Mental Health Decoded Episode #1285

Mental Health Decoded Episode #1311

Question 1: A 12-year-old girl is being raised only by her father. She comes to my house from time to time, and I try to give her attention and support. Because of her upbringing, she seems to crave a lot of attention, often in immature ways. Should I still give her attention through those immature behaviors? Comment 2A: I wanted to thank you for the chizuk you gave to stay-at-home mothers on Kol Bramah Radio on 4/27/26, Program 1310. Comment 2B: I needed to place some of my children in foster care. We still maintain a connection with them, and I’ve learned that it does not have to be all-or-nothing. I see them growing and doing much better. Question 3: My father-in-law lives outside of Brooklyn, and when we visit, we stay in a gabbai’s apartment. I daven in the gabbai’s shul, which has a very small minyan, and I often feel pressured to daven for the amud. It is very difficult for me, but I feel guilty saying no. How can I deal with that guilt? Question 4: Why would someone be afraid to daven for the amud? Question 5: I have a teenage son who wants to know how to overcome the fear of davening for the amud. Question 6: I especially appreciated the question in the previous program about a mother needing to return to work. As a working mother of two, I found the validation very meaningful. My question is: How can you encourage a sibling to be more communicative when they tend not to share where they are going or what they are doing?

Mental Health Decoded Episode #1310

Question 1: I have a lot of mixed feelings about unconventional therapy. I recently heard about kinesiology, and I was wondering if you could help me better understand how it works. Question 2: My wife had a baby two months ago and recently returned to work. She is finding the transition overwhelming and feels she is missing out on bonding with the baby. She also does not feel comfortable in her work environment. Question 3: I find myself tremendously triggered by children, from around age 3 through 16. I am especially anxious thinking that my one-year-old will eventually grow into those ages. My mother struggled with this as well, and I wonder if that may be impacting me.

Mental Health Decoded Episode #1309

Question 1- What is the role as a parent to their daughter when they see that their son is struggling with alcoholism and behaving in a very narcissistic way? Question 2- I have a 10-year-old child who is afraid to go to many places. She is comfortable going to the grocery store down the block or to a neighbor’s house on the block, but she refuses to go to other places. What can we do to help her? Question 3- What should someone do if they feel uncomfortable being vulnerable with their therapist? Question 4- I’ve heard a lot about attachment theory. What is attachment theory, and how can it be understood in simple English?

Mental Health Decoded Episode #1308

Question 1- I have a relative who has dementia along with several physical ailments. He needs to be tied to his wheelchair for safety, and he often feels depressed and frustrated. What advice is there for helping calm him and making him feel more valuable? Question 2- I would like to raise a question about awareness and faith. As a bochur I struggled with many mental health challenges, and therapy helped me a lot. Later, after I got married, a major trauma happened and many of those struggles returned. One of the deepest pains for me was feeling like, “How could Hashem do this to me?” At times I even felt that Hashem hated me. I never learned how to shift my view of Hashem so that He doesn’t feel so frightening. How can someone begin to change that perspective? Question 3- I am a long-time listener. In our neighborhood, someone rented out their house to people who are OTD. This is a block with many frum families, and some of their public behaviors are making the neighbors uncomfortable. What can the community do in a respectful way to address this situation? Question 4- If and how does the role of a mother change when a child becomes a teenager? Feedback 5- I am the great-grandmother calling with feedback about the program from 4/13/26, Program 1 (1306), Question 2. My feeling is that when someone keeps returning to the same painful topic, the most important thing is simply to support her and be there for her.

Mental Health Decoded Episode #1307

Question 1- I’ve been to therapy in the past for a few years and didn’t see much improvement. I felt like I did the work on an intellectual level, but it stayed in my mind and didn’t really affect my emotions or my heart. Should I consider starting therapy again? Question 2- What is the role of a dating coach? My relative is seeing a dating coach, and she said the coach advised her not to pursue a certain boy. Why would a coach make that kind of recommendation? Question 3- Does medication heal trauma? Question 4- I have a daughter who is about 16 years old. I am seeing a therapist from Serenity, and I would like some clarity about an episode we had this evening. Is it healthy to raise a child without giving them chores? Question 5- I have a six-year-old son who has never been formally evaluated, but we suspect he may have ADHD. He is very cute and full of life. This year he has a rebbe who is helping him learn a lot and is providing strong structure. However, the rebbe is concerned that the frequent punishments—such as sending him out of class—may be harming him. At home, though, he is happy going to Yeshiva. Should we consider medication?