Opinion: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Is Helping Young People Find Purpose During the Pandemic
written by Vidya Krishnan, Chief Psychiatrist and Medical Director, Children’s Health Council
During my nearly 15 years as an adolescent psychiatrist, I have worked with hundreds of young people and their families seeking a path to mental health through problem-solving, relationship and communication tools—and when appropriate—medication. But, until last year, I had not seen hopelessness so prevalent in young people. Read more ›
They are the people you love most in the world, but living 24/7 under one roof with your family is stressful and tension filled. Even small things that never bothered you are major irritants now. And now you have the added tension of re-entry – with different family members having different ideas about what that should look like. How do you as a parent navigate all of this and support your family? 
My name is Ramsey Habib Khasho. I still wince when I say my middle name. (Sorry, Dad). The name harbors years of discrimination against me and my family, and the ensuing internalized shame. And then there’s the shame of feeling the shame, even after all this time. 
Research indicates that self-compassion is associated with greater emotional resilience, higher self-confidence, more caring behavior, and less reactive anger.
We are excited about the possibility of our kids returning to school, yet understandably concerned about what that re-entry looks like. In this live Ask an Expert session, we are having a conversation with 
COVID has left us sheltered-in-place, second-guessing every decision, cut off from friends and family, with plans completely out of our control for nearly a year. We’re exhausted, anxious, depressed, lonely and exasperated. Our kids slump over their screens while teachers bend over backwards to keep them educated and engaged. Our weekend calendars stare back at us, blankly. But now there is hope. As vaccines make their way into the world, we can start to imagine a life beyond our 6-foot radius. 
“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.”
