PTSD and Depression: What Caregivers Need to Know
Airing Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm ET | 6:00 to 7:00 pm CT
Watch live on Facebook or YouTube
When trauma strikes, its effects ripple through families and relationships. For those supporting loved ones with PTSD, the path forward isn’t always clear. While symptoms may appear similar to depression, understanding the unique challenges of PTSD is essential for helping your loved one find the right care and begin their healing journey.
Join us for a live discussion where mental health professionals will help you recognize the signs of PTSD, understand how it differs from depression, and learn practical ways to support your loved one’s journey toward healing. Our specialists will share evidence-based strategies for creating a supportive environment that encourages seeking professional help while maintaining trust and open communication.
Whether you’re caring for a family member, friend, or loved one affected by trauma, this free program will equip you with the knowledge and tools to make a meaningful difference in their recovery journey. Learn how to navigate challenging conversations, identify warning signs, and connect with vital resources and support services.
This informative session is specifically designed for caregivers, family members, and friends who want to better understand PTSD and provide effective support to their loved ones.
This program is supported by
Lundbeck
Presenters
Leah DeMarest, MS, LMHC, CADC
Leah DeMarest is a licensed mental health counselor, certified alcohol and drug counselor, author, and public speaker. She is passionate about helping those living with mental illness and dispelling mental illness stigma.
Jennifer Perusini, PhD
Dr. Jennifer Perusini, a neuroscientist and entrepreneur, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Neurovation Labs. Dr. Perusini’s doctoral work forms the basis of Neurovation Labs’ pioneering research, which made the groundbreaking discovery that there is a physiological component to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that can be targeted to both diagnose and treat the disorder. Dr. Perusini and her team have developed a patent pending detection method and are currently creating a companion treatment for PTSD.
Dr. Perusini earned her B.A. in Neuroscience & Behavior at Barnard College, Columbia University, and her Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she studied the mechanisms underlying PTSD in an animal model. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship, which focused on rodent models of aging and Alzheimer’s disease, at Columbia University in the Departments of Psychiatry and Integrative Neuroscience.
Lisa Mecham, MSW, moderator
Lisa Mecham, MSW, is a writer and freelance editor based in California. Her work has been featured in The New York Times: Tiny Modern Love and Roxane Gay’s bestselling anthology Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture. Lisa’s writing about redefining her family and staying legally married to her husband, despite their separation, has been published in The On Being Project and HuffPost. Lisa’s interests center around resiliency, agency, and hope, with a particular focus on empowering women. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
