Ep 12: Our Community and Mental Health
with Silver Hill's Dr. Andrew Gerber MD, PhD
Talking About It Host Cindy Graziano talks with Dr. Andrew Gerber MD, PhD; President and Medical Director of Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, CT. People have said that Dr. Gerber makes discussing mental health "cool.”
What is the impact of mental health issues on families and communities? How can we come together a community to help?
Listen Now
Host Cindy Graziano (left) speaks with Silver Hill's Dr. Andrew Gerber MD, PhD (right) about mental health in our community.
Ep 11: Mental Health:
It's Everyone's Business
with Lost Got Found's Emily Torchiana
Talking About It Host Cindy Graziano talks with Emily Torchiana, Founder of Lost Got Found, about the personal journey she undertook nationwide to shatter the stigma surrounding mental health. Rather than suffer in silence as many do, Emily seeks to help others who also struggle with mental illnesses by sharing her personal experience of suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, social anxiety, and overcoming a suicide attempt.
Lost Got Found is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Emilia Torchiana in 2017. Inspired by her mental health struggles in high school and feeling lost, Lost Got Found educates high school students with a curriculum that encourages talking about mental health and reaching out for help.
Listen Now
Host Cindy Graziano (left) speaks with Emily Torchiana (right) about her mental health non-profit Lost Got Found.
Ep 10: Managing Parental Stress During the Pandemic (Part 2)
with The Lapham Center's Aggie Aspinwall and Elaine MacKenzie
In Part 2 of Managing Parental Stress During the Pandemic, we discuss the stress of the Sandwich Generation—individuals, mainly women, who are simultaneously managing the care for both their aging parents and their own children.
To hear first-hand accounts of this particular stress, host Cindy Graziano speaks with Director of the Lapham Center Aggie Aspinwall and New Canaan resident Elaine MacKenzie. Aggie is the mother of two adult children living at home due to the pandemic, and she is also caring for her 94-year-old father. Elaine is a mom of 5, including 4 children with underlying medical conditions who have been living at home prior to the pandemic. She also cares for her 92-year-old mother with dementia who requires 24/7 supervision.
We address topics like boundary-setting, communication, finding time for oneself, and fighting that guilt over not being perfect. Our goal is to give listeners practical tips on managing stress through these unprecedented times.
Listen Now
Host Cindy Graziano (bottom) speaks with Elaine MacKenzie (top L) and Aggie Aspinwall (top R) about specific pandemic stresses faced by the Sandwich Generation.
Ep 9: Managing Parental Stress During the Pandemic
with New Canaan CARES' Stacey Walker & The Child Guidance Center of Southern CT's Georgette Harrison
How can parents manage their own stress during the COVID-19 pandemic? In this two-part episode, host Cindy Graziano is joined by Stacey Walker (New Canaan CARES) and Georgette Harrison (The Child Guidance Center of Southern CT) to discuss practical tips to manage the stresses of living during this difficult time.
In Part 1, we discuss the transformation of parents' daily lives during the pandemic and how we can adapt in healthy and sustainable ways. While vaccinations may have increased and some bans are being lifted, we are far from finishing this fight for our mental and physical health.
Learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode on our RESOURCES page.
Listen Now
Host Cindy Graziano (top L) speaks with Stacey Walker (top R) and Georgette Harrison (bottom center) about managing parental stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ep 8: Helping Friends in Abusive Relationships
with DVCC's Suzanne Adam, Executive Director
This month, Talking About It series host Cindy Graziano talks with Suzanne Adam, Executive Director of the Domestic Violence Crisis Center, about how to recognize the signs of abuse and how to help friends in abusive relationships safely find help.
“A lot of people misunderstand and find it difficult to understand or even comprehend domestic violence. It's a pattern of coercive or intimate controlling behavior in a relationship. This behavior can manifest in abuse that's verbal, emotional, physical, and financial. 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence." — Suzanne Adam, Executive Director, DVCC
Learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode on our RESOURCES page.
Listen Now
Host Cindy Graziano (R) speaks with Suzanne Adam from DVCC (L) about how to help friends who may be victims of domestic abuse.
Ep 7: Raising Healthy Boys
with The Rowan Center's Luke Robbins, LCSW
This month, Talking About It series host Cindy Graziano talks about raising healthy boys with Luke Robbins, Director of Counseling at The Rowan Center.
“One big tool when you're talking with your kid,” says Robbins, “is just the simple words, 'I hear you.' Even if we can't understand what someone else is going through, there's this solace that comes from feeling like somebody else knows and cares."
Learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode on our RESOURCES page.
Listen Now
L to R: Talking About It Host Cindy Graziano, Monica Chimera (New Canaan Moms), and Luke Robbins of The Rowan Center.
