Byte-Sized Brain

We have Dr. Joyce Goins-Fernandez and Dr. Nicole Del Castillo exploring the topic of mental health disparities and some helpful resources for families.

Dr. Kevo Rivera again joins us to examine some ways that families can explore culture with their kids, culture and mental health, and the importance of addressing stigma and asserting healthy boundaries.

Dr. Kevo Rivera joins us for a discussion about culture. Culture is such a vital part of identity in terms of how we frame ourselves in relation to the world around us. We will talk about the basics of what culture means, challenges people face when they enter a new culture different from their own, and how having awareness of your cultural identity can be protective.

Systemic racism is not an easy topic to talk about but it is woven into our history.

ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and it’s been around since 1982, but talked about more in the last 10-15 years. Research shows that ACT is similar in effectiveness to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT has often been the go-to therapy used to treat things like depression and anxiety.

Exposure therapy is an excellent treatment for anxiety. Exposure therapy helps us to approach our fears so that we can overcome them.

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. In the therapy, eye movement is used to reduce sensitivity to a traumatic memory and to allow for the person to reprocess the memory. It is used to treat trauma related disorders. Some have used EMDR for other mental health issues, but current research has only supported its use in disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). There is some evidence that it may help in anxiety-based disorders.

Today, we are going to give you a basic introduction to therapy for children. We'll try to address some of the most common questions that we get from parents about their child’s therapy in the clinic. In the following episodes, we will address different types of therapy that have been studied in children and teens.

PCIT is a form of therapy for both a parent and a child together. This makes it different from individual therapy with children and from group therapy with parents or children. PCIT is designed for young children, usually up to the age of 8 years, with behavioral problems.

Today we continue learning about psychotherapy by talking about family therapy. We are interviewing Maggie Moore, a therapist who works with employees at the University.