You are listening to another episode of The Colleague Down the Hall podcast.  I'm excited to be joined by Mallory Grimste who specializes in helping teenagers face some of the toughest challenges, including self-harm, feeling lost, battling anxiety, and navigating depression. In this episode, we explore practical, evidence-based coping skills for teens and young adults dealing with self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety. Mallory shares her approach, which includes working closely with parents and leveraging tools like dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and the Coping Ahead Plan. We'll also discuss the importance of clear communication, privacy, and confidentiality in therapy, as well as self-care strategies for both clients and therapists. 

Listen in as we delve into some foundational aspects of mental health therapy and practical tips for working with high-risk populations. You won't want to miss it!

 

“I have a tool that I created called the Coping Ahead Plan, where it literally walks through these potential stressors, or known stressors, but I know could set off something that's problematic for me. If you've got an exam coming up, I think everybody could agree exams, even if you're an “A” star student, they're stressful. So coming up with coping strategies or coping skills that can apply to that situation, and then identifying safe, responsible adults that you can reach out to support, and I'm very clear that it should be a safe, responsible adult, not another teenager, because we never know what our friends are going through, and we don't always know at the time, or all the resources and strategies that could be available to us. It's not that they can't be helpful, but if you're in a crisis, then you're going to want to go to again, a safe, responsible adult, not just anybody.”- Mallory Grimste

 

Key takeaways from this context:

***Understanding the Signs: We discussed how to recognize early warning signs of mental health struggles in teenagers, including changes in behavior, mood, and social interactions.

***Building Trust and Rapport: Mallory shared techniques on how to establish trust and a strong therapeutic rapport with teenagers, which is crucial for effective therapy.

***Evidence-Based Approaches: We explored several evidence-based therapeutic approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which are effective in treating anxiety and depression in teenagers.

***Parental Involvement: The importance of involving parents or guardians in the therapy process was emphasized, including strategies for effective communication and support at home.

***Coping Skills and Strategies: Practical coping skills and strategies were provided to help teenagers manage their anxiety and depressive symptoms in their daily lives.

 

About the Guest:

Mallory Grimste, LCSW sees teens and young adults in Connecticut. She's a mental health therapist, and her superhero cape is tailored to helping teenagers dealing with some of the toughest challenges—think self-harm, feeling lost, battling those anxious thoughts, and navigating the shadowy valleys of depression. And she believes that the secret sauce is as simple as learning effective coping skills.

 

Connect with Mallory:

Website: https://www.mallorygrimste.com

YouTube: mallorygrimste.com/youtube

Instagram: @mallorygrimste

 

How to Handle Consistent Suicidal Thoughts using a Coping Ahead Plan https://youtu.be/So-c6mpg_Ic

 

4 ways you can help friends who cut (+ get them help) https://youtu.be/7LRBvFdTOUQ

 

Connect with Jeanene:

*Get your free Four Keys to Private Practice Peace of Mind workbook: https://collaboasis.com/4keysworkbook

*Learn more about clinical consultation groups: https://collaboasis.com/

*Join my free therapist Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/oasispcgt

*Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeanene-wolfe-lcsw-64042220a/