Ep 6: Childhood Trauma & Resiliency
with Rev. Carol Merritt, Author of Healing Spiritual Wounds, and Interim Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan
This month, Talking About It series host Cindy Graziano talks about overcoming childhood trauma and building resiliency with Rev. Carol Merritt, author of Healing Spiritual Wounds and Interim Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan.
“Many times children act out because they’re not able to tell their story. They don’t have the language for it. If we’re able to make a space or really listen to a child experiencing trauma, then we can begin the healing process.”
Learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode on our RESOURCES page.
Listen Now
Guest Rev. Carol Howard Merrit and her book Healing Spiritual Wounds.
Ep 5: Parenting During & After COVID-19
with Bram Speech & Language Consultants Director Allyson Bram Mahoney, MS, CCC/SLP
From suddenly homeschooling and working from home to general fears about the safety of our loved ones, it's a stressful time for everyone—and our children know it. So how do we share information or explain our anxiety to our children?
On today's episode, we are joined by Bram Speech and Language Consultants Director Allyson Bram Mahoney (MS, CCC/SLP) who shares tips and tactics for parents to build resilience and help children understand what is happening around them during this crisis and beyond.
Learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode on our RESOURCES page.
Listen Now
Talking About It Host Cindy Graziano (right) interviews Allyson Bram Mahoney, MS, CCC/SLP about parenting during and after COVID-19.
Ep 4: Managing Change in the Time of COVID-19
Panel discussion
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented change both globally and locally. On today's podcast, we are joined by local medical experts to discuss how to manage change and its impact in this time of a global pandemic—both the grief, fear, and sadness we may be feeling now, but also anticipatory grief—and what life could be like after COVID-19.
This episode features:
—Silver Hill Hospital's Dr. Andrew Gerber, MD, Ph.D.
—Dr. Harrison Pierce, MD
—Center for HOPE's Chelsea McGee, LCSW
—The Den for Grieving Kids' Julianne Green, LMSW
Special thanks to our experts for practicing social distancing and joining us online for the discussion.
Learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode on our RESOURCES page.
Listen Now
Talking About It Host Cindy Graziano (top left) interviews Dr. Harrison Pierce, Center for Hope's Chelsea McGee, Silver Hill Hospital's Dr. Andrew Gerber, and The Den for Grieving Kids' Julianne Green on Zoom.
Ep 3: Building Kids' Resilience
with Ellen Brozovsky, New Canaan CARES
As our kids grow up, they’re guaranteed to face setbacks and roadblocks, all magnified by the high pressure to succeed. This month, we’re talking about building kids’ resilience with Ellen Brezovsky, a licensed social worker and the Executive Director of New Canaan CARES. Ellen shares practical steps and strategies you can use at home to prepare your kids for the challenges ahead.
Learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode on our RESOURCES page.
Listen Now
Talking About It Host Cindy Graziano (L) interviews New Canaan Cares’ Ellen Brezovsky (R) about Building Kids’ Resilience.
Ep 2: Teen Dating Violence
with Meredith Gold, Greenwich YWCA's
Director of Domestic Abuse Services
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. We're joined by Meredith Gold, Director of Domestic Abuse Services at the Greenwich YWCA, who shares tips for recognizing signs of unhealthy teen relationships, her trusted resources, and the reminder that there's no need to feel shame when it comes to speaking up for someone's safety.
Learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode on our RESOURCES page.
Listen Now
with LiveGirl CEO & Founder Sheri West
Ep 1: Raising Strong Girls
Girls' self-confidence drops drastically during their pre-teen years. LiveGirl Founder and CEO Sheri West shares how we can help our girls thrive and become the strong, brave women we know they can be. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Silvermine Arts Center and includes an audience Q&A.
Listen Now
ABOUT LIVEGIRL: LiveGirl is a nonprofit organization that builds confident leaders by empowering and equipping the next generation. For more information on LiveGirl, visit www.goLiveGirl.org or contact Sheri West at Sheri@goLiveGirl.org.
Make sure to tune in to LiveGirl's CONFIDENT podcast—a mother-daughter podcast featuring conversations with fierce female leaders—on Apple, Spotify, or on golivegirl.org/podcast.
In the news
"Community Podcast Launches in New Canaan" - New Canaan Advertiser
Photo courtesy of Hearst Connecticut Media
INTRO: Welcome to Talking About It
Welcome to TALKING ABOUT IT, a community podcast from New Canaan, CT dedicated to reducing the stigma around behavioral health issues our community members face, preventing abuse, and promoting healthy relationships.
Hosted by Cindy Graziano, this monthly podcast is created by the New Canaan Abuse Prevention Partnership (Dede Bartlett, Founder) and made possible by a grant from the New Canaan Community Foundation. The series is supported by over 40 organizations in the New Canaan area dedicated to providing resources for our community.
Because we're not perfect. And we're talking about it.
Listen Now