You Only Know What You Know — Episode 1A Meet Your Hosts & Meet the Podcast
In this introductory episode, hosts Beth Hope, LCSW, and Britt Teasdale share the heart behind You Only Know What You Know—and why this podcast exists. Drawing from their professional backgrounds and personal experiences as parents, Beth and Britt reflect on the gap between what we know about mental health and how hard it can be to apply that knowledge in everyday family life.
They explore why parents so often feel overwhelmed, why evidence-based guidance can be difficult to access, and how learning a little sooner can make a meaningful difference. This episode sets the tone for the season: honest conversations, trusted expertise, and reassurance for parents navigating child and teen mental health without panic, perfectionism, or shame.
Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or someone supporting families you love, this episode is an invitation to learn, ask better questions, and remember—you’re not alone, and you’re doing better than you think.
Listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube:
Read the Full Podcast Transcript
Britt Teasdale
This is You Only Know What You Know, a podcast by Compass Health Center about the sometimes messy, always meaningful work of parenting and mental health. I’m Britt Teasdale, a writer, photographer, and parent of two young children.
Beth Hope
And I’m Beth Hope, a clinician with more than 20 years of experience in youth mental health—and a mom of two teens. We’re here to bring honest conversations, clinical insight, and a little real-life parenting perspective to the table.
Britt Teasdale
Because none of us have it all figured out. We’re all just learning as we go—and that’s okay.
Britt Teasdale
So Beth, you’re a clinician, and you’re also parenting a tween and a teen. Let’s start with a big question: why are we doing this?
Beth Hope
Why are we doing this? I think being both a parent and a clinician—especially someone who has worked with children and families for most of my career—there’s so much overlap between the personal and the professional.
I’ve been a clinician for over 20 years, and my oldest child is about to be 15. When I first became a parent, I really believed that all the knowledge and experience I had—from graduate school and years of clinical work—was going to make parenting easier.
But what I quickly realized was that every time I learned something new at work, I thought, Wait, why didn’t I know this before? Or, I should be doing this at home. I kept finding myself wishing someone had told me these things earlier.
That’s really where this idea came from. I kept thinking, If only people knew this sooner—before things felt overwhelming or before there was a crisis. As I meet more families, clinicians, and experts, I keep learning, and it feels important to share that knowledge proactively. Not because anyone is doing something wrong, but because you only know what you know.
What do you think?
Britt Teasdale
I love that. I feel that so deeply—learning something at work and thinking, I wish I had known this sooner.
My son is five, I have a baby, and I’m constantly learning things now that I wish I had known years ago. But you can only do your best with the knowledge you have at the time.
Working at Compass, I learn so much about mental health every day. I try to implement those tools where I can at home, but my knowledge base has grown so much—and I want to share that with people who are interested or open to learning.
This information matters to all of us—as parents, professionals, friends, siblings, family members. So for me, that’s really the big “why.”
Beth Hope
And people are constantly reaching out to Compass—or to those of us who work here—from their personal networks asking, “Do you have resources for this?” or “Could you help with that?”
We’ll always keep answering those questions and offering support, but this podcast gives us another way to share what we know more broadly.
We’re also still learning ourselves. Every new patient, intake, or role I have—whether at Compass, in schools, or at a summer camp where I work as a social worker—brings a new challenge or perspective. This is also a way for us to stay connected, to learn from one another, and to acknowledge that what works for one family doesn’t always work the same way for another.
Britt Teasdale
And we’re living in a world where there’s so much information. It can be really hard to figure out what’s actually evidence-based and what’s genuinely helpful.
You see this a lot in online parenting spaces—someone posts a concern, and suddenly there’s an overwhelming amount of advice. That community support is valuable, but it can also be confusing.
What feels special about this space is that we can bring real experts to the table—clinicians who can help explain what’s normal, what’s concerning, and what actually helps.
Beth Hope
That’s such a good point. You see people asking for psychiatrist referrals or saying, “This is what my child is going through—what should I do?”
