August 20, 2018

By Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Parents are the true experts when it comes to knowing their children, and often the first to notice any changes in their kids’ behavior:

Colin was a happy youngster. He had friends, did well in school, and got along with his siblings and parents at home. But in recent months, mom noticed that Colin seemed more distant.

June 25, 2018

By Ellen Braaten, Co-Director

“You don’t understand, Mom!” I said.  “They were making fun of him! They were imitating his speech and laughing!”

My mom shrugged.  It would take more than a couple of small-town high school punks to get her attention.

June 14, 2018

By Sara Rattigan, Comm. Director

You can also listen to this podcast on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and iTunes. 

***

Did you know that Dr. Ellen Braaten has a mild form of dyslexia and had to work really hard at reading when she was a child? Did you know that Dr. Gene Beresin has always struggled with math?

We all have challenges. We all have differences.

April 18, 2018

By Shahd Husein, Editorial Assistant

You can also listen to this podcast on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and iTunes. 

***

Is creativity important for human relationships? We don’t just think so, we know it! Think about it, yourself: What does it mean when you watch a movie with family or create music with friends?

On this episode of Shrinking It Down, Dr.

February 22, 2018

By Sara Rattigan, Comm. Director

According to the Urban Dictionary, a family is “a group of people…who genuinely love, trust, care about, and look out for each other… REAL family is a bondage that cannot be broken by any means.

February 7, 2018

By Shahd Husein, Editorial Assistant

You can also listen to this podcast on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and iTunes. 

***

While relationships with family, friends, and even pets can be challenging, learning how to balance our needs with the needs of others can lead to meaningful, loving relationships.

Dr. Gene Beresin and Dr. Steve Schlozman are joined by Dr.

December 13, 2017

By Sara Rattigan, Comm. Director

You can also listen to this podcast on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and iTunes. 

***

Differing viewpoints, feelings of frustration. We’re all constantly on edge today, and families can be home to a wide range of beliefs, which only adds stress to “together” time.

November 21, 2017

By Anne K. Fishel, Ph.D.

The expression, ‘talking turkey,’ has two opposite original meanings—to speak pleasantly around the dinner table, or to skip the niceties, and get right to what’s important.  It is, of course, this second meaning that persists in everyday conversation, as when we say, “Let’s talk turkey about why you don’t eat your vegetables.

October 13, 2017

By Steven Schlozman, Co-Director and Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Increasing public awareness of suicide is not an easy task. To truly grapple with the issue, we have to face some difficult and painful feelings. For these reasons, when we at the Clay Center collaborated to tell the true story of a young sophomore at Harvard named Luke, who tragically took his own life, we decided to turn to film.

June 29, 2017

By Steven Schlozman, Co-Director

Summer vacation might not seem like the most likely topic for a blog that focuses on demystifying psychiatric challenges in kids. Sure, we write about families, children, and parenting, but what in the world could we have to say about that blessed time off that is integral in American tradition?

We might start by asking where it went.