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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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

Today we have Dr. Erin Olufs with us.  She is a clinical assistant professor in the department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. We are excited to have her thoughts regarding social development.

Dr. Todd Kopelman joins us to discuss social communication and development in kids. He is a Board-Certified Analyst and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. He obtained a Bachelors degree in psychology from Grinnell College then went on to obtain a Masters degree in Social Work and a PhD in Psychology, both at the University of Iowa. 

Sometimes we get so focused on what to do after bad behavior happens that we forget about what we can do before it happens: that is; what we can do to make it more likely that a child will be able to tell others what they need without acting out, and also to follow directions when they need to. Today Kelly Pelzel, PhD, will be talking about three things that you can use to stack the deck in your favor -- and in your child’s favor -- when it comes to your child’s behavior.  The three things she will talk about are: using child-led play, setting things up so it’s easier for your child to do what they are told, and giving directions effectively.

If you have tried everything to get to sleep, but nothing is working, you may have to sign up for a sleep study.After you have listened to this episode, please take our survey.

Hi everyone, I’m Dr. Greenfield, one the child psychiatry doctors here at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and today I have the pleasure of having Yoda in my clinic. Despite being a Jedi master and one of the most powerful members of the Jedi order, poor Yoda is having some trouble sleeping. Another word for trouble sleeping is insomnia. 

 The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have guidelines about the daily sleep needs of children within a given age group. Sleep varies from child-to-child, but there is an acceptable range needed for each stage of development.

This is Dr. Christensen. I have Brittany with me. 3 months ago, it was hard for her to fall asleep and she would wake up at least 2 times per night. We started  by having Brittany take melatonin, an over the counter sleep medicine, at night while she worked on improving her bedtime routine along with the basics of sleep hygiene. Brittany chose to focus on maintaining a consistent bedtime schedule. Let’s see how Brittany is sleeping now.

To be honest, we all have likely been guilty of some of these at least once. And to compile this list all I had to do was take a stroll down memory lane and recall all of the things I did over the years. Unintentionally or because, I thought “just this one time won’t hurt.” But who are we really hurting when we don’t get enough sleep?

We never have enough time during our appointments to talk about everything.  We wanted to give our patients' families some resources for common questions.  Our dream is that you will listen to this perhaps in the waiting room or in the car.  We’re aiming for episodes lasting about 5 minutes each, but we’ll see. Our first topic is sleep and sleep hygiene!Before you listen, please take our survey!