Gene Beresin, Author at Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds

Articles by Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Gene Beresin, MD, MA is executive director of The MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and a staff child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also a full professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. To learn more about Gene, or to contact him directly, please see Our Team.

Equine Therapy. How Does It Work? feat. Janice Gilman of BINA Farm – Shrinking It Down

February 15, 2024

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Equine Therapy. How Does It Work? feat. Janice Gilman of BINA Farm – Shrinking It Down

You’ve probably heard of pet therapy, but what about equine therapy? Special guest Janice Gilman of BINA Farm Center joins Gene and Khadijah to help us learn about the many different kinds of equine therapy for kids. What make horses so unique when it comes to therapeutic treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, anxiety, and more? […]

What Can States Do to Support Youth Mental Health? feat. Senator John C. Velis

January 18, 2024

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What Can States Do to Support Youth Mental Health? feat. Senator John C. Velis

To address the youth mental health crisis, we need to approach it from different angles – including access, education, and legislation. So, what are states doing to make a difference? Tune in below, or wherever you stream! Today, Gene and Khadijah are joined by special guest Senator John C. Velis of Massachusetts. Senator Velis shines […]

New Year Resolutions: Tips to Focus on the Positive

January 15, 2024

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New Year Resolutions: Tips to Focus on the Positive

There’s this guy Sisyphus. I feel like he invented the New Year’s resolution. You know Sisyphus—he’s the guy who works so hard to push that stupid boulder up the hill, only to have it roll down again at the end of his hard work. You’d think he’d have learned after all these years, but there […]

Stimulants! Myths, Misconceptions & Managing the Shortage, feat. Anthony Rostain, MD, MA – Shrinking It Down

December 20, 2023

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Stimulants! Myths, Misconceptions & Managing the Shortage, feat. Anthony Rostain, MD, MA – Shrinking It Down

What role should prescription stimulants play in a child’s ADHD treatment plan? Tune in below, or wherever you stream. Today, Gene and Khadijah are joined by Tony Rostain, MD, MA, chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Cooper University Health Care, to discuss this and more. How do you talk to your child about stimulants? […]

Lonely College Students: What Can We Do to Help? – Shrinking It Down

November 16, 2023

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Lonely College Students: What Can We Do to Help? – Shrinking It Down

Recent national surveys show that a significant proportion of college students report having felt overwhelmed, anxious, and lonely during college. If college is supposed to be the “best years of your life” then why are so many students lonely? That’s what Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins dive into today: what’s contributing to […]

How Can Young People Combat Teen Loneliness?

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How Can Young People Combat Teen Loneliness?

Teen loneliness. It seems the opposite of what most folks would think, but more and more surveys are finding that teenagers and young adults today may be lonelier than any other age group – even older adults. In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory calling attention to Our Epidemic of Loneliness and […]

Fears & Phobias in Kids, feat. Susan Sprich, PhD – Shrinking It Down

October 23, 2023

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Fears & Phobias in Kids, feat. Susan Sprich, PhD – Shrinking It Down

Fears and phobias are not the same thing. All of us have fears – kids and adults alike. Many of us even enjoy a good scare now and again (there’s a reason why horror movies do so well). And most fears in our children – real or imagined – eventually respond to reassurance, emotional calming, […]

Fear of the Dark? 16 Ways to Help Your Child

October 12, 2023

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Fear of the Dark? 16 Ways to Help Your Child

Halloween is almost here, and its presence is inescapable – from commercials and scary movies on TV to ghosts, goblins, and menacing figures in neighbors’ yards. And while it is an exciting and highly anticipated time for many kids, some look upon it with dread. Though the technical fear of Halloween, Samhainphobia, is not listed […]

Coping With Gun Violence, Together, feat. Gretchen Felopulos, PhD (Shrinking It Down)

June 15, 2023

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Coping With Gun Violence, Together, feat. Gretchen Felopulos, PhD (Shrinking It Down)

With increasing gun violence and constant media coverage, many kids are scared to go to concerts, to malls, to school. Tune in below, or search for “Shrinking It Down” wherever you get your podcasts. Many adults are feeling the same – coping with gun violence can be paralyzing. Today, special guest Gretchen Felopulos, PhD, the […]

Our Epidemic of Loneliness: Recommendations for Parents and Caregivers

June 8, 2023

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Our Epidemic of Loneliness: Recommendations for Parents and Caregivers

On May 3, 2023, The United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Advisory calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. The Advisory lays out a framework for a National Strategy to Advance Social Connection and contains a broad range of recommendations including […]