From Silent Struggle to Youth Advocate: Francesca Reicherter on Pets, Pressure, and Purpose | ANEW Insight Ep. 74

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In Episode 74 of the ANEW Insight Podcast, host Dr. Supatra Tovar—clinical psychologist, registered dietitian, fitness expert, and bestselling author of Deprogram Diet Culture—welcomes back speaker, author, and youth mental health advocate Francesca Reicherter for Part 2 of their unforgettable conversation.

Francesca is the founder of Inspiring My Generation and host of the podcast Normalize the Conversation. After surviving multiple suicide attempts in her early 20s, Francesca transformed her pain into a global movement of advocacy, connection, and healing. In this deeply vulnerable episode, she opens up about the isolating experience of struggling in silence, how her emotional support dog played a crucial role in her recovery, and why adolescence and young adulthood are pivotal stages for early mental health intervention.

This episode covers:

• The emotional reality of silent suffering and the healing power of simply “saying it out loud”
• How pets can serve as emotional anchors and motivators for healing
• The unrealistic pressures placed on teens and young adults—from five-year plans to social milestones
• How to stop comparing your timeline to curated images on social media
• Francesca’s personal experience with burnout, and her go-to 30-second breathing practice
• The importance of militant self-care and creating non-negotiable morning routines
• How she balances speaking engagements, authorship, and a master’s program in psychology
• Why she chose the self-publishing route and how she turned rejection into resilience
• Her favorite feedback from kids who applied her mental health tools to overcome school stress
• Behind-the-scenes look at speaking at CrisisCon and advocating for 988 funding in Florida
• How to access and share her powerful mental health workbooks and toolkits
  

Dr. Tovar and Francesca also reflect on the post-COVID mental health landscape, especially for Gen Z and teens, and the overwhelming role social media played during isolation. From Facetime fatigue to toxic comparison on TikTok, Francesca shares how she learned to curate her feed, manage screen time, and use social platforms as tools—not triggers.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, student, or survivor, this episode will leave you feeling more connected, informed, and inspired to be part of the change.

📘 Learn more about Francesca’s work:
Website: francescareicherter.com
Nonprofit: inspiringmygeneration.org
Instagram/LinkedIn: @francescareicherter

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