Further Support for Teens
Trust me—I know a podcast can only do so much. My recovery took years of intensive work, residential treatment, and an amazing team of clinicians. So below I’ve currated some Sadie-approved resources and treatment programs for teens and parents looking for mental health support.
01.
Residential Treatment
3East at McLean Hospital is the residential program I attended for 14 weeks during my freshman year of high school when I was severely struggling with depression and anxiety. They specialize in DBT and are the most amazing, highly qualified group of individuals I’ve encountered. If you’re looking for intensive treatment, I can’t recommend this program highly enough!
02.
Online Therapy
Teen Counseling (part of BetterHelp) is an amazing resource for anyone looking to start therapy without the stress of meeting in person and committing to long-term treatment. For this reason, I partnered with them on the pod! When looking for a therapist, I highly recommend finding a psychologist, with CBT or DBT training. Don’t worry they have a bunch of these on Teen Counseling. disclaimer: this is an affiliate link and I may receive compensation if you use my link*
03.
Curated Content
By far the most frequent question I get is what are my book, TV show, movie, and podcast recommendations for teens struggling—often it’s parents asking on behalf of their child. For this very reason, I’ve done my best to curate a high-quality list of content that emphasizes persistence and growth and is accessible to teens
For Listening
Recovering From Reality with Alexis Haines: Alexis Haines hosts the raw and resonant podcast Recovering from Reality, a platform for people who would rather wake the fuck up rather than have more “fun problems”. Inspired by her public journey from reality TV sensation and heroin addiction to sobriety, motherhood, and wellness, Alexis is living proof that you can heal yourself - and that hot and woke aren’t mutually exclusive.
Where do I begin? The most real, honest, and authentic podcast you’ll ever listen to. Alexis strips away the stigmas, misconceptions, and societal norms associated with mental health, addiction, and recovery. Each episode provides unparalleled value, vulnerable discussions, and inspiring stories.
Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris: On this show, Dan talks with eminent meditation teachers, top scientists, and even the odd celebrity. Guests include everyone from His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Brené Brown to Karamo from Queer Eye. On some episodes, Dan ventures into the deep end of the pool, covering subjects such as enlightenment and psychedelics. On other episodes, it’s science-based techniques for issues such as anxiety, productivity, and relationships. Dan's approach is seemingly modest but secretly radical: happiness is a skill you can train, just like working your bicep in the gym. Your progress may be incremental at first, but like any good investment, it compounds over time. (via Apple Podcasts)
200+ episodes of education, inspirational, and high-quality episodes centering on mental health and psychology. Harris brings on highly educated and specialized guests offering unique perspectives and in-depth interviews. Less-laughs, more educational but an amazing podcast to listen to if you’re looking to uplevel your life.
Unlocking Us with Brené Brown: Join researcher and #1 New York Times best-selling author Brené Brown as she unpacks and explores the ideas, stories, experiences, books, films, and music that reflect the universal experiences of being human, from the bravest moments to the most brokenhearted.
The Queen herself—Brené Brown! If you’re there’s one podcast you should be listening to broaden your mental health horizons, it’s this one. If you’re not familiar with her work, Brené is known for her vulnerability and shame research. This podcast offers her unparalleled perspective and phenomenal interviews with insane guests!
The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman: Hello and welcome to The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman, where we explore the depths of human potential. In each episode, we will talk with inspiring and thought-provoking guests who will stimulate your mind, and give you a greater understanding of yourself, others, and the world we live in. Hopefully, we’ll also get a glimpse into human possibility! Thanks for listening and enjoy the podcast.
Your go-to-podcast for all things psychology. A more serious, newslike listen but offering great value in every episode. Add this to your weekly loop to uplevel your psych knowledge!
Tiny Leaps, Big Changes: A personal development podcast focused on exploring the day-to-day behaviors we all engage in that determine the results we gain in our lives. Hosted by Gregg Clunis, the show shares simple strategies you can implement into your life to start moving the needle towards your biggest goals.
Bite-sized episodes under 15 minutes educating you on how you can improve your mental health and uplevel your life. Episodes are released almost daily so this show is perfect addition to your morning routine!
Okay Sis: Okay Sis is a weekly podcast hosted by two sisters, Scout and Mady. Each week, they chat about their current fixations and invite a rad, female guest to join in on the sisterly banter. In the spirit of sororal energy, Scout and Mady touch upon everything and anything - self care, pop culture, business, mental health, books, lifestyle, personal development, skin care - and open up about their lives in a way that is both raw and silly.
