Mental Health Lecture Series

Our Daughters, Our Future: An Educational Series Exploring Girls’ Mental Health and Wellness

In response to increasing rates of mental health challenges facing girls and young women in the Jewish community, Gateways is convening a series of experts to speak directly to parents and educators on how to identify early warning signs of girls’ mental health issues and share strategies to support girls who are struggling. All webinar presentations are free and require pre-registration.

This series is supported with generous funding from The Miriam Fund of CJP Boston. The Miriam Fund is a philanthropic community committed to creating an equitable world that expands opportunities for women and girls. However, individual webinars in the series touch upon the experiences of girls, boys, and non-binary individuals, and parents and educators of teens of all genders are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Videos of all webinars, as well as resources provided by our experts, can be found below.

Upcoming Webinar

Resources

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April: Self-Injury

Self-Injury: Understanding the Risks & Signs and Promoting Resilience

Self-injury can be a complex and frightening topic for those living and working with adolescents. This webinar gave parents and educators practical information on dispelling myths about and recognizing the signs of self-injurious behavior in young people, and provided strategies on how to have conversations with teens that decrease stigma. The session was led by psychologist Dr. Ashley Warhol, and featured a young speaker who shares her lived experience.

Our Speaker: Ashley Warhol, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Director of Clinical Services and Internship Training at Devereux Massachusetts & Rhode Island. Dr. Warhol specializes in treating youth with chronic mental health difficulties, specifically those who have experienced complex trauma and significant suicidal ideation and self-injurious behavior. Dr. Warhol provides training locally and nationally on best practices for working with LGBTQ youth, self-harm and risk management, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. In addition to her work at Devereux, Dr. Warhol teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at Becker College and Assumption University. Dr. Warhol also serves on the Board of APA’s Division 53 Special Interest Group for Acute, Inpatient, and Residential Services.

February: Eating Disorders

Identifying Eating Disorders and Promoting Resiliency

This webinar will gave parents and educators strategies to recognize the signs and symptoms of eating disorders and to support children and teens who exhibit them. Led by experienced psychologist and professor Dr. Allyson Cherkasky, and featuring a young woman who shared her experience living with an eating disorder, the presentation focused on how adults can help young people harness their power to maintain healthy relationships with their bodies and food.

Our Speaker: Dr. Allyson Cherkasky is a licensed psychologist and associate professor at William James College in Newton, MA. She is the director of the Health & Behavioral Medicine area of emphasis in the Counseling and Behavioral Health Department. Dr. Cherkasky completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Behavioral Medicine Program at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medicine School and has held staff psychologist positions in Women’s Heath at CHA, Newton-Wellesley Eating Disorders & Behavioral Medicine, and Medical Weight Loss at Beth Israel Lahey Health. She was the former clinical director at Walden Behavioral Care, has worked in private practice, consulted, and provided supervision over the past two decades. Her clinical and teaching interests are in women’s health, eating disorders, weight management, behavioral medicine, integrated behavioral health, and social determinants of health. In addition to teaching, Dr. Cherkasky thoroughly enjoys mentoring early career professionals.

December: Bullying

Creating a Culture of Dignity: Moving Beyond Bullying

Based on over twenty years of teaching and constant feedback from today’s generation of young people, Rosalind Wiseman’s presentation is a call for action to transform the way we understand young people and create communities where children can thrive. From young people’s friendships, bullying, anxiety, social media use, conflicts with friends and family, and the constant pressure to “keep up,” she shares how we can best connect with young people; especially now when they need us most. She gives concrete advice for us so we, in turn, can guide the young people in our care while avoiding the common communication breakdowns and power struggles that often occur between young people and adults.

October: Anxiety and Depression

Striving to Raise Resilient Teens in these Uncertain Times: Strategies to Manage Anxiety, Stress and Depression

Learn from Nancy Kislin, LICSW, a nationally recognized expert working with teens and parents to navigate through the stress and angst of the modern world. Author of the book, LOCKDOWN: Talking to Your Kids about School Violence, Ms. Kislin appeared recently on CNN with a simple, but profound message: Only when we bring our whole, complete, flawed and authentic selves to our roles as parents, educators, and members of a community can we raise kids resilient enough to handle the many challenges of life today. We also hear an inspiring first-person account of recovery from a young woman speaking with This Is My Brave, a national organization that uses the power of storytelling to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness.