#62 From Panicking to Planning: Problem Solving with Dr. Lindsay Tulchin

04/16/25 • 25 min

Up until college, a lot of our problems are solved for us. Whether its the high school teacher who notices you are falling behind pulling you aside after class to offer help, or your parents cleaning your room for you when you're feeling overwhelmed. College is the first time our independent problem solving skills are put to the test. Unfortunately, many students skip the problem-solving part and go straight to panic mode. If you are feeling overwhelmed and having a hard time approaching problems on campus, this microdose episode is your guide to trying to get your college life together. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Lindsay Tulchin, a Cognitive Behavioral therapist in NYC, who lays out the steps to tackle a problem effectively. Dr. Tulchin walks us through a 5-step guide to problem solving.

DEFINE THE PROBLEM

Get specific and focus on one problem at a time

GENERATE SOLUTIONS

List all solutions you can think of without judgment
Start with "bad" solutions
Include solutions you've already tried

ASSESS PROS & CONS

Short or long term?
Is this realistic? What are potential obstacles?
How difficult will it be to implement?
How likely is it to work?
How might it affect others?

PICK & PLAN

When? At a specific time or in response to something?
How do you need to prepare?
How will you remember?

EVALUATE

Did it work?
If not, why not and how can you tweak it?
Or try another option

Dr. Tulchin's Private Practice:

https://www.lindsaytulchin.com/

Dr. Tulchin's Group Private Practice:

https://www.nycognitive.com/about-lindsay-tulchin

Want to share your story, give us feedback or offer up an episode idea? Reach out! We'd love to hear from you.

Insta: @collegeisfinepodcast
Tik Tok: @collegeisfinepodcast
Email: [email protected]
Music is Deadbeats by Rex Banner

DEFINE THE PROBLEM

Get specific and focus on one problem at a time

GENERATE SOLUTIONS

List all solutions you can think of without judgment
Start with "bad" solutions
Include solutions you've already tried

ASSESS PROS & CONS

Short or long term?
Is this realistic? What are potential obstacles?
How difficult will it be to implement?
How likely is it to work?
How might it affect others?

PICK & PLAN

When? At a specific time or in response to something?
How do you need to prepare?
How will you remember?

EVALUATE

Did it work?
If not, why not and how can you tweak it?
Or try another option

Dr. Tulchin's Private Practice:

https://www.lindsaytulchin.com/

Dr. Tulchin's Group Private Practice:

https://www.nycognitive.com/about-lindsay-tulchin

Want to share your story, give us feedback or offer up an episode idea? Reach out! We'd love to hear from you.

Insta: @collegeisfinepodcast
Tik Tok: @collegeisfinepodcast
Email: [email protected]
Music is Deadbeats by Rex Banner

Previous Episode

#61 How to Brew Success: A Conversation with Marc Reede, author of The Coffee Code

Love coffee *and* looking for that next great job or internship? You're in luck. In this episode, we’re diving deep into the world of building important job connections with none other than Marc Reede, serial entrepreneur and author of The Coffee Code. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a successful career, one conversation at a time, make sure to listen in as Marc shares:

How to turn informal connections into job leads
Where to find the great jobs (hint: It's not on LinkedIn)
The importance of recognizing who's in your "court side seats"
Why it's important to define and refine your interview story
Tips for pausing, and then bouncing back, after rejection

A Sneak Peak:

"The person that you wanna meet, you've already met. The person that's gonna help you the most already knows you. That person is already in your network. You just have to find that person."
"You don't have to be Magic Johnson to have a court side, because there are individuals who've known you for years, there are your professors. There's, there's people that know you and know the success path that you're on right now, and they want to help you. "

If you want more where that came from:

Make sure to pre-order Marc's book: https://marcreede.com/coffee-code-book/

Follow Marc on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcreede/

Want to share your story, give us feedback or offer up an episode idea? Reach out! We'd love to hear from you.

Insta: @collegeisfinepodcast
Tik Tok: @collegeisfinepodcast
Email: [email protected]
Music is Deadbeats by Rex Banner

Next Episode

#63 Party Smart: A Psychologist's Guide to College Drinking and Drug Use

Put down that red Solo cup and listen in as we talk with Dr. James McOwen, clinical director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Massachusetts General Hospital. In this eye-opening chat, we dive into the real deal about college drinking and drug culture.

What you'll learn in this episode:

What percentage of college students drink, and when does it slip into a problem drinking
Tips for partying smart if you do choose to drink
Why pizza is your drinking ally
Is drinking the same for men and women?
Is drinking too much the only sign of a drinking problem?
What do to if you’d like to cut back or take less risk when you’re drinking
Is switching to weed the better solution?
Specific red flags that your drinking might be a problem

Perfect for college students trying to navigate the drinking scene, parents worried about their kids, or anyone interested in the fascinating connection between mental health and substance use in young adults. This episode keeps it real while giving you practical advice you can actually use!

RESOURCES:

Thank you to Dr. McKowen for sharing these resources with us!

https://www.campusdrugprevention.gov/resources/federal-national

https://www.acha.org/college-health-topics/substance-use/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20365113

Questionnaires:

https://nida.nih.gov/taps2/ (click “I’m a patient” at the bottom)

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/checkyourdrinking/index.html

https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/10526/drug-abuse-screening-test-10-dast-10

MORE ABOUT DR. McKOWEN:

Dr. James McKowen is a licensed clinical child psychologist and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. He completed his post-doctoral training at MGH in addiction medicine and pediatric neuropsychology. He is currently the clinical director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service, an outpatient clinic specializing in the treatment of adolescents and young adults with substance use and comorbid mental health issues. He conducts research in youth addiction including neuropsychological predictors engagement, marijuana smoking and aggression in youth, and he developed a protocol for treating substance use in youth with autism. In addition, for the past several years, Dr. McKowen has been expanding his clinical and research interests in the impacts of climate change on youth mental health. He is co-chair of the MGH Climate and Mental Health Initiative, Associate at the MGH Center for Environmental and Health, Affiliate Faculty, Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment (C-CHANGE) Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and member of the Climate Psychology Alliance – Youth Subcommittee. He is trained in climate-aware therapy and conducts research on climate change related emotions and coping in youth.

Want to share your story, give us feedback or offer up an episode idea? Reach out! We'd love to hear from you.

Insta: @collegeisfinepodcast
Tik Tok: @collegeisfinepodcast
Email: [email protected]
Music is Deadbeats by Rex Banner

College Is Fine, Everything's Fine - #62 From Panicking to Planning: Problem Solving with Dr. Lindsay Tulchin

Transcript

Problem Solving with Dr. Lindsay Tulchin

[00:00:00] I am Dr. Sarah Olivo. And I'm Dr. Liz Seidler, and you're listening to college is fine. Everything's fine.

riverside_liz_raw-video-cfr_interview_w_%20dr.%20li_0003: Hi listeners. I'm so excited Today we have on, a very dear friend, an amazing psychologist, and we're gonna be discussing problem solving a skill that I think most people, when they hear it sounds really basic, but we're, we're in luck, Sarah, because