A past She Persisted guest—Scout Sobel—is extremely open with her mental health, chronicling her journey with Bipolar. Her hilarious banter with Madi makes this show such a fun listen. She also has a solo podcast called Scout, more focused on mental health!
For Reading
Brain Lock: In Brain Lock, Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., presents a simple four-step method for overcoming OCD that is so effective, it's now used in academic treatment centers throughout the world. Proven by brain-imaging tests to actually alter the brain's chemistry, this method doesn't rely on psychopharmaceuticals. Instead, patients use cognitive self-therapy and behavior modification to develop new patterns of response to their obsessions. In essence, they use the mind to fix the brain.
This book was so helpful in my OCD journey and gives a step-by-step approach to combatting both obsessions and compulsions.
Untamed by Glennon Doyle: In her most revealing and powerful memoir yet, the activist, speaker, bestselling author, and “patron saint of female empowerment” (People) explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet others’ expectations and start trusting the voice deep within us.
One of the best books I’ve read! Glennon’s perspective on addiction, eating disorders, sexuality, parenting, and more is authentic, vulnerable, and raw. Her thoughts are beautifully depicted and this is such an interesting read!
Lost Connections by Johann Hari: The New York Times bestseller from the author of Chasing the Scream, offering a radical new way of thinking about depression and anxiety.
A groundbreaking perspective on why individuals experience depression and anxiety and how to combat these challenges.
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown: Daring Greatly is not about winning or losing. It’s about courage. In a world where “never enough” dominates and feeling afraid has become second nature, vulnerability is subversive. Uncomfortable. It’s even a little dangerous at times. And, without question, putting ourselves out there means there’s a far greater risk of getting criticized or feeling hurt. But when we step back and examine our lives, we will find that nothing is as uncomfortable, dangerous, and hurtful as standing on the outside of our lives looking in and wondering what it would be like if we had the courage to step into the arena - whether it’s a new relationship, an important meeting, the creative process, or a difficult family conversation. Daring Greatly is a practice and a powerful new vision for letting ourselves be seen.
You can’t go wrong Brené Brown but this one is truly one of my faves and a great place to start diving into her work!
A Fearless Heart by Thupten Jinpa, PhD: The Buddhist practice of mindfulness first caught on in the West when we began to understand its many practical benefits. Now Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D., introduces a practice with even greater life-changing power: compassion. Based on the revolutionary course in Compassion Cultivation Training at Stanford that Jinpa helped to create, A Fearless Heart shows us that compassion can be a path through suffering, a key to robust health, and even an effective way to reach our goals.
One of my favorite books from my time in treatment, all about using compassion to improve your mental health. Dr. Jinpa pulls from his unique experiences practicing Buddhist mindfulness to create a simplistic approach to practicing compassion.
DBT Skills Training Manual by Marsha M. Linehan: From Marsha M. Linehan--the developer of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)--this comprehensive resource provides vital tools for implementing DBT skills training. The reproducible teaching notes, handouts, and worksheets used for over two decades by hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been significantly revised and expanded to reflect important research and clinical advances. The book gives complete instructions for orienting clients to DBT, plus teaching notes for the full range of mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance skills.
THE Original DBT Manual for Adolescents and a great workbook for learning your DBT skills!
DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets by Marsha M. Linehan: Featuring more than 225 user-friendly handouts and worksheets, this is an essential resource for clients learning dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills, and those who treat them. All of the handouts and worksheets discussed in Marsha M. Linehan's DBT® Skills Training Manual, Second Edition, are provided, together with brief introductions to each module written expressly for clients. Originally developed to treat borderline personality disorder, DBT has been demonstrated effective in the treatment of a wide range of psychological and emotional problems. No single skills training program will include all of the handouts and worksheets in this book; clients get quick, easy access to the tools recommended to meet their particular needs.
DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents by Jill H. Rathus and Alec L. Miller: From leading experts who have trained thousands of professionals in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), this manual provides indispensable tools for treating adolescents with emotional or behavioral problems of any level of severity. Clinicians are guided step by step to teach teens and parents five sets of skills: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Walking the Middle Path (a family-based module developed by the authors specifically for teens), Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
THE DBT Manual for Adolescents and a great workbook for learning your DBT skills!
More Resources
For a comprehensive list of digital resources for depression, anxiety, DBT, evidence-based practices, mindfulness, meditation, parenting, and more compiled by a psychologist, follow the link below!