Brent Esplin: Adolescent Mental Health: What Every Parent Should Know

Brent Esplin: Adolescent Mental Health: What Every Parent Should Know

Adolescence has always been challenging, but today's teens are navigating a level of emotional complexity unlike any previous generation. In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan, licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, welcomes Brent Esplin, LMFT, Executive Director of OASIS Ascent, for an honest conversation about adolescent mental health, residential treatment, and what families need to know when a teenager is struggling. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience working with teens and their families, Brent shares how a talent for listening led him into a career helping adolescents through some of life's most difficult moments. He also explains why he chose residential treatment over private practice and how creating the right therapeutic environment can make all the difference in a young person's recovery. Together, Brent and Dr. Morgan discuss: * Why adolescence is one of life's most vulnerable stages. * What residential treatment really looks like—and how it differs from psychiatric hospitalization. * The importance of creating safe, home-like environments that support healing. * How therapists develop their expertise through supervision, experience, and specialized training. * Why listening is one of the most powerful tools in mental health care. Whether you're a parent, educator, therapist, or simply passionate about improving youth mental health, this episode offers practical insights from two experienced clinicians dedicated to helping young people thrive.

Brit Davies: Growing Through Change: An HR Powerhouse's Honest Take on Mental Health at Work & Home

Every parent hopes they'll never receive that phone call. For Britany Davies, it came from her son's school counselor. An algorithm had flagged private journal entries that suggested her 12-year-old was struggling emotionally. In an instant, the accomplished HR executive, people leader, and mother found herself confronting one of the most frightening moments a parent can experience. In this heartfelt episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan, licensed psychologist and Director of Mental Health Awareness at Silicon Slopes, welcomes Brittany Davies, former Chief People Officer at Fullcast, workplace culture strategist, and creator of The At Will Economy podcast. Brit shares her family's deeply personal journey navigating anxiety, ADHD, and the unique mental health challenges that often accompany Type 1 diabetes. She explains how the constant demands of managing a chronic illness—from interrupted sleep to relentless responsibility at a young age—can quietly affect emotional well-being, even in children who appear happy, resilient, and thriving.  Throughout the conversation, Brit reminds us that mental health struggles are often invisible until someone feels safe enough to share them. The discussion also explores Brit’s own experience with anxiety and ADHD, her passion for creating healthier workplaces, and the importance of recognizing that behind every employee, leader, and child is a human being carrying experiences we may never see. Since this conversation was recorded, Brit has moved on from her role as Chief People Officer at Fullcast and is cultivating her next season of professional growth. Like any well-tended garden, careers evolve through changing seasons. Sometimes growth requires pruning what no longer serves us, planting new ideas before we can see the harvest, and trusting that today's quiet season is preparing tomorrow's opportunity.  Brit’s thoughtful leadership and people-first philosophy continue to influence those around her, and this next chapter promises new ways to help individuals and organizations flourish. In This Episode * A parent's perspective after discovering a child's hidden mental health struggle * The connection between Type 1 diabetes and anxiety * Why chronic illness affects emotional well-being * Supporting children through mental health challenges * Living with anxiety and ADHD as an adult * Creating psychologically healthy workplaces * Leading with empathy during uncertainty * How career transitions create space for new growth * Why every season—even difficult ones—has something to teach us Whether you're raising children, managing a team, living with chronic illness, or navigating your own career transition, this episode is a reminder that growth rarely happens all at once. It happens one conversation, one challenge, and one season at a time.

