Real talk on raising healthy minds for parents of kids, teens, and young adults.
"Youth is nimble, Age is lame"
From "Crabbed Age and Youth" (1599) by William Shakespeare
About Nimble Youth
Welcome to our podcast, where we provide expert insights and valuable resources for parents navigating the complexities of their children's mental health. We empower parents to nurture healthy minds in children, teens, and young adults through real conversations.
Every episode is designed to provide you with knowledge and tools to support your young ones as they negotiate life's many difficult periods.
Our team of seasoned professionals, including physicians, therapists and educators, delve into pressing topics, share research-based strategies, and offer practical advice for fostering mental and emotional well-being within your family.
Our title comes from a poem attributed to William Shakespeare called "Crabbed Age and Youth". When faced with the many obstacles and hurdles that children, teens and young adults face during the life cycle, we believe that young people who are psychosocially nimble - both flexible and resilient - achieve the best outcomes.
Whether you're facing challenges or simply seeking to enhance your child's mental resilience, our engaging discussions will enlighten and inspire. Join us on this journey to create a brighter, healthier future for the next generation!
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Podcast Schedule
Episode 2: Introduction to ADHD
Our first of a three-part series on ADHD examines the who, what, when, why and how of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and we discuss initial diagnosis with our guest Dr. Gretchen Hoyle
Episode 3: Continuing Care for ADHD
Episode 3 continues our examination of ADHD, and with our guest Dr. Hoyle we focus on continuing treatment and care for children, teens and young adults with ADHD
Episode 4: Medications for ADHD
In the third episode of our series on ADHD, Dr. Hoyle discusses the efficacy of various medications developed to treat ADHD and we explore how to find the right medication for your child.
Episode 1: Introducing Nimble Youth
Our brief introductory episode outlines the current mental health crisis for young people and asserts that information, knowledge and understanding are all important tools to help parents guide their children through the complexities of the modern age.
Episode 5: Anxiety in Children
In this episode, we explore what childhood anxiety really looks like—not just the textbook symptoms, but the day-to-day signs that often get missed. We talk about how anxiety shows up differently in kids than in teens or adults, the key risk factors, and how parents can respond with empathy, structure, and support.
Episode 6: Anxiety in Adolescent Girls
We discuss a mental health crisis that is quietly, and sometimes invisibly, reshaping the lives of millions of young people—particularly adolescent girls. Anxiety and depression have been on the rise among teens for over a decade, but the numbers for girls are especially stark—and deeply concerning.
Episode 7: Declining Mental Health in Adolescent Boys
We explore how digital media, social disconnection, and untreated mental health challenges are affecting adolescent boys. The discussion zeroes in on how behavioral changes can be early indicators of deeper mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, or even previously undiagnosed ADHD.
Episode 8: Collaborative Care Model for Mental Health
If you’ve ever felt like you’re the one doing all the care coordination for your child—between doctors, therapists, teachers, and insurance companies—you’re not alone. The mental health system hasn’t always made it easy. But there’s a new model that’s starting to change that: it’s called the Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model, or Collaborative Care for short.
Episode 9: Non-suicidal Self Injury (NSSI)
We dive into a topic that can feel overwhelming, frightening, and often isolating for parents: cutting and non-suicidal self-injury, also known as NSSI. While NSSI can be incredibly distressing to witness as a parent or caregiver, it is not the end of the story. In fact, with the right understanding and tools, we can approach this behavior not with fear, but with care, clarity, and connection.
Episode 10: Constipation, Anxiety and ADHD
Pediatrician Dr. Gretchen Hoyle returns to tackle a topic that’s both common and frequently misunderstood: chronic constipation and stool withholding in children. What may seem like a simple digestive issue is often a complex interplay between physical discomfort, behavioral habits, and underlying mental health challenges such as anxiety and ADHD.
Episode 11: Chronic School Absenteeism
Chronic school absenteeism is surging—and it’s not just about skipping class. From the long shadow of the pandemic to rising anxiety, screen-time habits, and shifting cultural norms, Dr. Gretchen Hoyle shares practical insights for families navigating this complex issue.
Episode 12: Eating Disorders
Eating disorders often begin quietly—but their impact is serious and, in some cases, life-threatening. In this episode, host Matt Butterman speaks with returning guest Dr. Gretchen Hoyle about how pediatricians play a critical role in identifying eating disorders early and helping families take action before things become more severe.
Episode 13: The Youth Mental Health Crisis
In this powerful and timely episode of The Nimble Youth Podcast, host Matt Butterman sits down with Michael Hayes, a licensed clinical mental health counselor who works directly with teens and young adults navigating the growing mental health challenges of our time.
Episode 14: Technology in the Classroom
We welcome our guest Wyatt Hoyle, a high school math teacher in rural Colorado, and explore the promises and pitfalls of technology in the modern classroom. We take a ground-level look at how digital tools are reshaping education—sometimes for better, sometimes not.
Episode 15: Understanding Pediatric OCD
In this episode of Nimble Youth, host Matt Butterman is joined by pediatrician Dr. Gretchen Hoyle for an in-depth look at Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)—a condition that’s often misunderstood and underdiagnosed in children and adolescents.
Episode 16: Pediatric OCD and Anxiety Management
Pediatric OCD is a deeply distressing neuropsychiatric condition that can significantly impair a child’s daily functioning and family dynamics. We the groundbreaking SPACE program (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) developed by Dr. Eli Leibovitz, and how it shifts the burden of change away from the child and onto the parent’s behaviors
Episode 17: Understanding DMDD
We unpack Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), a relatively new but critical diagnosis that helps explain persistent mood and behavior challenges in some children and adolescents. Dr. Gretchen Hoyle explains what sets DMDD apart from ordinary moodiness and how it's different from disorders like bipolar disorder.
Episode 18: Anxiety in High Achieving Teens
Today’s high school students are taking more AP courses, joining more extracurriculars, and aiming higher than ever — but it’s taking a toll. In this episode, we speak with school counselor Nicole Beale about the hidden cost of high achievement and the anxiety that often lurks behind perfect GPAs and packed résumés.
Episode 19: Back to School
Returning to school is both exciting and stressful for many students. We're joined by public high school counselor Nicole Beale and pediatrician Dr. Gretchen Hoyle to help parents navigate their children's way to stability and success in the new academic year.
Episode 20: School Shootings and Their Impacts
School shootings have become an all-too-frequent reality in the U.S., leaving behind not only immediate victims but also a ripple effect of collective trauma among students, parents, and educators. In this sobering episode, high school counselor Nicole Beale discusses how schools are navigating the psychological toll of this violence.
Our Team
Presenter - Matthew Butterman
Matthew Butterman is a media and communications consultant, writer and editor who works with businesses, special events, non-profits and individuals to increase their brand profiles and impacts. His goal is to create media content that fully informs and empowers consumers, and which inspires them to act and positively change lives.
You can view his portfolio of created content at his website.
Featured Panelist - Gretchen Hoyle, MD
Dr. Gretchen Hoyle is a Pediatrician based in Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Hoyle has a special interest in pediatric and adolescent mental health. She has participated in supplemental training through the REACH Institute, an organization dedicated to ensuring that the most effective, scientifically proven mental health care reaches all children and families.
Dr. Hoyle believes that parents know their children best and that her role as a Pediatrician is to provide and explain appropriate medical options for managing health problems and support caregivers in their choice among these options.
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