This episode features a powerful and timely conversation on trauma and resilience—a topic I know is weighing heavily on parents’ minds as this pandemic continues to stretch on and we wonder more and more are the kids going to be okay?
To bring some perspective and nuance to this topic, I’ve invited Dr. Aliza Pressman to the podcast. Aliza is a developmental psychologist, parent educator, asst. clinical professor, the co-founder of Mount Sinai Parenting Center, and is also the host of the popular Raising Good Humans podcast. In addition to her PhD in developmental psychology, Aliza also received a Masters in risk, resilience, and prevention. In short, I can’t think of a better guide for this topic.
In our conversation, Aliza shares helpful ways to think about trauma and resilience, especially related to children’s experiences during this pandemic, and offers advice and research on the best inoculations, if you will, to protect our children from chronic stress responses and to aid the process of developing resiliency.
About Dr. Pressman: Aliza Pressman is the Co-Founding Director and Director of Clinical Programming for the Mount Sinai Parenting Center, as well as an Assistant Clinical Professor for the Department of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Pressman, PhD received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and MA in Risk, Resilience and Prevention from the Department of Human Development at Teacher’s College and her PhD in developmental psychology from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. She was a research fellow at The National Center for Children and Families.
Dr. Pressman is certified in parent management training from the Yale Parenting Center. Dr. Pressman is also the co-founder of the SeedlingsGroup, a New York City and Los Angeles parent education group that uses evidence-based research and information to educate and guide families about their developing children. In addition to her clinical work, Dr.Pressman is known for her podcast, Raising Good Humans, a podcast for parents with a goal of helping to make the journey of being a parent less overwhelming and a little more joyful! Please join Dr. Pressman every Friday for new episodes of Raising Good Humans.
THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
- The definition of trauma and how it relates to what children are experiencing during the Covid-19 pandemic
- An overview of different types of trauma and the body’s response to them
- What symptoms indicate a trauma response and which factors contribute to chronic stress responses
- What is the most important thing parents can do to protect their children from trauma
- Why resilience is a process, not a trait
- How can parents help their children grow into resiliency
- Ways to avoid passing your pandemic anxiety on to your kids
- What to expect as we begin to ease out of the pandemic
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
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