Articles by Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director
Khadijah Booth Watkins, MD, MPH, is associate director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Associate Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Training Program of Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital. In addition, she provides clinical care to children, adolescents, and families in the Child Outpatient Clinic and continues to teach and supervise fellows, residents, and medical students. To learn more about Khadijah, or to contact her directly, please see Our Team.
What To Do If Your Child Is In Crisis
December 7, 2021
What To Do If Your Child Is In Crisis
No family chooses to be in a crisis mental health situation with their child. In all the uncertainty and intense emotions, one thing is clear – we want to keep our children safe. To do so, we need to know the following: What it looks like when your child is in crisis (What to Look […]
Unsettled About Instagram? Ways to Support Your Teen’s Mental Health – Shrinking It Down
October 7, 2021
Unsettled About Instagram? Ways to Support Your Teen’s Mental Health – Shrinking It Down
It’s been an unsettling time for many, with the testimony by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and her disturbing claims that the company knows that Instagram causes mental harm to teen girls. In this episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins put on their shrink caps to process the concerns […]
Mental Health Myths BUSTED – Shrinking It Down
September 30, 2021
Mental Health Myths BUSTED – Shrinking It Down
Mental Health Myths BUSTED – Tune in wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for “Shrinking It Down.” Welcome back to Shrinking It Down – because mental health is anything but simple! What better way to launch Season 5 than by busting some mental health myths? In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. […]
Mental Health Myths: BUSTED
September 10, 2021
Mental Health Myths: BUSTED
Mental health myths can increase stigma and prevent parents and caring adults from taking important actions to support children and teens, even when the best intentions are there. Below, child and adolescent psychiatrists Gene Beresin, MD, MA and Khadijah Booth Watkins, MD, MPH share the truth about about nine common mental health myths. You can […]
Everything You’ve Wanted to Know About Sleep, featuring Bernard Kinane, MD – Shrinking It Down
June 3, 2021
Everything You’ve Wanted to Know About Sleep, featuring Bernard Kinane, MD – Shrinking It Down
It’s our last episode of the season, but never fear – we are signing off with tips to last you the summer long. Today’s episode is all about sleep! Listen wherever you get your podcasts – just search for “Shrinking It Down.” Sleep is so important to our physical and mental health. On today’s episode, […]
Mental Health Challenges and Latinx Children & Teens, featuring Angel Caraballo, MD – Shrinking It Down
April 28, 2021
Mental Health Challenges and Latinx Children & Teens, featuring Angel Caraballo, MD – Shrinking It Down
Over the past year, the Clay Center has worked to support even more young people by translating our free, online resources for Spanish-speaking parents and caregivers. In this time, we’ve seen high readership on topics like emotionally supporting kids and teens during COVID-19, the importance of sleep for child mental health, and how to help young people manage anxiety and stress. On […]
A Closer Look at High-Functioning Autism, featuring Robyn Thom, MD – Shrinking It Down
April 14, 2021
A Closer Look at High-Functioning Autism, featuring Robyn Thom, MD – Shrinking It Down
Coming into April, Autism Awareness Month, we’ve noticed more families coming to our website with questions about high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some are seeking guidance on challenges families face, some are wanting to learn more about behaviors stereotypically associated with ASD, and others are wondering what happened to the Asperger’s diagnosis. On today’s episode of “Shrinking It […]
Medicating with Meditation? The Power of Mind Body Medicine, featuring Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH – Shrinking It Down
March 17, 2021
Medicating with Meditation? The Power of Mind Body Medicine, featuring Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH – Shrinking It Down
On today’s episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Khadijah welcome special guest Dr. Darshan Mehta, Medical Director of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine of Massachusetts General Hospital, to talk about something we could all use more of: Meditation. This past year has brought on new stressors and anxieties for families, on top […]
Getting to the Finish Line: Will You Choose Endurance or Resilience?
February 24, 2021
Getting to the Finish Line: Will You Choose Endurance or Resilience?
It’s probably safe to say that 2020 has taken quite a toll on many of us. This has resulted in a number of reactions, particularly in our mental health. That being said, now that we have made it to 2021, despite the rollout of vaccinations, we continue in our new and modified routines built to […]
Teen Breakup Violence, Part 2: At-Risk Emotions – Shrinking It Down
February 10, 2021
Teen Breakup Violence, Part 2: At-Risk Emotions – Shrinking It Down
Content Warning: Today’s episode is the second in a two-part series on teen relationship violence. It may be difficult for some of our listeners. When we look underneath a young person’s anger, or shame, or grief, there is often a hidden need that’s not being met. Learning how to identify and address these hidden needs is a […]
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