Hearing from other parents can be incredibly validating. At the same time, it can be really hard to access professional care or get clear answers.
For this podcast, you and I aren’t trying to be the experts on everything. We’re bringing in experts—people with deep knowledge and experience—so families don’t have to wait or feel stuck wondering what to do next.
Britt Teasdale
And you don’t have to be afraid to ask the questions you might hesitate to ask in your own life. Hopefully this becomes a space where people feel safe and supported asking those questions and learning alongside us.
So Beth, let’s talk about you. What brought you to Compass?
Beth Hope
I’m originally from Minneapolis—Edina, Minnesota. I’m the oldest of four, which probably explains a lot about my personality.
I’ve always been fascinated by people, social justice, and advocacy. I didn’t fully know what I wanted to do, but I went to the University of Michigan and later to graduate school in New York for social work because it felt like a path that would allow me to work with people in many different ways.
My grandparents were Holocaust survivors, and their stories deeply shaped who I am and the work I do. I eventually moved to Chicago and fell into residential work with children, adolescents, and families. I worked at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, first as a therapist and later in leadership roles.
I loved being able to spend meaningful time with kids, families, and staff—especially in higher-support environments. From there, I moved on to Heartland Alliance, where I worked in child welfare and later served as an executive director overseeing programs for unaccompanied migrant children, juvenile justice alternatives, and homeless young adults.
Eventually, as I started my own family, I was looking for something new—something that offered growth without constant travel and being on call. That’s what brought me to Compass.
I had never even heard of PHP or IOP before, despite all my years in the field. But I immediately loved the model and the opportunity to learn and give back. I’ve been at Compass for nearly ten years now, in various clinical and leadership roles.
Britt Teasdale
What stands out to me is that throughout your career, there’s this clear through-line of working with kids, teens, and families. Why do you think that is?
Beth Hope
I think it started by chance, but I fell in love with it. Adolescence is such a challenging and transformative time. It’s early enough in development that support can truly change someone’s trajectory.
I’ve always felt drawn to the challenge and opportunity of that stage of life. And when you work with teens, you’re also working with families—which adds another meaningful layer.
Now that I have teens of my own, I’m constantly reminded how complex it is. In many ways, I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing—and that humility is part of what keeps the work interesting and human.
Britt Teasdale
Teenage years really are such a wild time—so much certainty and uncertainty at once.
Beth Hope
And being a teenager today is incredibly different than it used to be. Social media, constant connectivity, academic pressure—it’s a whole different landscape.
They know a lot, and they feel like they know everything. Our job is to help guide them, support them, and give them more tools along the way.
So now I want to turn it back to you. You come from a very different background—journalism, photography, creative work. How did you end up at Compass?
Britt Teasdale
I grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada, and studied journalism in university. I was fascinated by storytelling—by meeting people I wouldn’t otherwise have access to and sharing their experiences.
After college, I worked at a domestic violence and child advocacy center, both in communications and on the crisis line. It was incredibly challenging work, but it shaped me deeply.
Eventually, I moved into journalism and later marketing and communications, always bringing that storytelling lens with me.
When I learned about Compass, I was freelancing and visiting Chicago. I met someone who worked at Compass at a wedding, and I was immediately drawn to the model—especially because my family had recently experienced a significant loss.
The timing felt right. I took a leap, moved to Chicago, and I’ve been with Compass for about eight years now.
Beth Hope
I still can’t believe this all started because you met someone at a wedding.
Britt Teasdale
I met Kim at a wedding!
Britt Teasdale
Thanks for joining us for our intro episode of You Only Know What You Know from Compass Health Center.
Beth Hope
We’re so glad you’re here as we begin this journey—exploring parenting, mental health, and all the things we wish we’d known sooner.
Britt Teasdale
Next time, we’ll be joined by Compass co-founders and psychiatrists Dr. David Schreiber and Dr. Claudia Welke for an honest conversation about teen mental health—what’s really going on, what to look for, and when to reach out for support.
Beth Hope
Until then, remember—you’re not alone, and you’re doing better than you think.
