Good Enough Shrink
We are child psychiatrists practicing in the Los Angeles area on a mission to demystify psychiatry and mental health. The title of this podcast is a tribute to the psychoanalyst, Donald Winnicott, and his concept of the "Good Enough Parent.” This is the idea that the imperfect but sufficient provisions of a parent will build a resilient child in an imperfect world. We want to empower children and parents to embrace their strengths and flaws, and know that you are good enough.
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. When this attachment is disrupted, it can lead to emotional issues, and sometimes full-blown psychiatric disorders. This is where therapists and psychiatrists 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 science and mental health from a developmental perspective.
Good Enough Shrink
What a Shock! - How ECT Can Be Lifesaving, with Dr. Michael Couse
In this episode, we invite our good friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Couse, to discuss a recent paper that he and Dr. Kelly published in the academic journal, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The paper discusses the highly complicated (and often avoided) topic of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for youths with serious mental illness, especially in California. There are many fears and myths surrounding ECT, and we hope to share this story with you to bring to light how lifesaving this procedure can be.
Topics Discussed:
- Case presentation of a 15 year-old boy diagnosed with catatonia
- Obtaining substitute consent for a child who is catatonic
- Issues with California laws on ECT
- Requirements for obtaining ECT treatment for youths in California
- The stigma of ECT preventing access to care
- The psychiatrist's role in educating ourselves and in advocacy
Of note, full consent to discuss this case was obtained from the patient and the patient's family prior to publication of the case.
Reference:
Couse, M., Makhinson, M., & Kelly, P. (2024). Regulatory and Service System Challenges in Accessing Electroconvulsive Therapy for Catatonia in the Presence of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 63(3), 293–295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2023.09.540 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37778726/
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