Happiness and Joy Are Not the Same (and Why It Matters For Parents), with Alex Stavros, CEO of Embark Behavioral Health

ABOUT THE EPISODE:
Sometimes, parents seeking guidance and comfort during difficult times are told to “choose happiness”.  My guest today believes instead, we should be choosing joy.

Alex Stavros is the CEO of Embark Behavioral Health, a leading network of premiere youth outpatient centers and residential programs.  Their “big hairy audacious goal” is driving down youth anxiety, depression, and suicide from the all-time highs of today to all-time lows by 2028.

In addition to his decade of work with Embark, Alex brings some unique personal experiences to the conversation.  As a child, his family uprooted their lives in Minnesota to serve people living in abject poverty in the slums of Peru.  This upbringing has given him some much-needed perspective on happiness, joy, and how each applies to the lives of families struggling with substance misuse issues.

In this episode, we discuss:

• the difference between happiness and joy - and why it matters to parents in particular
• how Embark is using this concept to change lives
• and the three major challenges to fixing the nation’s mental health crisis

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Embark Behavioral Health

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