Welcome to the Buy Yourself Flowers Project Podcast. Our goal is to provide accessible mental health resources by speaking with experts in the field, ranging from professors, researchers, clinical psychologists, to nonprofit founders. We’re here to bring valuable insights together, making it easier for everyone to find the support and information they need.
THE BYF Trailer
Isaure Pajot, Aanya Mukherjee, Sabrina Kanli
In this short intro episode, we share the story behind Buy Yourself Flowers: a student-led project designed to create a safe space for teenagers to connect and feel less alone in their mental health journey. Join us as we explain our goals for the project and what you can expect in future episodes of the Buy Yourself Flowers Podcast.
EP1: We Need To Talk About Burnout
Kelly McKeown, Aanya Mukherjee, Isaure Pajot
What even is burnout? With exam season in full swing, academic burnout is hitting harder than ever. In our first episode, we shine a light on the symptoms, talk about prevention and planning for the future, and explore what to do if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Joining us is Miss Kelly McKeown, school counsellor at The Harker School in San Jose, who shares practical strategies and compassionate insight onto managing academic pressure and burnout.
EP2: We Need to Rethink the Schooling System ft. Challenge Success
Kim Cawkwell, Aanya Mukherjee, Isaure Pajot, Sabrina Kanli
In this episode, we chat with Kim Cawkwell, Program Director at Challenge Success – a California Stanford-affiliated initiative helping schools rethink what success really means. We talk about student mental health, school community, and how their “PDF Framework” supports balance and engagement. Whether you’re a student, educator, or just curious about education reform, this one’s worth a listen.
EP3: We Need to Discuss the Intersection Between Mental Health and Impact Leadership
Kellie McElhaney, Aanya Mukherjee
In this episode, Aanya talks with Kellie McElhaney — founder of UC Berkeley’s Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership — about how mental health shapes the way we lead and care for others. They discuss her path to creating the center, raising two teenage daughters, and how leaders can make workplaces and communities feel supportive, fair, and welcoming for everyone.
EP4: We Need to Talk About Adolescent Development and its Effect on Parental Relationships
Dhara Meghani, Aanya Mukherjee, Isaure Pajot, Sabrina Kanli
In this episode, we talk with Dhara Meghani – clinical psychologist and professor at the University of San Francisco – about what happens developmentally during adolescence and how parents can help their kids mental-health wise through their teenage years.
EP5: We Need to Talk About Cyber Security for Teens
Ria Sethi, Aanya Mukherjee
In this episode, Aanya sits down with Cyber For Youth founder Ria Sethi to talk about what motivated her to take on cyberbullying, the real challenges teens face online, and the simple habits that can help protect our mental health. They get into everything from supportive (but not controlling) parenting to the role of upstanders, and how teen-driven projects like The BYF Project and Cyber For Youth can spark the kind of change adults often miss.
EP6: We Need to Discuss how Innovation Shapes Mental Wellbeing in Adolescence
Madhavan Vinod, Aanya Mukherjee, Isaure Pajot, Sabrina Kanli
In this episode, we speak with Madhavan Vinod, founder of Entrevamp, about how innovation, design thinking, and omnidisciplinary approaches can help teens manage stress, build confidence, and find purpose beyond grades. We discuss how starting projects, thinking across disciplines, and prototyping new habits can boost emotional resilience and mental wellbeing. Disclaimer: This conversation shares personal experiences and ideas, not professional mental-health advice.
EP7: We Need to Talk about how Affective Atmospheres Shape Online Youth Culture
Kim R Sylwander, Isaure Pajot
In this episode, Isaure speaks with Dr. Kim Sylwander, a postdoctoral researcher at LSE, about how affective atmospheres shape online youth culture. They discuss Dr. Sylwander’s academic journey and explore how digital practices sustain sexualized and gendered aggression online. The conversation covers how young people experience and navigate online aggression, the role of platform features like algorithms and anonymity, and future research directions on youth cultures in digital spaces.
EP8: We Need to Talk About Period Poverty and Its Place Within Adolescent Life
Anwika Ghankota, Aanya Mukherjee, Isaure Pajot, Sabrina Kanli
In this episode, we speak with Anwika Ghankota, founder of the California Women’s Hygiene Initiative, about period poverty and its impact on teenagers’ mental health. We discuss how limited access to menstrual products increases stress and self-consciousness, why the issue is often overlooked, and how stigma around menstruation creates barriers to change. This conversation focuses on lived experiences and raising awareness over the shame that can surround female hygiene.
EP9: We Need to Talk About Digital Freedom in the Age of Algorithms
Elly Hanson, Sabrina Kanli
In this episode, Sabrina speaks with Dr. Elly Hanson, writer and Research Director at Fully Human, about digital “freedom” in an algorithm-driven world. Drawing on her article “Taking Liberties: Confronting Big Tech’s False Freedoms,” Elly discusses how platforms shape attention, identity, and self-worth while presenting these effects as choice. They explore ragebait, insecurity-driven algorithms, and what meaningful change would look like for young people, focusing on reclaiming agency online through intention, boundaries, and conscious creation.
EP10: We Need to Talk About the Normalisation of Eating Disorders
Salena Schapp, Sam Finkelstein, Aanya Mukherjee
In our latest episode, Aanya speaks with Salena Schapp PsyD and Sam Finkelstein RDN, cofounders of Beyond Measure, about eating disorders in adolescents. They discuss disordered eating in teenagers, challenge misconceptions about who eating disorders affect, and explore Beyond Measure’s focus on weight-inclusive care and HAES® principles. The conversation also covers how anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, and social media intensify risks and how intuitive eating can help counter a culture that makes young people distrust their bodies.
Join the team
Designed with WordPress
The Buy Yourself Flowers Project 