You’re getting ready to go back to school, or maybe you already have. You know it’s going to be different, but you’re not sure how different or what to expect. How can you as a parent help to prepare your child and set expectations that will provide the foundation to start the school year off on the right foot? Listen in to this podcast conversation with Chris Harris, Chief Education Officer at CHC and Kendra Fraka, licensed social worker and social/emotional lead at Sand Hill School, as they share their experience and expertise on this topic.

We see images and hear conversations about racial injustice almost every day. As a parent, you might find it easier to be silent or ignore, but it’s important to view these as opportunities to talk with your kids about what they are seeing and hearing. How do you have those conversations with your kids? For each family, this conversation might look a bit different, depending on your own heritage and experience. Listen in today as we talk with Dr. Gloria Morrow, a nationally recognized clinical psychologist, speaker and author, about how to talk with your kids about race and racism.

For the past 15 months, we’ve been carefully following safety protocols, and strict mandates have helped inform our decisions. Now, as we come out of our COVID caves, the rules are more ambiguous and varying comfort levels collide. It can create a whole new wave of anxiety around what feels safe, especially when our precautions don’t match those around us. In some ways life was simpler in our caves, where we could more easily protect our families. In this podcast episode, CHC’s Clinical Director and Neuropsychologist, Dr. Vivien Keil, shares coping strategies for easing our family’s way back into the world with courage and compassion.

What is cultural humility and why does it matter? As parents, we are our children’s first teachers. It is from us that our kids learn how to be accepting and respectful of those from diverse backgrounds. So it’s up to us to provide a sense of awe and wonder about other cultures and ways of life. In this podcast episode, Tony Cepeda, LMFT, Clinical Program Manager at CHC, will teach us how to listen and learn from our hearts. In the end, we may find that we have more similarities than differences.

Trauma-informed parenting — it might sound like something more extreme than you need. But the same strategies can help every parent and caregiver feel more equipped to respond to children's behaviors, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. Listen in to this podcast episode, as Dr. Pardis Khosravi, licensed psychologist at CHC, explains what trauma means, how it might manifest among various age groups, and how we can connect with our kids so they feel loved and validated.

There could be any number of reasons why one may not be living their best life, especially right now. But if your child or teen is struggling with communication, behavior or relationships, or no longer wants to participate in things that they used to enjoy, it may be time to seek help. How do you convince them that it’s time to take that step? And what can you expect when you get there? We sat down with Dr. Vidya Krishnan, Head of Adolescent Mental Health Services at CHC to find out. Tune in to this episode to learn how to introduce the idea of therapy to your child or teen, overcome reluctance, and get them not just on board, but engaged in their mental health journey.

Parenting a teen can be challenging, especially in a pandemic. Our teens are struggling right now for many reasons, and parents are grappling with how to support them in a meaningful way. How can you be a sounding board for your teen and really connect with them without trying to fix the problem or seem dismissive? Listen in to this podcast episode with Jennifer Leydecker, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Clinical Manager at CHC as she shares her experience and expertise from years of working with teens. She will share important strategies that you can use to communicate and connect with your teen.

As more and more people are vaccinated and COVID restrictions ease, the time has come for us to figure out how to re-enter the world. While many have been longing to get back to ‘normal,’ others are not so sure they’re ready. According to a report from the American Psychological Association (APA), about half of Americans are feeling anxious about re-entry after sheltering in place for so long. In this podcast episode, we sat down with licensed clinical psychologist and CHC’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Ramsey Khasho, to talk about how to ease our way back into the world and support our kids in that process.

Everyone in the entire world is experiencing some kind of stress right now. And everyone’s reactions to the stressors of the past year have been different – even among members of the same family. By validating these individualized responses, practicing healthy coping strategies and building self-esteem, parents can leverage difficult days to model resilience for their kids and prepare them for future challenges. Join us for today’s podcast episode as CHC’s Tony Cepeda, LMFT and Karly Crockett, LCSW share their expertise on the various manifestations of stress, trauma and grief and ideas for supporting your family through hard times.