In Quick Takes, experts offer strategies for talking with kids about a variety of stresses they face growing up — from day-to-day personal challenges to global crises.
Quick Takes
Building Resilience a Day at a Time
Dr. Paula K. Rauch, Mass General Hospital, on simple, daily practices to build resilience. Watch: 4 minutes. Read transcript.
How Children Carry Memories Forward
Ruth, 105, on her father's death from the Spanish Flu. Dr. Paula K. Rauch and Dr. Archana Basu, from Mass General Hospital discuss how trauma is carried forward. Watch 5 minutes. Read transcript.
The War in Ukraine: Talking with Kids
Dr. Paula K. Rauch, Mass General Hospital, offers proven strategies for talking with kids about global crises. Watch 10 minutes. Read transcript.
Ongoing Conversations Build Resilience
Dr. Paula K. Rauch, Mass General Hospital, on why it's important to help kids continue to talk about their pandemic experiences. Watch 9 minutes. Read transcript.
Why the Ability to Listen is a Superpower Part II
Dr. Leslie Klein Garvin, Director of Counseling/Middle School Counselor at the National Cathedral School in Wash., DC describes the power of listening. Watch 3.5 minutes. Read transcript.
Why the Ability to Listen is a Superpower Part I
Dr. Leslie Klein Garvin, Director of Counseling/Middle School Counselor at the National Cathedral School in Wash., DC, Dr. Kerry Ressler, McLean Hospital, and Kercine Elie, mom of three, on the power of listening. Watch 4 minutes. Read transcript.
Preparing Kids for Transitions Ahead
Dr. J.J. Jenkins, Mass General Hospital, and Alicia Mezzoni, teacher from Dracut, MA preparing kids for uncertainty. Watch: 3 minutes. Read transcript.
Reflections on Depression
Former WNBA star Chamique Holdsclaw on her experience with depression. She and Jeanne Blake reflect on their 2007 interview for the Words Can Work video Depression: True Stories. Watch: 7 minutes. Read transcript. Additional Resources
The Delta Variant: Talking with Kids
Dr. Paula K. Rauch, Mass General Hospital, and 14-year-old Megan on building kids' resilience. Watch: 6 minutes. Read transcript.
A Congressman's Story About Mental Health
U.S. Congressman Seth Moulton shares candidly about his mental health and 988 - the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Watch 18 minutes. Read transcript.
Back to School: A Focus on Mental Health
Ben Handrich, School Counselor, and Chris Moore, School Psychologist and K-12 Social-Emotional Health Coordinator, in Salem, Oregon, share concerns and hopes for the school year. Watch: 13 minutes. Read transcript.
Talking About Your Family's Safety Rules
Dr. Paula K. Rauch, Mass General Hospital, on how families can discuss safety rules. Watch: 3.5 minutes. Read transcript.
Kids, Mental Health and Marijuana
Dr. Kevin Hill, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Assoc. Professor, Harvard Medical School, on how to talk with kids about marijuana.
Watch: 5 minutes. Read transcript. Additional Resources
Trauma or Hard Time?
Dr. Paula K. Rauch, Mass General Hospital, on the difference between trauma and having a hard time. Read transcript.
Letter from an Anxious 12-Year-Old
Dean and Gail Borgman respond to their granddaughter's anxiety about global crises, including climate change. Dean is a professor emeritus at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and founder of Center for Youth Studies. Gail is a retired social worker. Watch: 7 minutes. Read transcript.
From Opioid Addict to Respected Educator
Joel Levine’s alcohol and marijuana abuse in middle school led to opioid addiction. Now, he’s a teacher and Head baseball coach. He and Jeanne Blake reflect on his recovery and their 2006 interview for the Words Can Work video Drugs: True Stories. Watch: 7 minutes. Read transcript.
Drugs and the Brain
Dr. Howard Shaffer, Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School, and Dr. H. Westley Clark, former Director, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, SAMHSA discuss the science behind kids and substance abuse. Excerpted from the Words Can Work video Drugs: True Stories. Watch: 5 minutes. Read transcript.
Teens' Brains and Pandemic Stress
Dr. Ian Gotlib, Director, Stanford Neurodevelopment, Affect, and Psychopathology (SNAP) Laboratory, discusses his research showing physical changes in teens’ brains due to pandemic stress. Watch: 9 minutes. Read transcript. Additional Resources