Articles by Matthew Carron, Ellen Braaten, PhD and Gene Beresin

January 29, 2020

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

New Year’s Resolutions: How To Make Them Work

New Year’s resolutions…  Many of us have made them in the past, and I bet some folks have even followed through with them! But if we’re honest, most of us don’t follow through with the goals we set at the start of the year. One study found that less than half of those who made resolutions were still sticking them by June.   […]

January 15, 2020

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Kids Under Surveillance! – Shrinking It Down

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 monitored kids for risk. But in today’s digital age, there are so many more ways to watch our kids’ every move – social media, cell phones, e-mail, even school apps intended for learning.   […]

January 8, 2020

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

10 Self-Care Tips for Parents

Este artículo está disponible en español. As parents, our main job is to take care of our kids, including our young adult children. It’s hard to think of anything more important than our children’s well-being. We worry about their academic success, social life, and recreational achievements. We worry about their physical health, emotional adjustment, and overall […]

December 20, 2019

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

New Year 2020: We Can Manage This!

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for “Shrinking It Down.” 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 (and decade!), we’re dedicating our last show of 2019 to strategies on guiding […]

December 11, 2019

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

11 Self-Care Tips for Teens and Young Adults

Este artículo está disponible en español. Stress. Teens and young adults today are more stressed, anxious, depressed and lonely than ever – at least in the United States. At first glance, it’s hard to wrap your head around this fact.   No one really knows the root cause, but it seems to be a perfect storm of several factors. While many experts have pointed to digital and social media, […]

December 4, 2019

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Making Family Dinner Possible, featuring Anne Fishel, PhD – Shrinking It Down

There are many emotional benefits that come from connecting over a family dinner. But with the competing demands of reality, like busy schedules, technology, and picky eaters, this simple idea isn’t always so simple. On today’s episode, Dr. Anne Fishel, executive director of The Family Dinner Project at Massachusetts General Hospital, joins Gene and Steve […]

November 20, 2019

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Is This Normal? – Shrinking It Down

When it comes to our kids, sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s normal behavior and what’s concerning. 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 struggling with a mental health issue?” Tune in wherever you […]

November 6, 2019

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

9 Ways to Know If Your Child’s Mental Health Clinician Is Right for Them

As parents, we all want the very best for our kids – the best teachers, coaches, and health professionals, among others. About one in five of our children, teenagers, and young adults will experience a mental health issue and ideally receive mental health care. I say “ideally” because there is a huge shortage of mental […]

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

The Loneliest Generation: What’s Up With Gen Z? – Shrinking It Down

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts – just search for “Shrinking It Down”! 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 symptom of digital and social media or the hyper-scheduling of their […]

October 30, 2019

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Borderline Personality Disorder: A Case of Suffering, Drama and Hope

There’s an understandable tendency to portray Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in films. Silver Linings Playbook, Fatal Attraction, and Girl Interrupted are just a few.  It makes sense. High drama, stormy interpersonal relationships, drugs, sex, self-destruction – what could be more compelling?   But for the individual and their family, Borderline Personality is never merely the stuff of […]