Shrinking It Down: Mental Health Made Simple

Share

The Power of Peer Support ft. Valerie Grison-Alsop & Julia Esposito

Season 5, Ep. 13

We all know that parents and other adults tend to be the last people teenagers want to talk to about their problems. At this stage of life teens are more likely to reach out to friends in times of need. With this in mind, Valerie Grison-Alsop, founded Give Us the Floor, a nonprofit organization that promotes peer support for teens, by teens. Give Us the Floor launched an app that provides a safe, anonymous space for teens to reach out to each other for support, with guidance from trained teen advisors as well as adult advisors.


This week, Gene and Khadijah are very pleased to welcome Valerie as a special guest, as well as Julia Esposito, a Junior Adult Advisor and former participant of Give Us the Floor. They talk about the benefits of peer-to-peer support and why their app has been so successful in helping teens improve their mental health and overall well-being.  


Media List

Follow along with the conversation.

More Episodes

2/16/2023

Understanding Obesity Stigma, feat. Angela Fitch, MD, FACP, FOMA

Season 6, Ep. 5
We often hear about how stigma can prevent treatment for mental disorders and promote feelings of shame or low self-worth among those struggling. Did you know the same is true for obesity? Obesity is a complex disease, and stigma stems from a misunderstanding of what it is, what contributes, and how it can be treated.Today, we're joined by Angela Fitch, MD, a leader in the field of obesity medicine, to help us learn more about what we can all do to support kids who are struggling with obesity and shift the culture around weight bias. We discuss personal biases, effective treatment, and the mental health toll obesity stigma can take on our kids who need us to step up on this issue.Tune in & share with someone you know.Media ListAngela Fitch, MD, FACP, FOMA (Obesity Medicine Association)More About Knownwell (Knownwell.co)Consensus Statement on Obesity (The Obesity Society)What Is Body Composition? (WebMD)BMI ≠ Obesity = Excess Adiposity (ConscienHealth)Adipose Tissue (Body Fat) (Cleveland Clinic)Study: BMI Measurements Should Be Tailored to Race and Ethnicity (Verywell Health)Most Food in America is Hyper-Palatable and ‘Difficult to Stop Eating,’ Scientists Say (Newsweek)CBT Is Effective for Childhood Obesity (Beck Institute)Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, featuring Susan Sprich, PhD (MGH Clay Center)Is Your ADHD Brain Hard-Wired for Weight Gain? (ADDitude Magazine)Headless, Hungry, and Unhealthy: A Video Content Analysis of [Persons With Obesity] Portrayed in Online News (Journal of Health Communication)New guidelines for treating childhood obesity include medications and surgery for first time (NBC News)Weight Bias: People-First Language (Obesity Action Coalition)Digital Media and Body Image (MGH Clay Center)Episode produced by Sara RattiganMusic by Gene Beresin
1/19/2023

Dr. Gene and Dr. Khadijah Answer Your Questions

Season 6, Ep. 4
From challenges with hair pulling to supporting a child through a regression in toilet training, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins answer real parent questions in this episode. For each question, they offer clinical insight to help parents better understand what might be going on, and suggestions for next steps and ways to support the child. We think all caring adults will be interested in this discussion. Be sure to tune in.Follow along with the media list below, and if this episode sparks another question, write to us! We’ll include it in a future episode. Like what you hear? Leave us a review!Media ListDr. J. Stuart Ablon: Kids Lack Skills, Not Will to Do Well (YouTube-AccuTrain)Question #1: How to Help With Hair Pulling (01:40)Hair Pulling (Trichotillomania) (AACAP)What If My Child Has Obsessive Compuslive Disorder (OCD)? (MGH Clay Center)Cognitive Behavior Therapy: A Closer Look (MGH Clay Center)What If My Child Is Prescribed an SSRI? (MGH Clay Center)Question #2: How to Help My Teenager with Avoidance Behaviors at Home and at School (06:15)Anxiety in Our Children: The Role of Avoidance Behavior (National Association for Child Development)School Refusal: When Back-to-School Is a Struggle (MGH Clay Center)CBT Snapshot: Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Phobias (MGH Clay Center)Question #3: Child Can’t Stop Touching Things When They Walk Around the House (13:05)Overview: Tics (National Health Service)What If My Child Has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? (MGH Clay Center)Question #4: How to Help 5-Year-Old with Potty Training Regression (18:05)Potty Training Regression: What To Do About It (Cleveland Clinic)What Is Collaborative Problem Solving? (Think:Kids)Tips for Dealing with Potty Training Regression (Healthline) Welcome Back (Theme from Welcome Back, Kotter) (YouTube-John Sebastian)