E34 – Understanding and Supporting Teen Mental Health

E34 – Understanding and Supporting Teen Mental Health

Guest: Dr. Will Dobud is a social worker, researcher, and educator who has worked with adolescents and families in the United States, Australia, and Norway. Will is from Washington, D.C. and divides his time between the United States and Australia each year. Will is an award-winning researcher and educator who has received recognition for excellence in research, teaching, and crime prevention. Dr. Dobud is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Charles Sturt University, Australia's largest social work school. Willis an invited international speaker who conducts workshops for therapists and families around the globe. To learn more about Dr. Dobud, please visit: https://www.kidsthesedaysbook.com/will-dobud Timestamps: 3:00 – Personal Story – How Dr. Dobud Found His Interests 6:00 – Concepts – Common Misconceptions About Supporting Teen Mental Health 7:40 – Concepts – Misconception of Labeling 9:05 – Research - Examining Self-Esteem Consequences for Youth with Mental Health Problems (Dupont-Reyes et al., 2023) 9:43 – Survey – Polling Data and Identifications with Mental Health Labels 15:00 – Idea – How to approach seeking mental health support 15:30 – Concept – Most Common Number of Sessions 16:55 – Idea – Counseling is about a Good Fit 17:30 – Idea – Achieving Mastery 18:16 – Research - Nonblind placebo trial: An exploration of neurotic patients' responses to placebo when its inert content is disclosed (Park & Covi, 1965) 21:00 – Idea – Changing a Diagnosis from a Noun to a Verb (Externalizing Issues) 25:35 – Book Idea – Interference (Illusions about what’s Wrong with a Generation) 27:00 – Survey - Why children work: The children's answer (Todd, 1913) 29:20 – Concept – Interference in Chemicals 36:00 – Concept – Important Ideas to Prioritize 41:00 – Parent Strategy – How to Reframe Looking at Teen Problems 42:20 – Parent Strategy – Connection before Correction 45:50 – Funny Story – Banning Pinball in New York (Example of Interference) 55:00 – Personal Strategy – Learning How I Learn (Writing) Special thanks to musical artists: Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/ Soii: https://soii.bandcamp.com/ To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit: present-mind.org/podcast

E33: Parenting Anxious Teens

This episode is for parents. Sophia explores her professional insights from working in clinical and school settings, to help anxious teens. If you are a parent, you'll get practical skills and ideas to help any stressed out teens in your home. Guest: Sophia Vale Galano is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a private therapy practice in Los Angeles, California. Sophia has been working with teens and their families for over a decade, and is the author of the book “Calming Teenage Anxiety: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Teenager Cope with Worry” on the 7th of October. Sophia provided counseling to students at a large public high school, and offered both case management and group therapy at a psychiatric hospital. Sophia has extensive experience working as a therapist in residential, inpatient, outpatient and educational settings. She also served as a primary therapist for young adult males in a long-term, highly structured treatment center for substance use. She now provides mental health services in the Los Angeles Area. Sophia’s first book “Calming Teenage Anxiety” was published in 2025, and available from multiple online booksellers. To learn more about Sophia and her book Calming Teenage Anxiety, please visit: https://sophiagalano.com/book/ https://sophiagalano.com/ Timestamps: 3:00  – Personal Story – How Sophia Found Work on Teen Anxiety 5:00 – Generational Differences for Anxiety – Technology, Social Media, Academic Pressure 8:40 – Concept – Anxiety & Social Media 10:15 – Concept – Not Restrict, Discuss and Modify Use 12:30 – Parent Strategy – Sprinkle Social Media Use Suggestions as a Coach 14:15 – Concept – How to Approach Dialogue with Your Teen 14:30 – Parent Strategy – Come from a Place of Learning, Not Fixing 16:00 – Parent Strategy – Initiating Conversations in Casual Spaces 17:30 – Parent Strategy – Revisit Conversations 22:30 – Concept – Rise in Academic Pressure + Increased Competition 25:30 – Parent Strategy – Lead By Example About Pressure (Modeling) 29:00 – Concept – Exploring Regular Stress vs. Anxiety 29:50 – Parent Strategy – Monitor How Often Their Teen is Feeling Anxious 31:45 – Concept – Helpful Ideas for Supporting Students with High Anxiety 33:45 – Concept – What’s Happening Under the Surface in Dialogue w/ Teens 39:15 – Parent Strategy – Self Care and Self Awareness 41:00 – Study - Secure Base Provision: A New Approach to Examining Links Between Maternal Caregiving and Infant Attachment (Woodhouse et al., 2020) 41:00 – Concept – “Good Enough Parent” and 50% of the Time 42:00 – Parent Strategy – Try Lots of Different Approaches Special thanks to musical artists: Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/ Chris Keys: https://chriskeys.bandcamp.com/ To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit: present-mind.org/podcast

E32: Self Love w/ Lawrence Harris (In Practice)

