Articles by Sara Rattigan, Communications Director
Sara Rattigan, M.S. is the communications director for The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and a public health communicator whose passion has always centered around innovative approaches to health education and health promotion for youth of all ages. Before joining The Clay Center, Sara served as a health communications specialist at the MA Department of Public Health (MDPH), working with epidemiologists and industrial hygienists to use data findings to inform injury prevention intervention.
At MDPH, Sara had the honor of project managing and creatively contributing to Getting Hurt Is Not In Your Job Description, a Massachusetts statewide social marketing campaign to raise awareness among young workers about injury prevention and their rights and responsibilities on the job. After MDPH, she went on to provide oversight, at Harvard University, for a range of high-level Title IX projects specific to sexual and gender-based harassment education, prevention, and response, including project managing the adaptation of an undergraduate online training module for multiple graduate schools across the University.
Sara received her M.S. in health communication from Tufts University School of Medicine, and her B.A. in theatre arts from Fordham University’s College at Lincoln Center, with minors in communications and media studies, and creative writing.
To learn more about Sara, or to contact her directly, please see Our Team.Understanding ADHD – Shrinking It Down
April 25, 2019
Understanding ADHD – Shrinking It Down
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts – just search for “Shrinking It Down.” We all get distracted and disorganized. Today, it seems more than ever with digital media consuming our lives. We bet you’ve even wondered, at some point in your life, whether you might have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Heck – do […]
It’s the Time of the Season for… Mental Illness – Shrinking It Down
April 18, 2019
It’s the Time of the Season for… Mental Illness – Shrinking It Down
Tune in wherever you get your podcasts – just search for “Shrinking It Down.” Flowers are blooming. People are smiling. On the surface, it seems as if spring is the sweetest season of all. And while it is rejuvenating and joyful in many ways, it’s also associated with the highest rates of psychiatric issues. Gene […]
Discipline and Punishment – Shrinking It Down
March 27, 2019
Discipline and Punishment – Shrinking It Down
Listen wherever you get your podcasts – just search for “Shrinking It Down.” Punishment. It’s not the most fun part of the job, but parents know they have a responsibility to discipline their kids when they do something that’s not right – stealing, hitting, staying out past curfew. But how do you make the punishment […]
Admissions Scandal, College Pressure, and Mental Health
March 20, 2019
Admissions Scandal, College Pressure, and Mental Health
You can also listen to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and most podcast apps – just search for “Shrinking It Down.” On today’s show, Dr. Ellen Braaten joins Gene and Steve to think deeper about our American culture that’s contributed to issues like the recent college admissions scandal, as well as less extreme (and less fraudulent) […]
Cannabis and the Teen Brain
March 7, 2019
Cannabis and the Teen Brain
You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and most podcast apps – just search for “Shrinking It Down”. Welcome to today’s “pot-cast”! Marijuana is on everyone’s mind, especially the parents of tweens and teens, as it becomes legal in more states – not just for medicinal use, but for recreation. We’ve learned from […]
Oscars Special – Shrinking It Down
February 22, 2019
Oscars Special – Shrinking It Down
You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and most podcast apps – just search for “Shrinking It Down”. Why on earth are two child psychiatrists talking about the 2019 Academy Awards? It’s not just for fun, even though it’s fun, too. But, rather, because there is so much in this year’s nominated films […]
Surviving Tantrums With Toddlers – Shrinking It Down
February 15, 2019
Surviving Tantrums With Toddlers – Shrinking It Down
You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and most podcast apps. Almost every parent has been there. Whether your child is age two or twenty-two, we’re all familiar with the “T” word. Out-of-control meltdowns on the way to school, embarrassing moments in the supermarket. Tantrums can feel like a nightmare. But understanding what’s […]
Sex and the Teenage Brain – Shrinking It Down
February 7, 2019
Sex and the Teenage Brain – Shrinking It Down
You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and most podcast apps. Sex. Is there anything else in the teenage brain? It’s a wonder they make it through school once puberty hits! We’ll be honest, we didn’t know what direction this conversation would take (yikes), but it turned out a great example of how […]
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, featuring Susan Sprich, PhD – Shrinking It Down
January 23, 2019
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, featuring Susan Sprich, PhD – Shrinking It Down
You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and most podcast apps. Did you know that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most evidence-based psychosocial treatments we have for mental health issues? Today, its use goes beyond treatment for anxiety disorders and depression to application for a wide range of challenges including psychosis, body […]
New Year’s Evolution – Shrinking It Down
January 9, 2019
New Year’s Evolution – Shrinking It Down
You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, SoundCloud, and most podcast apps. What’s the difference between a “resolution” and an “evolution”? In the context of New Year’s, even though they begin with the best intentions, resolutions often come with a lot of pressure to follow through. But an evolution allows you to grow and […]
Newsletter
Subscribe Today
Your monthly dose of the latest mental health tips and advice from the expert team at The Clay Center.
Multimedia
Quick Jumps
News & Events
Grade School
Teenagers
Young Adults
FamiliesTag Cloud
-
addiction
ADHD
adolescents
anorexia
anxiety
ASD
autism
behavior
bullying
child development
children
college
communication
depression
digital media
dyslexia
eating disorder
evaluation
family
fear
healthy development
holidays
learning
learning disability
media
mental health
mental illness
parenting
parents
Podcast
PTSD
relationships
resilience
school
social media
stigma
stress
substance abuse
suicide
technology
teenagers
teens
trauma
treatment
violence
