Teens Tap In

You Don't Have to Force the Festive this Holiday Season

Join podcast hosts Sara and Faith and Maggie, Outreach's Clinical Program Director, for a heartfelt discussion about the mixed emotions that often surface during the holidays. 🎙️💙 They delve into the various forms of grief and loss that can weigh heavily on us during this time of year.

 

Listen in for reassurance that it's okay not to embrace the holiday cheer—whatever you're feeling is completely valid. ✨ We hope this conversation encourages you to be compassionate with yourself and offers helpful strategies for managing the season. 💛

 

Know that Outreach is available to support you through the holidays and into the coming year! 🤗🎄

 

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara

New Campus, New Friends

Hosts Lily, Faith, and Sara explore the truth about making college friends 💭—what works, what's uncomfortable 😬, and what nobody seems to mention. They also dive into the stress of applying to college 📚✨, swapping stories and sharing tips to help you feel less overwhelmed by the whole process.

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara

Getting to Know the 2025-26 Outreach College Crew

Season 5 of Teens Tap In is HERE! 🎉
Meet your new co-hosts, Lily & Faith, as they kick off the season with the rest of the members of the 2025-26 Outreach College Crew.

They're diving deep into:
🧠 Mental health journeys
❤️‍🔥 Passion for advocacy
🌎 Big dreams for change on campus & beyond

This inspiring crew is driven and ready to make an impact. Don’t miss their powerful convo — hit play now! 🎧👇

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara

College Transitions & Navigating Senior Year with special guest Casey Bowles

You don't want to miss this week's episode of Teens Tap In! For Kate and Grace's final episode as your co-hosts, they sit down with Casey Bowles, a school counselor at Mt. Lebanon High School, to discuss the transition from high school to college and how to navigate senior year challenges, particularly college applications. Students will learn tips to separate their self-worth from the outcomes of this often challenging process, strategies to manage comparison against their peers, and one crucial piece of advice Casey wishes more seniors would follow. They also discuss how college is not the right path for everyone, as well as ways parents and guardians can support teens without adding to their pressure.

A huge thank you to Kate and Grace for being such amazing co-hosts of Teens Tap In over the past year! Stay tuned for the upcoming fifth season of Teens Tap In with the 2025-26 Outreach College Crew. This is a passionate group of young professionals with great ideas to impact Outreach and the larger community of families we serve.

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara

Finding Purpose Through Service: The Mental Health Benefits of Volunteering

Join Kate, Grace and Maggie Zangara, Program Manager, for an episode on volunteering. Whether you're looking to make a difference in your community or seeking ways to boost your own wellbeing, this episode will leave you inspired and equipped with practical ideas for getting involved. Tune in to learn how volunteering can be a win-win for both your mental health and your community.

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara

Nurturing Friendships Through Mental Health Challenges

Teens Tap In is marking Mental Health Month with an insightful discussion on effective ways both teens and adults can offer and request support during challenging times. Your podcast co-hosts are joined by Maggie Zangara, Outpatient Therapist and Program Manager at Outreach, for a conversation that provides practical guidance on how to initiate support for friends in need. Finding the right words can often be the biggest hurdle. Listen now to gain valuable conversation starters that help break through communication barriers and foster supportive dialogue with those who might be struggling.

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation in Parenting with special guest Kelly Gyurina

Your "Teens Tap In" podcast co-hosts, Kate and Grace, are back for another exciting episode! This month, they sit down with Kelly Gyurina, a mom of three and a passionate mental health advocate. Their conversation explores the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in parenting. From guiding without pressure to encouraging curiosity-driven growth, they discuss how parents have the power to help cultivate a love for learning and a long-lasting sense of motivation in their children, all while navigating external pressures arising from school, social media and more. This is an episode for anyone hoping to raise (or be!) a self-driven individual.

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara

Celebrating Mary Birks: A Legacy of Leadership at Outreach

Tune in this month to Teens Tap In for a heartfelt episode as co-hosts Kate and Grace sit down to celebrate the incredible career of Mary Birks, Executive Director of Outreach Teen & Family Services. After leading Outreach for more than a decade, Mary is preparing for her next big adventure - retirement! This episode reflects on her journey, the challenges she’s overcome, and the lasting impact she’s made in our local communities. Together, Kate and Grace dive into Mary’s favorite memories, lessons learned, and what’s next for both her & Outreach.

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara

Screen Time Stories with the OCC: Teens Tell It Like It Is

Listen in as the OCC members, Kate, Grace and Lily candidly share their real-world experiences with social media - from strengthening friendships and finding communities to managing comparison culture and digital drama and cyberbullying. Get an unfiltered look at how platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat shape their social connections and emotional wellbeing, all from their own unique perspectives.

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara

Healing After Loss: A Conversation on Navigating Grief with Erin Blechman

*** WARNING: This episode touches on sensitive topics, including suicide and mental illness, so please listen with care. If you are experiencing active symptoms of severe depression and/or suicidal ideation, contact Resolve Crisis Network at (888) 796-8226 or go to your local emergency room. We strongly encourage you to listen with a trusted adult and process your thoughts with them after listening. ***

In this episode of Teens Tap In, Kate and Grace sit down with Erin Blechman—an author, speaker, and certified Grief Educator—to discuss the profound and complex journey of grief and healing. Erin shares insights from her book, My Unexpected Journey: Reflections After Losing My Son to Suicide, where she reflects on the heartbreak of losing her son Max to suicide following his long battle with mental illness. Together, they delve into the stigmas surrounding grief, the importance of elevating conversations about mental health, and Erin’s mission to bring awareness to the impact of loss and suicide.

Erin Blechman's website is: 
https://erinblechman.com/ 

Join us here for a parent workshop focused on grief and loss w/ Erin Blechman on Thursday, Feb 13th 7-8 PM via Zoom Webinar: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9WvLgtUNRpm-8WW8zmDc9Q#/registration

Directed and produced by: Maggie Zangara