In this In Practice Episode, Lawrence shares he personal journey to self love. Taking his own life experiences as a teacher, he explores the ideas that helped him transform to a meaningful life of self-love. Guest: Lawrence C. Harris is a nationally recognized Youth Empowerment Speaker who helps teens and young adults break limiting beliefs, build unshakable self-worth, and rise above challenges. Drawing from his own lived experience overcoming childhood abuse, Autism, and C-PTSD, Lawrence shares powerful messages that resonate deeply with young people and the adults who support them. To learn more about Lawrence, please visit: https://lawrencecharris.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-harris-8b0177324 https://youtu.be/BHNS_D2PFoc?si=-ePvfKRSlkBFvLOT Eventbrite: New Belief New You Instagram: Lawrencecempowers Timestamps: 3:30  – Personal Story – How Did You Get to Exploring Self-Love 8:10 – Concept – Exploring Healthy and Unhealthy Self-Love 9:30 – Strategy – Taking Yourself on a Date 11:20 – Concept – Showing Care For Others at Expense of Self 13:00 – Concept – Exploring Should Messages 16:30 – Concept – Connecting with Others for Self-Worth 17:00 – Prior Episode – Bowers Episode XX 18:00 Concept – Good Relationships Start with Loving Yourself 22:00 – Self Love Strategy – Journaling to Build Awareness 24:50 – Self Love Practice – Learning to Say No 27:20 – Personal Example – Learning to Say No 31:00 – Parent Strategy – Sprinkle Self-Care Strategies 32:40 – Parent Strategy – Plant Seeds, See How They Grow 34:20 – Concepts – Seeds Planted That are Actually Weeds 48:30 – Self Love Strategy – Make Your 10 and 80 Year old Self Proud Special thanks to musical artists: Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/ Probably Not Famous IV: https://www.probablynotfamous.com/ To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit: present-mind.org/podcast

E31: Unspoken Expectations in Relationships

David explores personal stories that led him and his wife into marriage and business coaching. His stories shed light into strategies for successful relationships in dating, school, and friendships. We explore conflicts, awareness, and yes... lasagna! Guest: David Kiwimagi is the co-founder of Kiwi Coaching, dedicated to helping couples who want to work together strengthen their relationships and thrive as partners. David and his wife Alexis have built a thriving coaching business and marriage. The proven methods they share have helped hundreds of couples from feeling stuck and disconnected to deeply connected and thriving in both business and marriage. 3:30  – Personal Story – How Did David Find Coaching Relationships 8:13 – Helpful Relationship Ideas – Turn Unspoken Expectations into Agreements 8:40 – Helpful Relationship Ideas – His Business, Her, Business, Not Your Business 8:13 – Helpful Relationship Ideas – How to Win Every Argument  9:40 – Unspoken Expectations – Talk Outside of High Emotions 18:30 – Parent Strategies – Explore Expectations Before You Need Something 21:00 – Concept – His Business, Her, Business, Not Your Business 23:00 – Strategy – Making an Environment Where Someone Can Feel Welcome 26:00 – Concept – Focus on What You Can Control 32:00 – Concept – You and Me vs. The Problem (Not You’re Wrong) 37:00 – Concept – Reframing Problems  38:30 – How to Slow Heated Arguments – Take a Breath Break 39:46 – Concept – Most Arguments Rooted in Unsaid Expectations 42:00 – Idea – People Can Be Drains and Fountains 49:39 – Personal Practice – Not About Being Perfect 49:39 – Personal Practice – Learning Everyone’s Not Like Me Special thanks to musical artists: Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/ Homage: https://homagebeats.bandcamp.com/ To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit: present-mind.org/podcast

E26a: Sports Rivalries & Tribalism w/ Dr. Cottone (In-Practice)

In this In Practice Episode, Dr. Cottone and I talk about rivalries in sports and how sometimes they get more serious than intended. We connect our favorite rivalries to the concepts of Tribalism, to unpack how it shows up in sports fandom.  Guest: John G. Cottone, Ph.D., is a psychologist in private practice and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry within the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. His research—on psychotherapy outcome, executive functioning and the neurological correlates of schizophrenia—has been published in acclaimed peer-reviewed journals, including Archives of General Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. He has a youtube channel called MindCube 3D. He has contributed to Psychology Today, The New York Times, and The Washington Post and is the author of several books included: Who Are You? Essential Questions for Hitchhikers on the Road of Truth and Z-score: How a Statistic Used in Psychology Will Revolutionize Baseball. To learn more about Dr. Cottone, please visit: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-cube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuWgaynspx77K4vavXIRfw mindcube3d@gmail.com Timestamps: 4:00 – Idea – Adopting Stories of Teams You Root Foor 6:40 – Rivalries – Yankees and Mets 8:00 – Rivalries – Georgia and Alabama 9:30 – Idea – Big Brother Little Brother (Family Dynamics Play Out in Rivalries) 11:20 – Concept – Bringing Personal Attributes to Tribes/Teams 12:40 – Tribal Mentality – Wake Forest at Louisville 16:20 – Research - Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes Experiment (Elliott, 1986) 17:45 – Heated Games – Georgia and LSU 19:30 – Idea – Connecting Rivalries to Politics 21:00 – Rivalries – Rangers and Islanders 16:00 – Connection Mentality – Tribalism can lead to connecting with people 27:00 – Concept – Dissonance within a Tribe 29:00 – Research - More Than a Game: Football Fans and Marriage Equality (Harrison, 2016) 33:00 – Concept – Prioritizing Truth vs. Aligning with a Tribe 33:30 – Concept – Seeing Different Perspectives 35:00 – Concept – Reductionism in Tribalism 35:45 – Best Rivalries – Michigan v. Ohio State 35:45 – Best Rivalries – Celtics v. Lakers 36:50 – Best Rivalries – Alabama v. Auburn 35:45 – Best Rivalries – Cavaliers v. Warriors Special thanks to musical artists: Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/ G Mills: https://gmills.bandcamp.com/ To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit: present-mind.org/podcast