She Persisted: Your Teen Mental Health Resource

#188 Today's guest is Meg Jay— a developmental clinical psychologist, associate professor of education at the University of Virginia, and published author with over 25 years of experience studying the psychology of twentysomethings. A recent New York Times profile called Dr. Jay “the patron saint of striving youth” and her TED talk “Why 30 Is Not the New 20” is among the most watched to date. In this episode, we discuss:

+ Why being in your 20s is so challenging

+ Ways to cope with the uncertainty of being a twentysomething

+ Feeling indecisive about career moves after college

+ Causes of the Gen Z mental health crisis

+ If people in their 20s are over-diagnosed with mental health disorders

+ The problems with linking your identity to your mental health

+ Whether your 20s actually are the best years of your life according to research

+ The over-medication of twentysomethings in the United States

+ Why twentysomethings should be treated with a unique mental health approach

+ Advice for people in their 20s dealing with breakups

+ What every twentysomething should be doing in their lives

#187 Today's guest is Jeffrey Hall— a Professor of Communication Studies and Director of the Relationships & Technology Lab at the University of Kansas and a visiting scholar at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. His research centers on building friendships, navigating digital media, and forming meaningful connections and he has written about these topics for the Wall Street Journal and in his award-winning book, Relating Through Technology. In this episode, we discuss:

+ If social media is actually as harmful as we think it is

+ How friendships evolve as we get older

+ The effects of social media on friendships & relationships

+ Why young adults feel both connected & lonely

+ What you need to do to build close relationships

+ Generational differences in social media use & its effects

+ How to use social media without harming your mental health

+ The correlation between friendships and well-being

+ The two types of loneliness & why people feel lonely

+ Why people really spread hate online & how this impacts their health

+ Whether teen mental health & body image are affected by social media

+ Popular misconceptions about social media & why they're formed

+ What he wishes people were doing differently on social media

MENTIONED

#186 Today's guest is Emma Seppälä— a best-selling author, Yale lecturer and faculty director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program, the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, and international keynote speaker. A psychologist and research scientist by training, her expertise is the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection. In this episode, we discuss:

+ Cultural differences in defining happiness around the world

+ How different countries interpret challenges & successes

+ What sovereignty is in psychology & why it's so important

+ Why you don't have enough freedom in your life & how to change that

+ How your emotional IQ can impact your sense of freedom

+ The science of happiness & what we can learn from it

+ The two types of happiness and which is better in the long-term

+ Ways that you can boost your happiness according to psychology

+ Advice for students on how to improve your quality of life

+ The culture of success in the U.S. & its cost on well-being

+ Why you should be a good friend to yourself & what this looks like

+ Tips for when you're struggling to make self-care a habit

#185 In this week's solo episode, I am once again reacting to mental health posts on Reddit! I did a deep-dive on Reddit and am sharing my most *brutally* honest responses and very best advice on a wide range of mental health posts. I also react to some amazing questions that you guys submitted through my website! I respond to posts on topics including:

+ Signs someone is experiencing depression

+ Flaws with mental health diagnoses

+ Advice on studying psychology in college

+ My troubled teen industry (TTI) experience & how to avoid TTI programs

+ How to start trusting yourself

+ Ways to stop judging others & be less negative

MENTIONED

#184 Today's guest is Eden Garcia-Balis— a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has over nineteen years of experience in the mental health field. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Airport Marina Counseling Service (AMCS)— a nonprofit, community-based mental health clinic in California. In this episode, we discuss:

+ How to tell if you're in a healthy or unhealthy relationship

+ Signs of an abusive relationship

+ The link between abusive relationships & anxiety and depression

+ Questions you need to ask yourself about your relationship

+ Risk factors that someone could end up in an unhealthy relationship

+ How to set boundaries in a relationship

+ What to do if your partner is unreceptive to your boundaries

+ Ways to help someone who's in an unhealthy relationship

+ Unhealthy relationships in pop culture

+ Tips on how parents should talk to teens about relationships

+ Healing from abusive relationships

+ Relationship resources she recommends