including pets!) and getting a better sense of the home environment, which influences their day-to-day life. Pl

Today’s young people are spending more time online than previous generations, and many parents and caregivers worry about how digital media is affecting their mental, emotional, and social well-being. Strengthening media literacy skills can help us all better use media as engaged and informed consumers. But what does “media literacy” mean, and how can we help kids and teens build these skills?  On today’s episode of 'Shrinking It Down,' Dr. Michael Robb, Senior Director of Research at Common Sense Media, joins Gene and Khadijah to talk about how parents can help kids better understand the media they use, and make healthier choices about it. Plus, why the quality of screen content matters more than the amount of screen time. Tune in for more!  Thank you for joining in this conversation. If you have a question about helping kids build media literacy skills, we’d love to hear from you. Write to us! Media ListFollow along with the conversation.Michael Robb, PhD (Common Sense Med

Today is the shortest day of the year! That means the daylight only increases from here, a great boost for our brains as many kids and families move into winter break. We'll be taking a break, too, but not until after a very special episode this Wednesday.During school break, kids and teens may be turning to more digital media to fill the time - at least different forms of media than they've been using for remote learning. TV, smartphones, social media, video games, and more. So we have a very special guest to help families understand more about media literacy and mental health. Dr. Michael Robb, Senior Director of Research at Common Sense Media, joins us for a conversation on how to help even the youngest kids better understand the media they consume, and make healthier choices about it.Tune in Wednesday! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When it comes to structural racism in healthcare, commitment to change stems from the top in creating physically and emotionally healthier communities. Today, on ‘Shrinking It Down,’ special guest Joseph Betancourt, MD, MPH, Vice President and Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), joins Gene and Khadijah to help us understand how seriously MGH takes this charge.Dr. Betancourt has focused his life’s work on issues of equity and social justice, and has a long history of researching these issues and creating educational tools to improve cross-cultural interactions and increase diversity and equity in healthcare. In this episode, he talks through some of the things MGH is doing to improve hospital culture. Included in this is training to help hospital leaders, clinicians, and staff make progress in tackling implicit bias, and the need to measure and demonstrate this progress, so that training doesn’t become just another ‘check-the-box’ tool.Thank you for joining in this conve

Since the pandemic, mental health concerns have risen across the country. But in communities that were already underserved, the burden is even greater, as hardships build one on top of the other: risk for illness, food insecurity, being an essential worker, being unemployed, kids not able to go to school, fear of housing evictions, resurfacing of trauma. Chelsea, Massachusetts is one such community where family stress is at near-crisis levels.Today, on “Shrinking It Down,” Gene and Khadijah welcome special guest Mary Lyons-Hunter, PsyD, Unit Chief of Behavioral Health at the MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center. For over 22 years, Dr. Lyons-Hunter has had passion and boots on the ground in Chelsea, engaging with and learning from residents in order to best serve this richly diverse community.No time has proven more challenging than COVID-19 in responding to the community’s needs, but MGH Chelsea has made huge strides. Tune in for more on how MGH Chelsea has adapted its practices in public health outreach and clinica

When the body is injured, it begins the healing process despite the ongoing physical injury. Our minds should be no different. Right now – amidst a pandemic, economic strain, political tension, rising mental illness, and more – we are desperately in need of emotional healing, despite the many challenges ahead. But communities are divided, families are divided, and fear and anger are rampant. How do we heal from here?On today’s episode, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins think hard about and reflect on how to begin the healing process, for ourselves and the young people in our lives. A fundamental place to start is with our relationships – those in our families, in our communities, and with ourselves. They share ideas to mentally prepare for being mindful of judgement, managing our expectations, focusing on the positive, and fostering kindness. Plus, we have two special guests coming up this podcast season. Tune in for more.Thank you for joining in this conversation. What’s helped you to begin the

Since the pandemic began, many families have spent more time together. A lot more time.More time together than we’re used to + challenging times + uncertainty about the future + none of the outlets we'd typically use to recharge = a perfect storm for rising family conflict. Conflict between siblings, conflict between kids and parents, conflict between partners or other adults at home – all relationships feel up for grabs. What can we do to help?As we launch a new season of ‘Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple,’ Dr. Gene Beresin and our new co-host, Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, put their shrink caps on to delve into family conflict. They talk about how conflict manifests, strategies to prevent conflict, and ways to diffuse conflict and move towards resolution. Plus, Gene and Khadijah react to a high school student’s comment about conflict during quarantine. Tune in!We hope that our conversation helps you to have yours. Do you have your own story about family conflict during COVID-19, or tips that have

If you’re Black or Brown and growing up in America, it's noticeable from a very young age that something feels off. That’s because, no matter where you go, there is a layered, structural unfairness that plays out. The harmful impact of this unfairness begins to take its toll on even the youngest developing minds.On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, special guest O’Neil Britton, MD, chief medical officer and senior vice president of Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene Beresin for a conversation about continued racial inequities in our society, social justice, and our duty to do better for future generations. They discuss how structural racism built in to education and healthcare systems affects kids and families, and think critically about steps we must take – individually and institutionally – to do more in moving towards an anti-racist Boston, and an anti-racist America.Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have a question or comment about racism and families? Write to us!Media ListFollow al

We've wrapped up Season 3, but we have a summer episode coming up.Next week, we welcome very special guest O'Neil Britton, MD, chief medical officer and senior vice president of Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Britton joins Gene to discuss racism's continued impact on community health and well-being, and to think critically about ways that each individuals, communities, and healthcare systems can do more and do better in moving towards an anti-racist Boston, and an anti-racist America.Stay tuned! We'll see you next week. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many parents of kids struggling with a mental health issue have concerns – even fears – about medication as a part of treatment. Will it help? Will it hurt? What are the side effects? Today, Dr. Tim Wilens, chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene and Ellen to talk about prescribed medications, and other substances used recreationally to ease symptoms: How they can help, how they can harm, and how to know when medication should be considered for your child or teen. Plus, a closer look at medications for treating ADHD. Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have a question or comment about medications and mental health? Write to us!Media ListTim Wilens, MD, Chief, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Massachusetts General Hospital) George Floyd: protests take place around the world (The Guardian) Today, Explained - “The Talk” (Vox) COVID-19 and Col

These past months and weeks have put tremendous stress on families across the country, on top of the daily challenges we were already navigating. And under tremendous stress, it can become even harder to regulate our emotions, leaving our kids – and even us – struggling with challenging behavior. In today’s episode, Dr. Stuart Ablon, Director of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene to talk through strategies to help you and your kids do the best you can right now. A huge part of this is changing our mindset to remember that challenging behavior is about skill, not will – none of us act out on purpose. Kids behave well if they can, and so do parents. Tune in for ways to focus your energy on building new coping skills for the whole family. Thank you for joining in this conversation. Have questions or comments about addressing kids' climate anxiety? Write to us!Media ListTHINK:Kids (Massachusetts General Hospital)Helping Kids with Challenging Behavior, featuring