I am so lucky. What I feel most passionate about, my greatest interest, actually happens to be my profession. As a parent of 5 children and a child psychiatrist for nearly 30 years I've learned a few things. One of them is that it really does take a whole village, a system, to raise our children. Also, there will never be enough child psychiatrists to meet the growing need of children and young people suffering mental illness. I've seen hundreds of clients and many times I've wished for a better system of care. I've thought “Oh....if only”.
If only more schools could have the resources they need to help and prevent kids from getting more isolated, if only more parents could know that there's something they can do, if only they had someone to ask, if only they weren't afraid to ask...I often feel like I'm standing at the bottom of a cliff trying to catch children as they fall and the whole time wishing...if only.
It started me asking: how can I be at the top of the cliff, stopping children before they fall, supporting parents before they grieve? How can I translate knowledge from scientists, therapists, physicians to those who need it? There is new knowledge being learned every day. How can I talk to real parents, teachers, coaches...asking and finding out what they know or need to know?
So that's what we're doing here. I want to spark a conversation. To share what I know, hear what you need, to spread knowledge, learn more and turn knowledge into action.
I want to be at the top, far from the edge of that cliff with you, changing our view of children and improving lives.