Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

Whether they have fur, scales, tail or no tail, pets can improve the mental and emotional health of children, teens, and our entire families. They love us unconditionally through hard life lessons. It's no wonder we love them, too!Today, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Steve Schlozman discuss the importance of pets through the lens of both child psychiatrists and proud animal parents who've experienced the benefits first hand.Thank you for joining us in this journey and conversation. We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to: contact@mghclaycenter.org. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Differing viewpoints, feelings of frustration. We're all constantly on edge today, and families can be home to a wide range of beliefs, which only adds stress to "together" time. But who has the energy for negativity? And what message are we sending to our kids when we don't even try to be civil? Dr. Ellen Braaten, who's family is the perfect melting pot when it comes to different POVs,  joins co-hosts Beresin and Schlozman to help listeners try and shift to a more positive attitude when it comes to surviving the holiday season.Thank you for joining us in this journey and conversation. Send your thoughts to: contact@mghclaycenter.org. We look forward to hearing from you! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today's episode, Dr. Ellen Braaten, psychologist and associate director of the Clay Center, joins co-hosts Beresin and Schlozman to address common questions parents have when they notice changes or differences in their kids' behavior: Is this typical? Does my child need to see a professional?In this discussion, we navigate these questions together - how to assess and make decisions about what's ordinary and not, and when to intervene - through a composite look at the many families the team has worked with over the years.Thank you for joining us in this journey and conversation. We look forward to hearing from you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mental health made simple? Who are we kidding? It can be really complicated. Just take a look at our short film, "Can Kids Get Mental Illness?'': https://youtu.be/halx1H-mvnw But openly talking about the challenges we face -- from mental, to behavioral, to emotional health -- is a great place to start in better understanding ourselves and those we care for, so we know what steps to take next.Thank you for joining us in this journey and conversation as we launch a brand new season! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Ellen Braaten joins Gene and Steve today to process the recent terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert, as both shrinks and parents. This attack felt different from others because it targeted kids. Join as they share different points of view on how our kids might be feeling, and how to move forward in our lives in a healthy way. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today, Gene and Steve talk about a really difficult and in many ways scary topic: Teen suicide. Suicide rates are on the rise for the entire US population. It's currently the 2nd leading cause of death among 18-26 year olds & 3rd leading cause for 15-18 year olds. All during a time in which we've become more aware of mental illness and have more services available. So why is this happening? We owe it to ourselves to try to understand. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gene welcomes members from Addiction Free Futures Project to discuss some of their latest initiatives related to Screening, Brief intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), tools for prevention of substance use by youth and for identifying substance use early if experimentation has already begun. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Drs. Gene Beresin and Steve Schlozman discuss the growing concerns around the mental health of our teens and young adults in college today.Read the accompanying blog post here:http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/6752/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gene and Steve discuss the seeming decrease in civility that has characterized our political discourses over the past months and has also become pervasive throughout our entire culture – not just in politics.Check out the accompanying blog on our website: http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/families/talking-kids-2016-politics-parents-duty-volatile-political-climate/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gene and Steve get more abstract in today’s topic as they discuss ethics and morality and how we get kids to think in ways that we’ll be proud of, and ways that they’ll be proud of later on in life.Check out the accompanying blog on our website: http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/families/raising-moral-children-parental-strategies-that-last-a-lifetime/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gene and Steve welcome a special guest,Grace, to talk about a really complicated topic: When you have a chronic medical illness on top of the already challenging experience that is life as a teenager. Check out the accompanying blog on our website: http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/living-with-a-chronic-medical-illness/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gene and Steve welcome special guests Ellen Braaten, PhD and her son, to talk about what is it like for kids and young adults to go off to college or work. What are the stresses and struggles, along with the joys and positive things that happen?Check out the accompanying blog on our website: http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/teenagers/when-kids-leave-home-part-2/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Gene and Steve focus in on the roles of giving and receiving. Check out the accompanying blog on our website: http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/families/the-psychological-gift-of-giving-a-gift/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this third podcast on the Lesley University Child Homelessness Initiative, Gene and Steve welcome a Massachusetts teacher and the mother of one of her students who had a period of homelessness, to discuss the ins and outs of homelessness, its impact on kids, and how teachers can help. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We all have fears – some hardwired in survival, some based on traumatic events, and some a little less rational – that is, phobias. Phobias tend to be persistent, resistant to reassurance, last from 6 months to 20 years. Gene and Steve delve in and take a closer look.Check out the accompanying blog on our website: http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/grade-school/specific-phobias/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Schlozman looks to colleagues Drs. Beresin and Braaten on the daunting, terrifying unknown of how to help your kids transition to life after high school - work, college, trade school or whatever they may have in store. Check out the accompanying blog on our website: http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/teenagers/when-kids-leave-home/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Guests Judith Edersheim, J.D., M.D. and Robert Kinscherff, Ph.D., J.D. join Drs. Beresin & Schlozman to discuss the unique qualities of the adolescent brain, treatment of juveniles in the justice system, and how these factors relate.Check out the accompanying blog on our website: https://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/families/bad-to-the-bone-seven-myths-about-juveniles-in-jail/ Mental HealthMental WellnessMGHResilienceViolenceImpulsivityPrisonJuvenilesTeens See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

40-50% of marriages end in divorce, but what about the kids? Guest Heidi Webb Ed.M, J.D., who's law firm takes a holistic approach to guiding families through this difficult transition, discusses the impact of divorce on children and how to ACTCIVIL.Check out the accompanying blog on our website: http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/grade-school/the-impact-of-divorce-all-children-only-get-one-childhood/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kristen Chello from the Massachusetts Children's Mental Health Campaign and John Kelly, Ph.D. sit down to talk about the Addiction Free Futures campaign and how to prevent adolescent substance misuse and abuse misuse before it begins. Check out the accompanying blog on our website: http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/teenagers/adolescent-substance-use-how-the-addiction-free-futures-project-plans-to-make-a-difference/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our second podcast with the Lesley University Child Homelessness Initiative with program director Lisa B. Fiore and Lesley University student Jade. Learn about CHI from both the teaching and learning sides.Check out the accompanying blog on our website: https://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/young-adults/jades-journey-from-homeless-child-to-lesley-university-student-a-story-of-resilience/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.