Chrisi Hammer: Success Didn't Heal the Pain—This Did

Success stories usually begin with the moment everything worked. This one begins with rejection, identity, divorce, and learning how to rebuild. In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with entrepreneur Chrisi Hammer, Co-Founder and CEO of Sunshine Buns, to explore the deeply personal experiences that shaped the resilient leader she is today. Known for building one of the fastest-growing emerging brands in the baked goods industry, Chrisi reveals that her greatest lessons didn't come from fundraising, product launches, or retail expansion. They came from navigating adoption, becoming a single mother after divorce, and learning to embrace difficult conversations that previous generations often avoided. With remarkable honesty, Chrisi explains how being adopted as a newborn left her wrestling with questions of identity and belonging for decades. She shares how meeting her birth mother transformed her understanding of herself, while also bringing healing to every branch of her family tree. Along the way, she discusses why resilience isn't something you're born with—it's something you build by choosing to face life's hardest moments instead of running from them. In This Episode • How adoption shapes identity long after childhood • The emotional journey of reconnecting with a birth parent • Why previous generations rarely talked about mental health • How divorce and single parenthood can become catalysts for growth • The relationship between resilience and entrepreneurship • Why doing hard things changes who you become • Building confidence after rejection and uncertainty • How difficult experiences can become your greatest competitive advantage Whether you're an entrepreneur, parent, adopted child, or someone navigating your own search for identity, this conversation is a reminder that our greatest challenges often become the foundation for our greatest purpose.

Ronda Davis: You Don't Have to Be ‘Broken’ to Need Healing

What if the anxiety, burnout, or self-doubt you've carried for years isn't who you are but the result of experiences your nervous system never had the chance to process? In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan welcomes licensed clinical social worker, trauma therapist, speaker, and Healing Feathers founder Ronda Davis to discuss her unique journey trauma, resilience, grief, and the science of healing. Drawing from both her early personal experiences and now her professional expertise, Ronda understands that trauma isn't limited to catastrophic events. Sometimes it's growing up in chaos, being bullied, losing someone you love, navigating divorce, or living with years of chronic stress.  David and Ronda share how these experiences shape our nervous systems, influence our relationships, and quietly affect how we perform at work and show up in everyday life. Losing her father became the catalyst for Ronda to open her own practice and help others move beyond survival mode. Together, she and David break down common misconceptions about trauma, discuss why therapy isn't a life sentence, and offer hope that healing is possible for anyone willing to begin the work. In This Episode • Why trauma isn't always one catastrophic event • How childhood experiences shape adult relationships and behavior • The connection between trauma, anxiety, burnout, and workplace performance • Why your nervous system matters more than you realize • The misconceptions that keep people from seeking therapy • Why healing is about moving beyond survival—not becoming someone new • How businesses can create healthier, more resilient workplaces • Why your story deserves to be told, no matter how "big" or "small" it feels Whether you're navigating grief, anxiety, burnout, childhood adversity, or simply trying to better understand yourself, this conversation offers practical insight and compassionate encouragement that healing is never out of reach.

Chris Yadon: The Childhood Survival Skill That's Destroying Adult Relationships

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Chris Yadon, Managing Director of the nonprofit organization Saprea [https://saprea.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com] and author of the forthcoming book Numb: Learning How to Feel in a Disconnected World. Chris shares a personal story of growing up amid family instability, emotional pain, and uncertainty and how those experiences taught him to disconnect from his feelings in order to survive.  For years, emotional numbing helped him cope. But when he found himself unable to grieve the loss of his beloved grandfather, he realized the protective wall he had built had become a prison. Together, Chris and Dr. Morgan explore: * Why emotional numbing is often an adaptive response to childhood trauma * How emotional disconnection impacts relationships, leadership, and mental health * The hidden costs of "feeling fine" * Why loneliness and disconnection are rising despite unprecedented digital connectivity * Practical ways to reconnect with your emotions and build deeper relationships * Lessons from Chris's work helping survivors of child sexual abuse heal and recover * The surprising connection between emotional awareness and effective leadership * And much more.  Chris also shares how his career evolved from managing tech startups to leading Saprea, a global nonprofit dedicated to helping survivors heal and preventing child sexual abuse. Along the way, he discovered that his personal journey and professional mission were more connected than he ever imagined. Whether you're a leader, parent, entrepreneur, mental health advocate, or someone trying to better understand yourself, this conversation offers research-backed insights and heartfelt wisdom on what it means to truly feel again.