Lee Wells and David Meyerson of Mind Chicago talk with Brandon Gimbel to explain how Parent Management Training (PMT) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) go beyond behavior charts‚ offering live parent coaching and real-time connection with children to shift relational patterns.

In this clip, Lee Wells and David Meyerson of Mind Chicago highlights the foundational principle of PCIT‚ connection before correction‚ and shows how in-the-moment, non-judgmental parent coaching transforms family dynamics.

Lee Wells of Mind Chicago explains how Parent Management Training (PMT) supports parents of older children through skill-building, family system insights, and real-time practice‚ with results that often appear quickly.

David Meyerson explains how Mind Chicago uses the first phone call to truly understand a family’s needs‚ sometimes recommending parent coaching or PCIT instead of traditional child therapy.

Lee Wells explains how group therapy at Mind Chicago fosters connection, normalizes struggle, and surprises even the most hesitant kids with its sense of belonging and fun.

Lee Wells of Mind Chicago explains to Brandon Gimbel that PCIT and PMT are more than behavior management, that they help kids feel successful at home and with peers. This clip explores how coaching improves family connection and increases self-worth in children with ADHD.

In this clip, Dr. Melanie Santos explores how subtle safety behaviors—like reassurance seeking or avoidance—can interfere with progress in OCD treatment. She explains how identifying and reducing these behaviors is a key part of ERP.

What makes ACT different from traditional CBT? Tory explains how ACT shifts the focus from challenging thoughts to noticing them, asking whether they’re useful, and orienting behavior around values instead of symptom control.

Why take thoughts less seriously? Tory walks through ACT’s playful defusion strategies, from repeating words until they lose meaning to thanking the mind for its chatter — all ways of loosening thought’s grip.

What does it mean to live by values? Tory explains how ACT turns values into active commitments — not abstract categories, but concrete ways of showing up. Values become the life map that guides therapy.

Why does fighting anxiety make it worse? Tory shows how ACT normalizes fear, distinguishing between everyday worry and panic. By accepting discomfort, we stop feeding the spiral of “anxiety about anxiety.”

Why keep coming back to the present moment? Tory describes how ACT borrows from mindfulness, using anchors and awareness to notice thoughts without trying to eliminate them — choosing instead to return, over and over, to what matters.

Maggie Schwalbach explains executive functioning as the brain’s management system. Coaching identifies weak spots—like time management or organization—and helps turn daily chaos into clear, workable routines.

Maggie discusses how EF coaching focuses on functional challenges—like focus, organization, and emotional regulation—regardless of diagnosis. ADHD may inform the work, but it doesn’t define it.

Using the metaphor of “Amy the Amygdala,” Maggie shows how anxiety disrupts executive functioning. Coaching helps students train their brains to keep working even when stress is present.

Maggie challenges the idea that EF coaching is just about attention. She often starts with time, organization, or inhibition—skills that support focus by addressing what’s underneath it.

Maggie reframes “try harder” narratives by teaching structure. Through tools like checklists and walkthroughs, coaching turns invisible expectations into clear, manageable systems.

Maggie explains how coaching helps high-performing teens manage time across work, rest, and play. The goal is sustainable self-regulation—not just short-term rewards.

CATCH offers a range of free, accessible resources via their website (catchiscommunity.org), including parent groups, videos, and upcoming events. Dr. Lisa Novak highlights opportunities to volunteer and join the broader mission, emphasizing that community participation is central to how CATCH operates and grows.

Dr. Lisa Novak explains that resilience, in the CATCH framework, means equipping families to withstand life’s challenges—not just pushing kids to perform. The organization focuses on parents and caregivers through peer support groups, educational programming, and tools like Coping Kits—delivered at key school transition years—to shift focus from achievement to emotional readiness.