Shows / Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
"Shrinking It Down" highlights the fact that youth mental health is anything but simple! Child & adolescent psychiatrists Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins help parents and other caring adults to navigate tough questions about child and teen mental health. From depression and learning disorders, to digital media and societal concerns, Shrinking It Down covers it all.
Tune in the THIRD Thursday of every month. Subscribe wherever you stream.
About Us: The Clay Center for Young…
Episodes
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleCOVID-19 Risk, Fear, and Anger
COVID-19. We can’t seem to escape it no matter where we turn, even in our own homes. All of us – caregivers and young people, alike – are experiencing feelings…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Bonus: School Refusal Conversation Starters
If your child is struggling to go to school and regularly wanting to stay home, it's important to learn more about what's making things so hard for them…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Is Your Child Struggling With School Refusal?
Does your child get stomach aches at the thought of going to school? Does your younger child throw temper tantrums? Does your teenager spend all day in the…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Take a Cup of Kindness (musical interlude)
As we lead into a New Year, we wish you and your loved ones physical and mental wellness. It has been a challenging two years, with more challenges to come…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things
Mindfully enjoying the things we look forward to during the holidays is a great way for families to lessen stress and support well-being. What are Gene and…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Strategies for Managing Holiday Stress
Families have felt tremendous stress over the past two years due to the pandemic. But for many, this is a special time of year that we fantasize about and look…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Quick Tip: Can Kids Make Up Lost Sleep?
As we "fall back" this weekend, hold onto to some clinical wisdom from Bernard Kinane, MD, Director of the Pediatric Sleep Program at Massachusetts General…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Bonus: ADHD Conversation Starters
If your young person is struggling in school, and you think it might be Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
All About ADHD
In today's episode of Shrinking It Down, we revisit some of the most helpful conversations we've had with clinical experts about Attention Deficit…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Bonus: Asking About Social Media
If Instagram and social media are still on your mind after our last episode, but you still haven't talked to your teen about your concerns, here are some…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Unsettled About Instagram?
We weren’t due for another episode until next week, but given the news of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and her disturbing claims that the company…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleMental Health Myths - BUSTED
Welcome back to Shrinking It Down – because mental health is anything but simple. What better way to launch Season 5 than by busting some mental health myths?…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleMidsummer Meditation with Dr. Darshan Mehta
Can six minutes of meditation really make a difference? Try it for yourself! In this excerpt from our March 17 episode, "Medicating with Meditation?" Dr…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleEverything You've Wanted to Know About Sleep, featuring Bernard Kinane, MD
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleWe'll be back in 2 weeks!
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. Hosted on Acast. See…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleMental Health Challenges and Latinx Children & Teens, featuring Angel Caraballo, MD
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleA Closer Look at High-Functioning Autism, featuring Robyn Thom, MD
Coming into April, Autism Awareness Month, we’ve noticed more families coming to our website with questions about high-functioning autism spectrum disorder…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleOne Year Later – Young Adults and COVID-19
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleMedicating with Meditation? featuring Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleOne Year Later – Back-to-School Anxiety During Covid
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleTeen Breakup Violence, Part 2
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleTeen Breakup Violence, Part 1
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleThe Nuts and Bolts of Telepsychiatry, featuring Janet Wozniak, MD
Did you know the first telepsychiatry visits at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), conducted back in 2014, weren’t for adults, but for children? Flash…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleMedia Literacy and Mental Health, featuring Michael Robb, PhD
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleBoosting Our Brains Over the Break
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleTackling Racism Internally to Better Serve Our Communities, featuring Joseph Betancourt, MD, MPH
When it comes to structural racism in healthcare, commitment to change stems from the top in creating physically and emotionally healthier communities. Today…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleThe Power of Community Health During COVID-19, featuring Mary Lyons-Hunter, PsyD
Since the pandemic, mental health concerns have risen across the country. But in communities that were already underserved, the burden is even greater, as…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleHow Do We Heal From Here?
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…
Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made SimpleManaging Family Conflict During Covid
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Moving Towards Anti-Racism for Our Future Generations, featuring O'Neil Britton, MD
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Special guest next week!
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Medications: For Better or Worse? featuring Tim Wilens, MD
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?…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Managing Challenging Behavior in Kids During Stressful Times, featuring J. Stuart Ablon, PhD – Shrinking It Down
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Climate Anxiety and Kids, featuring Elizabeth G. Pinsky, MD
Many kids and teens are growing more worried about climate change. Scary predictions about the future and lack of government action can make them feel the…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
COVID-19 and College Students, featuring Khadijah Booth Watkins, MD
When teens leave home for college, it’s natural for both parents and young adults to adjust to new lifestyles and living apart. But many college students…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Growing Up With a Parent on the Autism Spectrum, featuring Hillary Hurst Bush, PhD
If you do an online search for the words “parenting” and “autism,” most of the results will be about parents who don’t have autism raising children who do. But…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
COVID-19: Mental Health Check-In
Life as we know it has changed since our last episode. Disruptions, anxiety, and uncertainty surrounding the new coronavirus disease have affected us all…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
We'll be back March 25!
We're taking a short break, but we've got a great line up of topics and guests for the spring. A sample of what's to come: Surviving a Screw Up Growing Up With…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Is Your Teen an Emotional Sponge?
Peers can be an excellent source of social support, and it’s great that more young people today talk to friends about their emotional challenges. But for every…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
We'll Miss You, Steve!
Seasons change, and so do podcast co-hosts. Since the beginning, Shrinking It Down has been co-hosted by child psychiatrists Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Steven…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Nature vs. Nurture, featuring Jordan Smoller, MD, ScD
Many parents worry that their own or a family member’s mental health disorder destine their children to struggle in the same way. But, while many psychiatric…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Extra Time on Tests - Does It Work?
When “extra time” on tests first began decades ago, the goal was to level the playing field for students with learning disabilities by allotting them the same…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Kids Under Surveillance!
Today’s kids and teens are increasingly under surveillance, including by their own schools and parents. In some ways this is nothing new. Adults have always…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
We''ll be back January 15!
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
New Year Resolutions: We Can Manage This!
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Making Family Dinner Possible, featuring Anne Fishel, PhD
There are many emotional benefits that come from connecting over a family dinner. But with the competing demands of reality, like busy schedules, technology…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Is This Normal?
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
The Loneliest Generation
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Stay In Shape: Kids' Bodies Feed Their Minds, featuring Ming Sun, MCHES
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Money + Mental Health: Supporting Young Adult Children, With Limits, featuring Rand Spero, CFP
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
When Kids Talk of Suicide
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Summer Challenge: Come Together for Mental Wellness
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Tune in next week!
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Illuminating Mental Health Through Art, featuring Elisa H. Hamilton
At the Clay Center, we often stress the importance of creativity for supporting healthy youth development and community relationships. So, we’re thrilled to…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Self-Care for Resilience
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Understanding ADHD
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
It’s the Time of the Season for... Mental Illness
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
We'll be back next week!
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Discipline and Punishment
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…
- Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple
Admissions Scandal, College Pressure, and Mental Health
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…