My child used to bring home A's - why are they suddenly getting C's?" It's one of the questions Binny hears most from parents. In this episode, she traces the story of a girl named Yogi - full of life, multi-potentialed, thriving -and what happened to her motivation once she hit adolescence. Binny breaks down the biological, neurological, social, and academic shifts that quietly chip away at a child's drive between ages 10 and 14, and shares a seven-factor checklist to help you understand what your own child might be carrying. She closes with BEYOND GRADES, a six-part framework - Belief, Emotional presence, Your child's individual journey, Ownership over academics, Nature and necessary boredom, Dialogue and honesty - built to help parents move past grades and rebuild the connection that motivation actually depends on. A report card can tell you how a child performed. It can never tell you who they are.

In this episode of The Safe Space with Binny, licensed psychologist Binny Brahmbhatt Sharma sits down with three young adults — Maiara, 18, Joy, 21, and Dr. Stavan, 28 — each representing a different stage of the teenage-to-young-adult journey, for an honest, unscripted conversation about alcohol and the partying culture surrounding it.

This isn't a conversation about convincing anyone of anything. It's an exploration of the stories behind why teenagers drink, what "let's party" really means across different friend groups and generations, and the quiet ways parents and trusted adults shape that first relationship with alcohol — often without meaning to. From O-level coast trips to open bar culture at family parties, the three guests trace their own journeys with alcohol. 

Research & References:

This episode draws on adolescent brain research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, longitudinal findings from Harvard Health Publishing on how alcohol affects the brain before and after the teen years, and cancer risk data from the National Cancer Institute. Insights on how alcohol moves through the body are referenced from American Addiction Centers.

🔗 DIRECT SOURCES

NIAAA — Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/alcohol-and-adolescent-brain

NIAAA — Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder

Harvard Health Publishing: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/alcohol-harms-the-brain-in-teen-years-before-and-after-that-too-2021011521758

National Cancer Institute — Alcohol Fact Sheet: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet

American Addiction Centers — How Long Alcohol Stays in Your System: https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcohol/how-long-in-system

In this deeply honest episode of The Safe Space with Binny, licensed clinical psychologist Binny Brahmbhatt Sharma unpacks one of the most uncomfortable truths facing parents today — that our education system may be producing stress, not success. Drawing on nearly a decade of work with adolescents, Binny explores why teens are statistically more stressed than adults, what's really behind dropping grades (hint: it's rarely about the child), and how shifting from a performance mindset to a curiosity-led one can transform your child's relationship with learning.

From the neuroscience of the teenage brain to the quiet damage of grade comparisons and Facebook announcements, this episode is a compassionate reset for every parent navigating exam season. You'll leave with a clearer understanding of what exams are actually for — and why your belief in your child might be the most powerful study tool they have.

🔗 Take the VARK Learning Styles Quiz mentioned in this episode to discover how your child learns best: vark-learn.com

In this April episode of The Safe Space with Binny, Binny steps into one of the most avoided conversations in parenting — teen obesity. Not as a health expert, but as a licensed psychologist who has sat with teenagers and parents for nearly a decade and witnessed the silence, shame, and suffering this topic quietly carries.

What if obesity in adolescents isn’t just about food — but about emotions, environment, and the unseen inner world of a child?

Listen together. Share it forward. Welcome to The Safe Space.

Research & References:

This episode draws on global data from UNICEF and World Health Organization, along with adolescent health insights from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Indian adolescent trends are referenced from studies available via National Center for Biotechnology Information and BMC Nutrition.

The psychological perspective is inspired by conversations with Erica Komisar on The Diary of a CEO.

This episode integrates both global data and psychological perspectives on adolescent wellbeing.

⸻

🔗 DIRECT SOURCES

•⁠ ⁠UNICEF (2025): https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/obesity-exceeds-underweight-first-time-among-school-age-children-and-adolescents

•⁠ ⁠WHO (2024): https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight

•⁠ ⁠OECD (2025): https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2025/11/health-at-a-glance-2025_a894f72e/full-report/overweight-and-obesity-among-adolescents_14864531.html

•⁠ ⁠NCBI Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367012/

•⁠ ⁠BMC Nutrition (2025): https://bmcnutr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40795-025-01088-0

•⁠ ⁠The Diary of a CEO: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDiaryOfACEO

What if the way we treat other women is quietly shaping the way we feel about ourselves?

In this March episode of The Safe Space with Binny, Binny turns the lens inward — not with judgment, but with honesty. Tied to International Women's Day, this episode explores the unconscious behaviours women have inherited: comparison, guilt-tripping, gossip, unsolicited advice, and more. Drawing from Social Comparison Theory, personal stories, and her work as a mental strength coach, Binny unpacks nine things women must stop doing to each other — and why breaking these patterns may be one of the most radical acts of self-love.

This is not a blame conversation. It's a coming-home one.

Take the challenge. Pass it on. Welcome to The Safe Space.

What if love wasn’t about intensity, pressure, or performance—but about ease, humour, and feeling at home?

In this February episode of The Safe Space with Binny, Binny reflects on love through lived experience, psychology, and 25 years of partnership. From falling in love at 16 to navigating long-term commitment, self-work, doubt, growth, and acceptance—this episode unpacks what love truly is… and what it is not.

Episode 1 · The Safe Space with Binny

A new year doesn’t need a new version of you — it needs a more supported one.

In this first episode of The Safe Space with Binny, we’re setting the tone for 2026 with a gentle, practical toolkit you can return to throughout the year. No rigid resolutions. No pressure to “fix” yourself. Just grounded practices that help you feel more present, regulated, and aligned — in your body, your relationships, and your everyday life.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, soften, and start the year from a place of self-trust.

Take what you need. Leave the rest.
Welcome to The Safe Space.