From There to Here Ryan Klingensmith: A Mental Health Expert Shapes the Future
Ryan Klingensmith is a mental health expert and pioneer of youth digital stewardship through his organization Shape the Sky. In this episode, Ryan talks about the value of believing in oneself, the importance of confidence, curating your time, and being there for anybody who wants to be saved. Ryan shares many insights in the mental health industry and him and Jason talk about the present day intersection of youth, technology, and mental health.
Ryan Klingensmith, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), is the founder of Shape the Sky. Ryan started his career in 1994, where he worked at an inpatient psychiatric hospital for teens diagnosed with a mental health disorder. He also worked in residential treatment facilities, teen shelters, and group homes for children and teens. In 2010, Ryan began providing outpatient mental health therapy for youth, and he also began working in Student Assistance Programs (SAPs) in Pennsylvania to present about drug and alcohol prevention. When he was working with middle school and high school students, he noticed the mistakes and misuse of social media. Shape the Sky was born when he identified a need for comprehensive, ongoing education about social media for parents, school personnel, law-enforcement and mental health providers.
With technology and social media usage growing, the need to educate invested adults is growing too. With Ryan’s background in mental health and knowledge of social media, he developed a series of training programs to inform adults about current youth culture online, the mental health implications of social media, and general misuse of technology by kids and teens. Once they have a better awareness and understanding of what’s happening online, adults can use their wisdom to keep kids safe.
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