Good Enough Shrink
Hello there, welcome to the Good Enough Shrink podcast! We are your hosts, Dr. Jenna Cheng and Dr. Patrick Kelly. We are child, adolescent and adult psychiatrists practicing in the Los Angeles Area.
We are on a mission to demystify child psychiatry, and have conversations surrounding difficult topics on youth and adult mental health. But not without a bit of play along the way!
The title of this podcast is a tribute to the famous child psychiatrist, Donald Winnicott, and his concept of the "Good Enough Parent.” This is the idea that the imperfect but sufficient provisions of a parent build the child's resilience in an imperfect world. We want to empower children and parents to embrace their strengths and flaws, and know that you are good enough.
Importantly, we want to emphasize the power of holding difficult emotions from the lens of attachment theory. Attachment theory is based on the idea that humans need a social bond with another to survive. This bond, when it is “good enough”, serves as a secure base from which a child can explore the world unafraid. Your attachment experience from childhood is malleable and can influence the way you approach relationships in adulthood, serving as its own motivational system. When this attachment is disrupted, it can lead to emotional issues and sometimes full-blown psychiatric disorders. This is where psychiatrists and therapists come in.
This podcast is for the curious adults, parents, family members, mental health professionals and trainees. So we hope you join us in this adventure to explore mental health from a developmental perspective. Small wins can have big impacts, and you are not doomed if you had adversity in your childhood. Your feelings belong to you, and you can own them to propel you toward enlivening your life.
Good Enough Shrink
School Anxiety, Avoidance and Refusal - What's Behind It and What to Do About It
School is back in full swing, and so is everyone's anxiety! We discuss the challenges kids, teens and parents face as they reintegrate back to school after the summer break. We delve into the various reasons for school avoidance and refusal, which are critical in understanding what is actually behind it. We conclude with a discussion on what to do about it -- mainly the importance of early preparation, open communication, accessing school resources, and when necessary, use of therapy and medications for depression and anxiety in children and adolescents.
Resource Links:
- AACAP Facts for Families on Schools: https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Centers/Schools_Resource_Center/Home.aspx
- Do's and Don'ts of School Avoidance: https://schoolavoidance.org/advice-from-a-fellow-school-refusal-parent-on-how-to-help-them-get-back-to-school/
- IEP Request Template Letter: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/publications/template-letter-for-a-request-for-assessment
Have questions for us, or feedback about our podcast? Send us a message!
